This time three years ago, I was the journalist who secured the first sit-down interview with Anthony Albanese after he became Prime Minister.
It was a career-defining moment that didn't happen by chance -I spotted the opportunity and went after it.
At the time, I was working as the senior federal political reporter for The West Australian and had just come off a gruelling five-week election campaign, immediately followed by a 48-hour dash to Japan to cover Mr Albanese's debut on the world stage at the QUAD Leaders' Summit.
On the overnight flight home from Tokyo - aboard the PM's plane, complete with office and inflight Wi-Fi - I decided to make my move. I asked Mr Albanese's team if I could get an interview. After all, it was WA who handed him the keys to The Lodge. To my surprise, the answer came back "yes" and that I'll be doing the interview right there on the plane.
It kicked off one of the longest and most nerve-wracking flights of my life. Exhausted but wired, I refused to nod off for even a second, terrified I'd miss this very important shot. I texted my boss in WA to break the news. He couldn't believe it and was thrilled with what I'd pulled off.
The rules onboard the Prime Minister’s plane are strict. No photos allowed. It felt strange knowing I was about to interview Australia’s newly-minted PM mid-flight in a plane that literally had an office in it. I also had to keep the interview hush hush from the other 15 or so political reporters sitting amongst me on the flight.
But towards the end of the flight, plans changed. I received a message from his senior media adviser that read, “G’day, Anthony is happy to give you an interview in Sydney tomorrow in person or, if that isn't possible for you, on the phone. Let me know what works”.
I didn't hesitate. I arranged to get off the plane with Mr Albanese in Sydney, while the rest of the press pack continued on to Canberra.
The next day, my mum drove me to Mr Albanese’s electorate office in Marrickville, Sydney’s inner west. We literally followed his car (C1) into the carpark. There were no security checks, no fuss. His brand-new Australian Federal Police security detail looked as awkward as I felt. It was clear they didn't know him yet, and he didn't know them. This was new territory for everyone.
Mr Albanese - and myself - had only just flown in from Japan the night before, but he was relaxed and at ease, sipping coffee and showing me artwork as we walked to his office at 9.30am. Being in his old stomping ground, he was obviously comfortable.
I pressed him on everything - Cabinet plans for WA, whether his next overseas trip would be Indonesia, women in politics, fixing the fractured relationship with China, phasing out live sheep exports, GST, and Labor's climate change policy. That interview became a goldmine of exclusive stories that I continued to refer to in stories for the next three years.
What was supposed to be the usually tight 15-minute interview turned into a full hour - unprecedented access for any reporter, let alone the first to land a formal sit-down. I kept glancing at his media adviser, wondering when she'd call time but she never did. Mr Albanese was warm, generous with his time, and happy to chat.
One of my proudest moments came when Mr Albanese tweeted about my front-page exclusive, saying: “I have been in the papers a lot this week, but this one is particularly special to me: the first Noongar-English bilingual edition of The West Australian for Reconciliation Week.” My byline was front-and-centre - seen by nearly half a million of his followers at the time.
Securing and delivering the first sit-down with Australia’s new PM is something I'll always be proud of. It was a rare glimpse behind the curtain of a leader and his team still adjusting to power, and a story I'll be telling forever. Even more timely to reflect on now, with Mr Albanese re-elected as Prime Minister on Saturday.
