While Treasurer Jim Chalmers was the center of attention when he delivered his third federal budget, his wife Laura, 40, is also a formidable figure.
The former political advisor turned magazine editor turned heads while playing the role of supportive wife on Tuesday night.
Wearing an $899 yellow Carla Zampatti dress and a matching $999 jacket, Chalmers sat with two of her children, Leo and Annabel, and alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fiancée, Jodie Haydon, in parliament.
She and her husband also shared a tender moment before and after the Budget.
The Treasurer completed a PhD in political science before working in state politics in Queensland, later becoming a federal MP in 2013 and Treasurer in 2022.
His wife, formerly known as Laura Anderson. She worked as press secretary to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Secretary Penny Wong before returning to her first love, journalism.
Her successful career saw her become the national editor-in-chief of News Corp’s Saturday Weekend magazines in November 2021, just after returning from maternity leave.
While Treasurer Jim Chalmers was the center of attention Tuesday night as he delivered the federal budget, his wife Laura (pictured with two of their children) is also a formidable figure.
Laura Chalmers arrived at Parliament with two of her children wearing an $899 yellow Carla Zampatti dress and a $999 matching jacket.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers receives a hug from his daughter Annabel after delivering the 2024/25 budget statement as his son Leo looks on
He showed his ambition when he accepted the position, saying: “We know there is an audience for long-form, premium journalism and that’s what these magazines will do.”
“Tell your state’s biggest stories using a group of award-winning writers from across the company.”
However, Ms Chalmers had found success in journalism even earlier, working as a state political reporter for her hometown Adelaide newspaper Advertiser from January 2003 to May 2006.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers kisses his wife Laura after delivering the 2024-25 budget
She then spent almost three years in Canberra as the Advertiser’s federal political reporter before working for Ms Wong and later Ms Gillard.
Her political career came to an abrupt end in July 2013, when Kevin Rudd deposed Gillard in an internal Labor fight and replaced her as prime minister.
She and Dr Chalmers had married in March 2013, just two days after an earlier Labor leadership spill, by Simon Crean, which Gillard survived.
The then Prime Minister attended the wedding, where she and then Treasurer Wayne Swan were given a specially reserved room to form a new ministry.
The seating arrangement at the reception had to be changed at the last minute to keep the conflicting Labor agents apart, placing Julia Gillard next to Dr Chalmers’ mother Carol.
He later downplayed the disruption, saying: “From our point of view, to be honest, it wasn’t that unusual.”
Since that exciting start to married life, the couple have had three children: Jack, three, Annabel, six, and Leo, eight.
Ms Chalmers, dressed in a yellow dress to match her blonde hair, was sitting with two of her children and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fiancee Jodie Haydon (left) in parliament.
During the 2019 election campaign, Annabel was hospitalized with a bone infection three weeks before Election Day.
Laura and Carol stayed with her at the hospital during the day, while her father looked after her at night, and then often went straight to the airport to catch the first flight to Canberra.
After his political career was derailed when Rudd replaced his boss, Chalmers returned to journalism with The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and worked his way up to his current senior role.
The old saying goes that behind every great man is a great woman, but in the case of the Chalmers it’s probably more accurate to say they stand side by side.
Laura and Jim Chalmers shared a tender moment before the Budget was approved
