How Anthony Albanese has been secretly trolling Penny Wong for two years

Penny Wong has revealed she was relentlessly trolled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for two years – as he campaigned for her daughters to get a puppy. 

The Foreign Minister is considered the PM’s closest ally in Parliament and one of the most powerful cabinet figures in the federal government. 

Mr Albanese enlisted Senator Wong with the task of introducing him at Labor’s election campaign launch in Perth and again on election night last May when he delivered his victory speech.

Earlier during election night, she was the only politician at the incoming leader’s Sydney home watching the votes came through in their favour, with both of them hailing from Labor’s Left faction.

But Mr Albanese hasn’t always had her back, the Australian Financial Review Magazine disclosed on Friday. 

Penny Wong’s daughters (one pictured) enlisted the help of Anthony Albanese (left) into pleading their parents for a puppy

The senator’s daughters Alexandra, now 11, and Hannah, 8, spent at least three years badgering Ms Wong and partner Sophie Allouache for a dog. The little girls turned to Mr Albanese for help after their relentless pleas fell on deaf ears.

As a fellow dog lover, Mr Albanese pounced on the opportunity to plead the case on their behalf, spamming Senator Wong with photos of his cavoodle Toto.

‘I ran a campaign for them to get a puppy for about two years before they got one,’ Mr Albanese told the publication.

‘I was sending messages and shamelessly sending them photos of my dog, how cute it was.’

Senator Wong and her partner eventually gave in to the girls’ pleas and in 2020, welcomed their ‘lockdown’ puppy during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Penny Wong (left) and Anthony Albanese (centre) have been close allies for 21 years. Pictured are the pair after winning the 2021 election

Anthony  Albanese eventually persuaded Penny Wong to get a puppy almost three years ago, a black Labrador named Shadow (pictured)

‘Well, it’s pretty hard to withstand, I think it’s three or four years of continued representations from she’s now eight, nearly nine, I think she started when she was four, going on five. So that’s a lot of years,’ Senator Wong told ABC’s Patricia Karvelas at the time.

‘So, yes, we have finally got ourselves a dog, a little black Labrador named Shadow, who is busily tearing up our garden.

Three years on, Shadow remains a much-loved member of the family, which Wong says keeps her sane.

‘Shadow seems to know when someone in the family is in need of a cuddle or a friend to play with,’ she previously told Adelaide Advertiser.

‘If I’m on a particularly stressful call, she will often come and give my hand a nudge.’

Penny Wong gave into her daughters after Anthony Albanese inundated her with photos of his adorable cavoodle Toto (pictured)