Liberal senator James Paterson has asked the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate the reported leaking of documents in relation to Anthony Albanese’s “melon” saga.
This comes after Albanese’s appearance on the Bush Deep podcast more than a month ago saw him controversially joke about the Crown melons gifted to him by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Some have suggested Albanese was comparing the fruit to the Japanese PM’s breasts.
The ABC has reported that a memo from within the Japanese government stated the issue would not be formally raised by Japan. The document was leaked to various media sources overnight and Paterson voiced his concerns, saying he has requested an investigation into how the leak occurred.
“This is a serious matter,” he said. “It is important that our closest allies have confidence that when they share confidential correspondence with us that it will not find its way in the media.”
The AFP have declined to comment on the matter, however confirmed that they had received the direction from Paterson and the opposition party.
The calls to take matters further have left Labor ministers frustrated. Housing Minister Clare O’Neil came to the defence of Albanese this morning.
“The Liberals have completely lost the plot, referring podcast comments to the Australian Federal Police — I mean, how ridiculous,” she said.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek faced scrutiny on the issue from reporters as she questioned the timeliness of the threats from the opposition given the broader issues that are currently a priority.
“We are here talking about family and domestic violence, helping women out of homelessness,” she said. “Maybe we should focus on the big issues.”
Albanese has batted away calls for an apology as the focus from his party now shifts away from the saga.
“Prime Minister Takaichi is a friend of Australia and a friend of mine,” he said. “We’re focused on working together to shape a free and open Indo-Pacific that’s peaceful, stable and prosperous,” he said.
Photo: By Naikaku Sōri Daijin is available HERE and used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.
