Anthony Albanese's relationship with his ex-wife, former Labor MP Carmel Tebbutt
By Kate Rafferty|
Australia's new prime minister Anthony Albanese is well into his first week on the job, and naturally, there is a lot of public curiosity around his personal life.
One of the many significant facets of the personal side to Albanese – aside from his partner Jodie Haydon and much-loved pooch Toto – is his ex-wife, former Labor MP and NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt.
Tebbutt and Albanese were together for a total of 30 years and married for 19 before they split in 2019.
It was a turn of events he has since described as "personally traumatic", not just for the emotional shock it brought him, but also for how it changed the life the pair shared for such a long time – which includes raising their 21-year-old son Nathan.
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While they once considered each other "best friends" and were also each other's closest confidantes, Albanese and Tebbutt brought their long-term relationship to an end in January 2019, which left the Labor leader heartbroken.
In a short statement at the time, Albanese told a press pack: "I am deeply saddened that my relationship of over 30 years with Carmel Tebbutt has ended in separation.
"We will continue to share parenting responsibilities of our 18-year-old son Nathan, who has successfully completed his HSC and has developed into an outstanding young man who we are both proud of.
"There are no third parties involved."
Carmel Tebbutt's career in the public eye
Tebbutt, who is now 58, has quite the political career to her name.
She started working for the NSW Government in 1999 as the Minister for Juvenile Justice, and then served as Minister for Health, followed by Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Community Services and finally, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.
She became the first female deputy premier of NSW in 2008, with her time ending in 2011. She officially resigned from state politics at the 2015 NSW election, and moved into an equally demanding job as the CEO at NSW Mental Health Co-ordinating Council.
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How did Albanese and Carmel Tebbutt meet?
The pair met in Young Labor during the late 1980s and married in 2000, welcoming son Nathan a year later. They backed each other as they began their careers in the Australian parliament, with Albanese entering Federal Parliament in 1996, while Tebbutt entered the NSW upper house in 1998.
Throughout her career, Tebbutt was a great support and guide to Albanese, and he has expressed warm appreciation to her on many occasions over his career.
In 1996, when Albanese was sworn in as the Federal Member for Grayndler, his thanks went to Tebbutt.
"My special thanks go to my partner and best friend, Carmel Tebbutt, for her constant support, advice and outstanding political judgement," he said in his maiden speech.
Then in 2019, when Albanese was elected as the leader of the Australian Labor Party, he thanked Tebutt again, despite their recent separation.
"To my partner of 30 years, Carmel, I thank you for your love, your support and your advice over all of those years,' he told reporters in Sydney.
"Our relationship has changed, but I have nothing but best wishes for her future."
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Their relationship today
It appears the pair still have a positive relationship today, with Tebbutt a notable attendee at the prime minister's victory party on the weekend. She also got a special mention in his official victory speech.
When referring to their son Nathan, whom he called his "proudest achievement", Albanese added: "Your mother is here tonight, Carmel. We are both so proud of the caring, wonderful, smart, young man you have become."
Tebbutt was also spotted handing out flyers for one of Albanese's frontbenchers at a polling booth on Election Day. Albanese confirmed to the Daily Mail that his ex-wife supported him completely.
"Absolutely she does," he told the publication, "she's out there campaigning for me to be prime minister."
Most recently, Albanese revealed he and Tebbutt remain pretty close, raising Nathan together with Tebbutt also looking after Toto while he was on the campaign trail.
"She's been helping in very practical ways. We talk regularly about what Nathan's doing, or the dog," he told the Daily Mail.
