Albanese apologises for hot-mic conversation with minister at climate summit

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday apologised for a conversation that cameras and microphones caught at the UN Cop31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. In the exchange, he and climate change minister Chris Bowen discussed where to keep a mobile phone and used crude language. The opposition says the remarks could damage Australia's image internationally.

What was said

Before a meeting with business leaders on Friday, Albanese and Bowen were filmed discussing which pocket they use for their phones. Albanese advised against keeping a phone near the heart, saying it could interfere with the heartbeat. Bowen asked, laughing, whether that was because a phone can be a little radioactive. The prime minister then crudely asked whether Bowen avoided the trouser pocket for other reasons, and the minister agreed.

On Sunday, during a visit to the Australian warship HMAS Stalwart in the Philippines, Albanese said he regretted the exchange and apologised. He said they had believed it was a private, light-hearted conversation between two friends. He added that nobody was hurt and that the banter did not criticise anyone. A spokesperson for the prime minister had earlier described it as a joke between meetings.

Reactions

Opposition frontbencher James Paterson said such locker-room talk has no place at international summits, particularly in a conversation between Australia's prime minister and its energy minister. Employment minister Amanda Rishworth rejected the criticism, saying it was a private conversation between meetings and that there were bigger issues to deal with.

The report notes the apology came faster than after earlier gaffes by Albanese. He previously apologised for a remark about singer Kylie Minogue on a podcast, while a dispute over his comments about melons given as a gift by Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, ran for longer. Japan's government sent a diplomatic cable in July saying it detected no ill intention.

Albanese is in the Philippines for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and high-level meetings, including with US president Donald Trump. Formal bilateral talks with Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr are scheduled for Sunday.