Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vehemently denied the suggestion he made a crude remark about a female foreign leader’s “melons.”
Albanese made the comments — and hand gestures — during his appearance on the “Bush Deep” podcast with Australian comedian Nikki Osborne. He also said during the show that he would “shag” singer and actress Kylie Minogue.
‘The comments were beneath the office of prime minister.’
Osborne asked him about gifts from foreign leaders when he told a story involving Sanae Takaichi, the female prime minister of Japan
“Here’s something I got recently here that was pretty strange but ended up being quite good was a melon. The Japanese prime minister brought a melon here!” said Albanese.
“How did he get that through customs?” Osbourne asked.
“She — it’s a royal melon,” he answered.
“Oh, she smuggled — it was a she? Did she smuggle it?” the podcaster asked, while making a gesture as if referring to pregnancy.
“I dunno,” he said, smirking.
“Oh, I’m expecting!” Osbourne joked.
“Got a couple of melons!” said Albanese while gesturing with his hands at his chest.
“She brought two?” she laughed.
“She brought two! As you do!” he replied.
“She just came in looking like Pamela Anderson!” the podcaster joked.
“She brought two!” he replied. “And they’re beautiful!”
Video of the interaction can be viewed on social media.
Takaichi had been visiting Australia to improve diplomatic relations as China threatens to expand its influence in the South China Sea.
Albanese’s political critics pounced on the incident, lambasted him, and demanded that he apologize for the joke.
“The comments were beneath the office of prime minister,” said Liberal leader Angus Taylor on Monday. “They were insulting, and the prime minister should make a personal apology. He’s done it through a statement. I mean, the hypocrisy of Labor and the prime minister on this topic knows no bounds, no bounds whatsoever.”
Opposition leader Ted O’Brien, after meeting with Japanese officials, said “the prime minister’s words were inappropriate and a national embarrassment.”
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What’s more, Shingo Yamagami — a former Japanese ambassador to Australia — rebuked Albanese for his words.
Yamagami wrote, “Prime Minister, please enjoy Japan’s sweet and juicy melons without thinking about a women’s anatomy” before adding that “however lighthearted it was intended to be, the recent joke delivered by PM Anthony Albanese at the expense of Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi is how he might be remembered by Japanese who most value the friendship with Australia.”
Yamagami added that “what dismayed some was that Takaichi has recently been subject to derogatory remarks about her body and gender” and that “the last thing she expected was to be so casually mocked by the trusted leader of Japan’s special strategic partner.”
Albanese previously apologized for his comment about shagging Minogue.
Takaichi is considered a very conservative leader who supports the legacy of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The melons in question are a special kind called Shizuoka-grown Crown Melons, which are grown so that only one fruit can be harvested from each plant. They are very expensive and are exported to Canada from Japan.
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