Australia’s gay finance minister Penny Wong announces daughter’s birth

Australia’s gay finance minister has announced the birth of her and her partner’s first child, Alexandra.

Penny Wong said her partner Sophie Allouache had given birth to a daughter on Sunday morning, a week after a groundbreaking vote by the Australian Labor Party to formally support equal marriage.

She said: “Sophie and I are delighted beyond words, she’s just beautiful.

“Like all new parents know, there’s nothing like this.”

“The PM’s given me a bit of leave so I’m going to take time off and hopefully we can get the important things in life like feeding and nappy changing and sleeping under control.”

The couple first announced Allouache’s pregnancy in August, saying they had used donor insemination, and thanking the biological father “for giving us the opportunity to raise a child together”.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who personally opposes the introduction of gay marriage but has allowed her party to vote against her on the issue, said when the pregnancy was announced: “Penny Wong is a colleague of mine, she’s also a very long-term friend, so I’m very pleased for Penny and her partner Sophie as they look forward to a new baby and the next phase of their lives.

“Clearly there are strong views about same-sex marriage in the community. I’ve made my views clear.”