Original article by Elizabeth Pike
The Australian – Page: 2 : 7-Jul-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attracted criticism over comments he made about his Japanese counterpart during a recent podcast. Albanese’s remarks about singer Kylie Minogue have overshadowed the comments about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the same podcast, which was hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne. Takaichi visited Australia earlier this year, and presented Albanese with a gift of two prestigious Shizuoka melons. He told Osborne that Takaichi had brought a "couple of melons", and accompanied this comment with suggestive hand gestures. Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister, and the fruit was given to Albanese to signify Australia’s decision to lift restrictions on Japanese melon imports.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER