The Canberra curse: Cabinet minister David Littleproud confirms separation from his wife just a day after Anthony Albanese announced his marriage was over
- Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has separated from his wife of 20 years
- His announcement came day after Labor’s Anthony Albanese confirmed split
- Both MPs’ marriages ended a year after Barnaby Joyce ended 24-year marriage
Cabinet minister David Littleproud has separated from his wife – a day after former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese announced his marriage was over.
The 42-year-old Nationals MP, who holds the agriculture portfolio, told his local regional southern Queensland newspaper his 20-year marriage to Sarah had ended.
‘It is an amicable split,’ Mr Littleproud told the Warwick Daily News on Tuesday.
Cabinet minister David Littleproud (left with Barnaby Joyce) he has separated from his wife – a day after former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese announced his marriage was over
‘My wife Sarah and I have been separated for some time but it is not from a third party.’
The member for Maranoa had paid tribute to his wife in his maiden speech to Parliament in September 2016, a little more than a year before becoming a cabinet minister.
‘In closing I would like to pay tribute to my family. My wife, Sarah, and our three boys- Tom, Hugh and Harry – are a constant pillar of support for me and for that I am truly grateful,’ he told the House of Representatives.
There were no images of his estranged wife on his Facebook or Instagram pages but he has previously talked about living across regional southern Queensland and raising three sons.
Mr Littleproud made his announcement a day after senior Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese announced the end of his 30-year marriage to Carmel Tebbutt, a former New South Wales deputy premier.
Former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese (right) this week announced he had split with his wife Carmel Tebbutt, a former New South Wales deputy premier
Another former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce (right) in 2017 ended his 24-year marriage to Natalie
Barnaby Joyce (right holding his son Sebastian) separated from his wife before news emerged of his relationship with his former media adviser Vikki Campion (left)
Mr Albanese, who in 2013 lost the Labor leadership contest to Bill Shorten, released a statement on Monday saying there were no third parties involved in the split.
The ALP left-faction power couple, who met in NSW Young Labor during the 1980s, made their announcement after their 18-year-old son Nathan had finished his Year 12 High School Certificate exams.
Mr Littleproud and Mr Albanese announced the end of their marriages a year after another former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce’s 24-year marriage to Natalie had ended, following a relationship with his former media adviser Vikki Campion.
Less than a month ago, former Nationals assistant minister Andrew Broad, 43, announced he would retire at the next election, after he was exposed as sending explicit messages to a woman 20 years his junior on a ‘sugar baby’ dating site.
His wife Rachel, however, is continuing to stand by him even though he had texted Irish national Amy Keating lewd messages, referring to himself as James Bond when he was in Hong Kong.
Less than a month ago, Nationals MP Andrew Broad (right with wife Rachel) resigned as
This was after he was exposed as sending explicit messages to Amy Keating (pictured), a woman 20 years his junior on a ‘sugar baby’ dating site