The show chronicles Kate Ballard's campaign to become the next State Premier. A committed and rigorous politician, Kate's victory seems assured until a new opposition leader, popular television and radio personality David McLeod, is selected. As the drama unfolds, it is revealed that several years ago Kate and David had a secret, tumultuous affair. To the world at large, David and Kate offer a compelling battle of style versus substance, but a paranoid Kate fears that their complicated romantic history is a trump card waiting to be played. Played out on a grand scale, Party Tricks becomes a cat-and-mouse game which culminates in an election night finale.