Japan responds to Albanese’s ‘melon’ gesture, playing down concerns

Japan’s government has broken its silence on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hand gestures while describing a gift of two melons from the Japanese prime minister, which its former ambassador claimed were a disrespectful joke about the nation’s first female PM.

Mr Albanese has resisted Coalition demands to apologise over the gestures he made while referring to two crown melons given to him by Sanae Takaichi, which government ministers say have been misinterpreted.

In its first public remarks on the incident, Japan’s ambassador to Australia Kazuhiro Suzuki told the ABC that the Japanese government was “aware of the reporting in the media”.

“We have been informed by the Australian side that Prime Minister Albanese did not make the comments in the way that has been reported,” he said in a statement.

“In any case, the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Albanese during the prime minister’s visit to Australia this May was held in a very relaxed atmosphere.

“We believe it helped build a personal trust relationship between the two leaders.”

Labor ministers have continued to face questions over Mr Albanese’s podcast appearance last month, where the remarks were made.

This morning, Liberal senator James Paterson said he had also asked for the Australian Federal Police to step in, after media outlets obtained an internal memo from the Japanese government that stated it would not formally seek to raise the issue.

The note sent by the Japanese government last month played down “sensationalised reporting” by Australian media and stated that Japan did not believe there was any “ill intention” in the prime minister’s remarks.

But its appearance in newspapers this week reportedly caught Japanese officials by surprise.

Senator Paterson has accused the government of leaking the memo in an attempt to “exonerate the prime minister”.

“[The shadow foreign affairs minister] and I have written to [the] AFP commissioner to ask that there be an investigation into the apparent unlawful disclosure of confidential correspondence from the government of Japan to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,” Senator Paterson said.

The AFP confirmed it had received the referral, but declined to comment further.

The government dismissed the Coalition’s AFP referral as a “stunt”.

‘Maybe we should focus on the big issues’: Plibersek

Mr Albanese’s cabinet colleagues have continued to defend him as the drama drags into a new day, overshadowing the return of parliament from the winter break.

At a press conference this morning, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil expressed annoyance over what she dubbed “parlour games” while the government attempted to tackle cost-of-living concerns.

“The Liberals have completely lost the plot, referring podcast comments to the Australian Federal Police — I mean, how ridiculous,” Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said.

“This is an absolute stunt and it was from the very beginning.”

A frustrated Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek also dismissed questions over the remarks while at a press conference in Canberra.

“I have said all I am going to say on this on Monday. We are here talking about family and domestic violence, helping women out of homelessness. Maybe we should focus on the big issues,” Ms Plibersek said.

Ms O’Neil said fresh demands by the Coalition for the AFP to intervene over leaked correspondence in relation to the melon remarks would be a waste of resources.

The pair refused to take further questions on the prime minister’s gesture.

Senator Paterson said the government could not “have it both ways” on the leak of Japanese correspondence, noting Labor’s “outrage” in 2022 when private text messages from French President Emmanuel Macron emerged in the media.

“In fact, in Senate estimates, Senator Katy Gallagher pursued the government about whether or not there had been an AFP referral into that apparent leaking of those messages,” he said.

“It’s either always wrong for confidential communications from our allies to find their way into the media, or it’s wrong only when their political opponents do it.”

Joyce says people would ‘riot’ if he made gesture

One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said it had been “gruelling” to watch Ms Plibersek defend the prime minister’s remarks.

“Turn the volume down and watch him … anybody would say, ‘I think I know what you’re talking about there, mate,'” Mr Joyce said.

“Go say the same thing about Tanya Plibersek or Penny Wong, sit them in front of you and see how you go, mate. You’re going to get a slap in the face.

“Imagine if I had done that. It would be a riot.”

Mr Joyce said Mr Albanese should accept he did the wrong thing, apologise, and communicate that to the Japanese prime minister.

Mr Albanese sidestepped Coalition demands to apologise at Question Time yesterday, while also rejecting any suggestion he had made “foul-mouthed” remarks about women.

“I reject the assertion in the question,” Mr Albanese said.

“Prime Minister Takaichi is a friend of Australia and a friend of mine. We’re focused on working together to shape a free and open Indo-Pacific that’s peaceful, stable and prosperous.”

While Mr Albanese’s remarks on the podcast have received significant attention domestically, they are yet to become a major issue in Japan.

The statement by Japan today is the government’s first public comment on the matter, which exploded after former Japanese ambassador Shingo Yamagami criticised what he considered a quip about the Japanese prime minister’s body.

Mr Yamagami had a fraught relationship with Labor when he was in Canberra, and was particularly angry when Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged him, while she was still in opposition, to pull back his public criticisms of China.