'Really happy' Peter MacKay wants to protect private life

Defence MinisterPeter MacKay says he's "really happy" about his marriage to former beauty queen and human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam.

The pair were married in Mexico Jan. 4.

In an interview with the CBC's George Stroumboulopoulosthat will airWednesday evening, MacKay says he wants to keep his private life out of the spotlight.

Asked how he'll balance privacy with the high-profile life he and Afshin-Jam lead, MacKay said he'd do it"very carefully."

"And with a lot of input from Nazanin. Im really happy George. You've met her, you've had her on the showIm not going to jump on your furniture like Tom Cruise, but Im really happy about it," he said.

"And, you know, at the same time I want to try to protect my private life. Our community back in Nova Scotia has been so welcoming to her. And there's a lot of interest in what she does, she's a very dynamic woman."

MacKay and Afshin-Jam sold their wedding photos to Hello! Canada Magazine and gave the money tothe charity she co-founded, Stop Child Executions.

The feature interview, touching on a variety ofissues,will runWednesday at 11:05 p.m. ETon CBC Television'sGeorge Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.

'Canada's Sexiest Male MP'

The newlyweds reportedly met in 2004 when Afshin-Jam visited Ottawa to speak about human rights abuses.

MacKay, 46, had until then been known as one of Ottawa's most eligible bachelors,and wasranked as "Canada's Sexiest Male MP" by The Hill Times for several years.

Before finally meeting his match in the 32-year-old beauty contestant turned activist, MacKay was previously tied romantically to some high-profile and high-powered women, including former fellow Tory MP Belinda Stronach.

The pair endured a very public split when Stronachin 2005 crossed the House floor to join Paul Martin's Liberals.