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Defence Minister Peter MacKay officially off the market 48

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Defence Minister Peter
MacKay at Hope Live, held Tuesday, November
15, 2011, at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre.
Photograph by: Caroline Phillips, Submitted
Canada’s defence minister tied the knot Wednesday
way south of the border, according to his website.
Peter MacKay married Nazanin Afshin-Jam in a
private ceremony reported to have taken place in
Mexico.
Afshin-Jam is Iranian-born and a former Miss
Canada World who has since become a high-profile
human rights activist. The trilingual pilot was once
named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the 1390 دی 16 هعمج - 1168 هرامش / نویدهم لاس
world.
“She is the most important person in my life and
over the coming months, Nazanin and I look
forward to spending more time at home in Central
Nova and sharing our happiness with all of you,”
MacKay said in a statement on his website.
“Nazanin and I would like to wish everyone a very
Happy New Year and all the best for 2012.”
On Twitter, Conservative MP Laurie Hawn
congratulated the newlyweds “on tying the knot
in Mexico today. Wishing them many happy years
together.” Photo by: Caroline Phillips

The previous year, MacKay and former politician
Belinda Stronach went through a public split,
during which MacKay described his heart as being
“a little banged up.”
In the summer of 2010, MacKay’s love life
was again front and centre when he ended his
engagement with Jana Juginovic, a CTV executive. In touch with Iranian diversity
A senior Conservative has said, “women have tried
to mould (MacKay) to suit their needs, but it’s just
not going to happen.
“He likes stability, he likes to have someone there,
he wants someone to come home to, but he doesn’t
want to settle down . . . Peter puts work before
women.”
In a 2005 interview, however, MacKay said the
fact he has not started a family “weighs heavily”
on him. He said if he had to choose between the
prospect of leading a political party — or even the
country — he would choose family.
“That’s not to say you can’t do both,” he added at
the time.

Photo by: Arlen Redekop Postmedia News

Afshin-Jam became Miss World Canada and runner-
up Miss World in 2003, then went on to receive
worldwide fame during her successful effort to Vol. 19 / No. 1168 - Friday, Jan. 06, 2012
save from execution a young Iranian woman who at
age 17 had stabbed a would-be rapist to death. She
then co-founded Stop Child Executions, a group
dedicated to ending capital punishment of children
in Iran.
Afshin-Jam, who holds international relations
and political science degrees from the University
of British Columbia, also serves on the board
of directors of the Canadian Race Relations
Foundation. She previously served as a global
youth educator with the Red Cross.
MacKay’s personal life has frequently made
headlines in recent years.
In a September 2006 article, the New York Times
took stock of his “star appeal” and cited rumours
that MacKay and former U.S. secretary of state 48
Condoleezza Rice were getting close to each other.
The article described the defence minister as “the Photo by: Chris Wattie
closest thing to eye candy on the diplomatic circuit.”