Australia’s Albanese apologises for ‘inappropriate’ comments about Kylie Minogue – UK Times

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has apologised “unequivocally” after facing flak over his comments about popstar Kylie Minogue that have been called out as “disrespectful to women”.

Mr Albanese appeared on the Bush Deep podcast hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne where he was asked to tackle a “rapid fire” question.

He was asked to place Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore in a “shag, marry, date” game.

Mr Albanese appeared reluctant first. “I just got married,” he said, “I’m only six months in.”

But Ms Osborne insisted. “But if it goes tits up, let’s just pretend.”

“Kylie, clearly,” Mr Albanese responded.

Ms Osborne asked again: “You’d marry Kylie, and shag her, and date her?”

Mr Albanese replied “all of the above”, adding: “She’s terrific.”

Ms Osborne asks her guests the same set of questions at the end of her podcast.

On Monday, the prime minister’s office released a one-line statement in response to the backlash over his remarks.

“I apologise unequivocally for the comments,” it read.

Mr Albanese was also asked about his sex life with wife Jodie Haydon and said a South Sydney Rugby League team win was a good aphrodisiac.

The Labor leader’s comments sparked a furore, with many saying that they were in poor taste and questioning his judgement for appearing on the show.

Community Strong MP Zali Steggall described Mr Albanese’s comments as “entirely inappropriate” and said he should never have participated in the game.

“He needs to learn to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist,” she said.

Shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson said the comments were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of prime minister”.

“Mr Albanese’s crude locker room talk makes a mockery of Labor’s claim to be champions of women. How low can this prime minister go? Australians deserve better than this.”

Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg, speaking on Radio National, said that Mr Albanese’s comments at the podcast were “beneath his office” and that “he shouldn’t have said them”.

Labor minister Tanya Plibersek and acting prime minister Richard Marle were among prominent figures who defended Mr Albanese.

Ms Plibersek defended Mr Albanese’s record on gender equality, saying “if what the prime minister is saying is he’s a fan of Kylie Minogue, I guess that puts him in a group with millions of other Australians, including me”.

“I’m a big fan of Kylie’s as well,” she said on Channel Seven.

“What I’d say on women’s equality in this country is no government’s been better for it, and no prime minister’s been better for it.”

Mr Marles told RN Breakfast the Labor government was “utterly committed” to the elevation of women in society.

“From time to time, we obviously do different interviews to the one we are doing now, but I think the other point to make here is that the government that the PM leads is the first in history that has had equality in terms of the number of men and women in cabinet,” he said.