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Albanese issues apology after response to ‘shag, marry or date’ podcast question
Anthony Albanese apologied “unequivocally” after making an off-the-cuff remark on a comedy podcast when asked who he would “shag, marry or date”.
The prime minister was speaking to Nova host Nikki Osborne and was asked to choose between Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman or Rhonda Burchmore.
“I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in,” he said.
When pressed, Albanese said: “Oh, Kylie, clearly.”
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her and date?” Osborne asked.
“All of the above,” he said.
The prime minister released a short statement this morning about the remarks, saying:
I apologise unequivocally for the comments.
Key events
Plibersek backs Albanese: ‘I’m a big fan of Kylie’s as well’
Tanya Plibersek appeared on Sunrise this morning to back the prime minister, too.
She had this to say:
I’m not going to comment on a podcast that I haven’t listened to. …
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.
Plibersek went on to defend the government’s work to better conditions for women:
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. …
No government has done more for women’s health … We’re working on women’s equality every single day and we’re delivering on women’s equality every single day.
Richard Marles defends Albanese’s track record after podcast interview
Richard Marles, the deputy prime minister, defended Albanese’s remarks on the Nova podcast, pointing to his apology while noting the government’s track record on advancing women’s issues.
Marles told RN Breakfast this morning that there were interviews officials engaged in that are of a “different nature” from time to time, adding:
The government that the prime minister leads is the first government in our nation’s history which has had an equality in terms of the numbers of men and women in cabinet. It’s the first government ever to have had a majority of women in the caucus.
I mean, our prime minister is utterly committed to the place of women within our society and the elevation of women within our society. And I think that’s the serious point to observe about the government that he leads.
He’s obviously made an unequivocal apology for what he said.
Auction clearance rates remain under 50%
Just 49.8% of homes sold at auction last week, according to preliminary data from Cotality.
The figure comprises the clearance rates for the combined capital cities. In Sydney, auctions were successful a touch higher, with a 51.6% clearance rate; in Melbourne, 54.6% sold. But in Brisbane only 23.8% of homes sold at auction, and only 33.3% sold in Perth.
Canberra had a 50% clearance rate and Adelaide 45.7% (Hobart wasn’t listed).
Hundreds of homes across the country were withdrawn from auction, the majority in Sydney and Melbourne, the nation’s two largest markets.
Albanese issues apology after response to ‘shag, marry or date’ podcast question
Anthony Albanese apologied “unequivocally” after making an off-the-cuff remark on a comedy podcast when asked who he would “shag, marry or date”.
The prime minister was speaking to Nova host Nikki Osborne and was asked to choose between Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman or Rhonda Burchmore.
“I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in,” he said.
When pressed, Albanese said: “Oh, Kylie, clearly.”
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her and date?” Osborne asked.
“All of the above,” he said.
The prime minister released a short statement this morning about the remarks, saying:
I apologise unequivocally for the comments.
Josh Butler
Albanese to host PNG, Tonga leaders at State of Origin
Anthony Albanese will host the leaders of Papua New Guinea and Tonga at the State of Origin decider in Brisbane on Wednesday night, amid a series of high-level diplomatic engagements this week.
The prime minister will travel to Fiji and Solomon Islands on Monday and Tuesday, then return to Queensland for Wednesday night’s rugby league series decider. NSW and Queensland have won one game apiece, with the third and final game to be held in Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
The Albanese government has elevated the sport of rugby league into a major diplomatic item in the Pacific, including supporting the inclusion of a PNG team in the NRL competition from 2028 with $600m in federal funds. Tonga and PNG have strong histories with rugby league, with a number of players from both countries playing in the NRL.
Wednesday is also the day that Australia’s new mutual defence treaty with PNG comes into force. Albanese will meet PNG and Tonga’s leaders for bilateral meetings, with regional security, trade and economic growth on the agenda.
“This important series of meetings in Brisbane comes at a time where we are working closely with our Pacific family on the issues that matter to our region,” Albanese said.
I am very much looking forward to hosting Pacific leaders in Brisbane on Wednesday and attending the State of Origin with them. Through one of Australia’s favourite sporting codes, we are bringing our Pacific family closer together.
Joe Hinchliffe
‘Where will they put those young people?’
The Queensland government is trying to “fix crime with a slogan”, the state’s opposition says.
The shadow youth justice minister, Di Farmer, said detention centres were already at capacity, in “almost constant lockdown”, experiencing staff walk-offs and had seen children lingering in watchhouses.
“The question that needs to be asked of the LNP is: where will they put those young people if they go to detention?” Farmer told press on Sunday.
Today’s announcement is another slogan, without substance, but it is a slogan which could break the Queensland youth justice system.
Queensland premier unveils ‘breach bail, go to jail’ slogan
Joe Hinchliffe
David Crisafulli has vowed to imprison more youth offenders.
In a keynote speech to the Liberal National party’s state conference on Sunday, the Queensland premier said his government would create and legislate a new offence by the end of the year, carrying a mandatory sentence – yet to be set – for repeat offenders who commit serious crimes while on bail.
“Breach bail, go to jail is the next phase of adult crime, adult time, which is holding youth offenders accountable for the first time in a long time,” Crisafulli said.
We’re heading in the right direction and we’ve heard from Queenslanders who are telling us to keep going, and we will with reforms to Labor’s weak bail laws.
But the Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive, Katherine Hayes, said Queensland already had the “harshest youth bail laws in Australia” – a model that became increasingly punitive under the previous government, which introduced a presumption against bail into the Youth Justice Act and made breach of bail a criminal offence.
“Queensland already locks up more kids than anywhere else in Australia – more than Victoria and New South Wales combined,” Hayes said.
This is a further step to make already harsh bail laws harsher.
The Sisters Inside CEO, Debbie Kilroy, said the LNP government had “declared war on children”.
“Queensland is building a youth justice system driven by headlines instead of evidence,” she said.
Good morning
Good morning and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to start things off this week. Here’s what’s on deck:
The Queensland premier said his government would create and legislate a new offence by the end of the year for youth offenders, carrying a mandatory sentence – yet to be set – for repeat offenders who commit serious crimes while on bail. The premier said
“breach bail, go to jail” is the next phase of adult crime, adult time.
Auction clearance rates were below 50% across the combined capitals for the third week in a row. New data from Cotality shows just 49.8% of homes were sold at auction.
Stick with us.
