Albanese under fire over ‘melons’ joke
The controversy stemmed from an interview last month in which Albanese joked about receiving a premium Japanese melonfrom Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May.
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The controversy stemmed from an interview last month in which Albanese joked about receiving a premium Japanese melonfrom Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May.
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SYDNEY (AFP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday rejected calls to apologize over a crude joke about a gift from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The controversy stemmed from an interview last month in which Albanese joked about receiving a premium Japanese melon from Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May.
During the interview at his official residence, host Nikki Osborne asked whether Takaichi had smuggled the fruit through customs. Albanese raised his hands and said, “got a couple of melons.”
Osborne replied, “She came in looking like Pamela Anderson.”
Australia’s opposition leader called on Albanese to apologize, describing the joke as “insulting.”
Asked in parliament whether he would apologize for his “disrespectful behaviour,” Albanese said: “I reject the assertion in the question.”
“Prime Minister Takaichi is a friend of Australia and a friend of mine,” he said.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong also rejected claims that the comments were intended as an insult.
“The prime minister has been clear that he did not mean for those comments to be interpreted in the way they have been by those opposite,” she said.
The remarks come after Albanese apologized for separate comments during the same interview in which he said he would “shag” Australian singer Kylie Minogue.
Premium Japanese melons are considered luxury gifts in Japan and can cost more than AUS$270 ($190), according to Japan’s former ambassador to Australia.
