Former federal treasurer and high-profile Australian ambassador Joe Hockey has reportedly separated from his wife of 31 years, Melissa Babbage, in a significant personal development for the well-known political figure.
A Partnership Ends After Three Decades
According to sources speaking to Sunday Confidential, the former Liberal Party heavyweight has moved out of the family home he shared with Babbage in the prestigious Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill. It is believed Mr Hockey is now residing in an apartment in the harbourside area of Milsons Point.
The couple, who first met at a Young Liberals convention in 1991 and married in 1994, have built a life together through Mr Hockey's extensive political career and their shared family. They are parents to three children: Xavier, Adelaide, and Ignatius.
Both individuals have reportedly declined to comment on the personal matter when approached by media. Ms Babbage, an accomplished investment banker with a background at Deutsche Bank, continues in her professional role as head of finance and operations at Bondi Partners Global, the advisory firm where Mr Hockey serves as president.
A Political Career Marked by Highs and Controversies
Joe Hockey's career in public life has been both long and eventful. Elected as the Member for North Sydney in 1995, he held the seat for over two decades until 2016. During his time in parliament, he was entrusted with several key ministerial portfolios including Human Services, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Financial Services.
His tenure as Treasurer in the Abbott government, beginning in 2013, was particularly notable for its ambitious and contentious budget in 2014. The budget, described as "austere," prompted Mr Hockey to famously tell Australians they needed to do the "heavy lifting" to repair the nation's finances. This period was also marked by the memorable image of him smoking a cigar with colleague Mathias Cormann on Parliament House steps, a move criticised by political opponents.
Other comments from his time as treasurer, including advice to first home buyers to "get a good job that pays good money" to enter the property market, drew significant public and political scrutiny.
From Parliament to Diplomacy and Beyond
Mr Hockey's political journey saw him contend for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2009, ultimately losing out to both Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott. Following Mr Turnbull's ascension to Prime Minister in 2015, Mr Hockey resigned from parliament.
His next chapter placed him on the international stage. In 2016, he was appointed as Australia's Ambassador to the United States, replacing Kim Beazley. He served in Washington during the tumultuous early years of the Trump administration, earning a reputation as a "Trump-whisperer" and even hitting the golf course with the then-president.
Despite this rapport, Mr Hockey publicly endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election after his ambassadorial term had concluded. He later documented his diplomatic experiences in a 2022 memoir titled Diplomatic: A Washington Memoir.
Throughout his career, Mr Hockey has also been a vocal advocate for an Australian republic, leading a parliamentary friendship group focused on a potential referendum in 2015.
The reported separation marks the end of a personal and professional partnership that spanned the entirety of Mr Hockey's public life, from his early days in North Sydney politics to his influential role in Washington and his current work in the private sector.
