Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an apology for remarks he made about iconic Australian singer Kylie Minogue during a podcast appearance last week. The comments, made in a game of 'shag, marry, date', drew sharp criticism from political opponents who labelled them inappropriate.
What Happened on the Podcast
On Friday, Albanese appeared on a podcast hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne. Osborne asked him to choose among Minogue, actor Nicole Kidman, and musical theatre legend Rhonda Burchmore for the game 'shag, marry, date'. Initially refusing to answer, having married just six months prior, Albanese eventually said: “Oh, Kylie clearly.” When pressed by Osborne, he confirmed “all of the above”.
Political Backlash
The comment sparked fierce backlash. One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce told Sunrise: “I think it’s a little bit below him. If he wants to know who feels that he’s been in an uncomfortable relationship with, maybe he’d like to go to the 165,000 people who can’t pay their power bill.” Liberal Party Senator Sarah Henderson said the remarks “make a mockery of Labor’s claim to be champions of women”. In a social media post, she added: “Rather than politely decline to engage, Albanese got into the gutter with his grubby remarks which show extremely poor judgement at a time when trust in Labor is collapsing. How low can this prime minister go? Australians deserve better than this.”
Albanese's Apology
On Monday, Albanese issued a short statement saying: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments.” Fellow Labor members defended him. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said she wasn't “going to comment on a podcast I haven't heard”, but added: “If what the prime minister is saying is that 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. No government’s been better for (women’s equality) and no prime minister’s been better for it.”
