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Treasurer admits to being wild Swan
By Glenn Milne
March 02, 2008 12:00am
Article from: The Sunday Telegraph
TREASURER Wayne Swan has admitted to a bit of a wild youth, revealing he had an earlier marriage, smoked dope and his second wife was pregnant when they married.
Despite being in the public eye for about 18 years, there has never been any record of the first wedding or divorce in any official biographical material, including in Mr Swan's entry in Who's Who.
The revelations will prompt a re-assessment of Mr Swan's previously staid image.
News of his past came via university friends spoken to by Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper as part of profile of the Treasurer.
Mr Swan confirmed that he smoked marijuana during his student years and was first married in the late 1970s to Toni Jensen, a childhood sweetheart from Nambour State High School.
But The Treasurer denies he ever kept the marriage a secret, describing it as "common knowledge in the community and amongst people I grew up with and people that I have known over a long period of time".
"You are dealing here with events over 30 years ago," he said yesterday. "I haven't spoken to her.
"She indicated a desire not to be involved and that is perfectly understandable.
"There has been nothing secret about any of these events. They were very public at the time.
"Obviously people find it interesting given my new job. I am just a pretty normal Queenslander. I have been through in my life many of the events that most Queenslanders have been through, whether it's a failed marriage or an episode of cancer.
"These are all things that people go through in their lives. The things that I have found about those events are when you are challenged and you get through a challenge, hopefully you do it in a way that makes you better."
The marriage disintegrated after little more than a year. Mr Swan and wife Kim, who was raised a Catholic, told their two daughters, Erinn, 23, and Libbi, 19 about his previous marriage some years ago. His 13-year-old son Matthew was only told prior to the Courier-Mail publishing the story.
Mr Swan said he now regretted his use of marijuana.
"Like many people around that time I had partaken. I did not think it was such a good idea in retrospect. It is not very good for your health and I would urge people to steer clear of those activities."
He said he had no trouble trying to talk his children out of drug use.
"I have always been very forthright with my children about the dangers of drugs, including alcohol. It is important to look after your health."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was a contemporary of Mr Swan's at Nambour State High School, raising the prospect that he might have both known Ms Jensen and about the marriage.
A spokesman for Mr Rudd declined to answer any questions on the issue yesterday.
News.com.au