Anthony Albanese rejects apology call over Japan melon joke

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected calls to apologise on Tuesday after opponents criticised a crude podcast joke about a Japanese royal melon gift from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The comments were made during an interview last month with the Bush Deep podcast, recorded at Albanese's official residence. Albanese said Takaichi had given him a “strange” present of a Japanese royal melon during her visit to Australia in May. When host Nikki Osborne asked if Takaichi had smuggled the fruit through Australian customs, Albanese held up his hands and said he had “got a couple of melons”.

Australia's opposition leader called the joke “insulting” and urged Albanese to apologise. Asked in parliament on Tuesday whether he would say sorry for what the question described as “disrespectful behaviour”, Albanese replied: “I reject the assertion in the question.”

“Prime Minister Takaichi is a friend of Australia and a friend of mine,” Albanese said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong also rejected accusations that Albanese meant the comments as an insult, saying he had been clear that he did not intend them to be interpreted that way.

Albanese had already faced backlash and apologised over separate comments in the same podcast interview, in which he said he would “shag” singer Kylie Minogue. Japan's former ambassador to Australia has said premium melons in Japan are considered luxury items and can cost more than AUS$270, or about $190.