'She said yes': Aussie PM reveals Valentine's Day engagement

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday revealed his Valentine’s Day engagement to girlfriend Jodie Haydon, after “she said yes” to a carefully planned marriage proposal.

The words “Canberra” and “romance” are rarely twinned, but on Thursday the centre-left leader one-upped Valentines across Australia, with a morning message that the pair had agreed to wed.

“It is such a joy to be able to share this news with people,” a beaming and slightly bashful Albanese said, after walking hand-in-hand with Haydon from the prime minister’s official residence.

“It’s wonderful that I’ve found a partner who I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Albanese, who met Haydon at a Melbourne business dinner in 2020, is believed to be the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office.

Haydon gushed thanks to “everybody for such a warm congratulations today, from our friends to our family, from people that we don’t know. It’s just been overwhelming but beautiful.”

Among those wishing the couple well were New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and English celebrity chef Nigella Lawson.

“Love is a beautiful thing. I’m so happy for you both!” Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted.

Albanese revealed that “a lot of planning and thought went into everything, from the date obviously Valentine’s Day, and the ring that I helped to design.”

A smattering of online critics strained to allege Albanese was distracting from pressing political issues, from the war in Gaza to the legal case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Albanese, nicknamed Albo, joined the centre-left Labor Party while in high school and later became deeply involved in the bruising world of student politics at the University of Sydney.

He was sworn in as prime minister in May 2022.

The Australian leader was elected to parliament in 1996, and in his first speech thanked his mother, Maryanne Ellery, for raising him in tough circumstances.

The pair lived in public housing in Sydney during Albanese’s childhood and his single mother often struggled to make ends meet.