Anthony Albanese has apologised for a hot-mic gaffe at the UN climate talks in Turkey, saying he regretted being overheard discussing mobile phone radiation and “dicks” in a candid conversation.
“I of course regret that. I apologise,” Albanese said during a visit to the Australian warship HMAS Stalwart in the Philippines on Sunday.
“This was a private conversation, we thought, between two friends having a bit of light-hearted banter.”
Ahead of a meeting at the Cop۳۱ climate summit in Antalya on Friday, Albanese and the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, were caught on camera discussing which pocket they use to keep their mobile phone.
Albanese can be heard telling Bowen that he should store his phone away from his heart because “it can interfere with your rhythm”. Laughing, Bowen asks whether the advice was because a phone can be “a little bit radioactive”.
Albanese says “it makes absolute sense”, before Bowen replies that he was more conscious of putting his phone in his pants pocket. The prime minister asks: “Because of your dick?”
Bowen agrees and says: “Arguably more important than the heart.”
On Sunday, Albanese played down the incident which occurred ahead of a meeting with business leaders in Antalya.
“No one was hurt or harmed. We weren’t having private banter which criticised anyone,” he said.
The speedy apology is in contrast to previous gaffes by Albanese, including long-running controversy over comments about the gift of melons from Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on a podcast.
Albanese previously apologised for saying he would “shag” Australian singer Kylie Minogue in the same episode of the Bush Deep podcast.
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The melons comment risked becoming an international incident, as Albanese repeatedly insisted the comments and his corresponding hand gestures were not a reference to breasts.
Japan’s government sent a diplomatic cable to Australia in July, days after the podcast originally aired, claiming there had been “sensationalised reporting in the Australian media” and saying they detected no “ill intention” in Albanese’s statement.
The Coalition on Sunday criticised Albanese and Bowen’s comments.
Opposition frontbencher James Paterson said the remarks were unfortunate, telling News۲۴ they could damage impressions of Australia on the world stage.
“That locker-room talk like that has a time and a place and it’s not at international summits when you’re the prime minister of Australia talking to your energy minister,” he said.
But the employment minister, Amanda Rishworth, dismissed the criticism, saying the comments were a joke.
“This is a private conversation in between meetings,” she said.
“I know that a hot-mic incident is very exciting for people … but really, there are bigger issues to tackle and discuss.”
Earlier a spokesperson for the prime minister said the hot-mic comments were “a joke in between meetings”.
Albanese is in the Philippines for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and high-level diplomatic meetings, including with the US president, Donald Trump.
He will hold formal bilateral talks with the Filipino president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, on Sunday and visited a Jollibee fast food restaurant to celebrate the chain’s expansion to Australia.
