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The prime minister has taken to social media to announce his engagement to his partner Jodie Haydon, making him the first to get engaged while in office.
Anthony Albanese posted a selfie with Ms Haydon on Thursday morning captioned, “She said yes”, after proposing the night before on Valentine’s Day.
The ABC understands Mr Albanese specifically designed the engagement ring.
The pair met during a business dinner in Melbourne in 2020.
“We are thrilled and excited to share this news and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together,” they said.
“We are so lucky to have found each other.”
Ms Haydon spoke of falling in love with the prime minister after he was in a car accident that nearly took his life in 2021.
“I got the phone call and drove immediately to the scene. I saw the mess of a car before I saw him and thought,
He couldn’t survive this’,” she told Women’s Weekly while on the Labor campaign trail.
“It was very scary, and in that moment, you realise just how much you love this person – the fear of losing them. As I jumped in the ambulance and saw Anthony, I knew then the depth of my feelings towards him.”
Mr Albanese had previously ended a 19-year marriage and became only the second unmarried prime minister to take office.
Who is Jodie Haydon?
Born in Bankstown, Sydney Ms Haydon grew up on the Central Coast. A daughter of two school teachers, her career began in the superannuation industry, working as a strategic partnership manager.
In February 2022, she became a women’s officer for the NSW Public Service Association.
In a 2022 interview with News Corp, Ms Haydon said she would continue her own career pursuits and intended to avoid political commentary.
“My job will be to focus on my day job and allow Anthony to focus on his,” she said.
Ms Haydon has previously been outspoken in her support for women’s rights and safety, such as backing the Respect@Work report’s implementations.
The prime minister’s new fiance has accompanied him on a few official foreign trips including a trip to the United States last year where the pair attended an official state dinner.
(ABC)