Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Anthony Albanese has apologised after saying he would “shag” Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue after days of controversy.
The Prime Minister made the comments last week on a podcast episode hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne.
During the episode, Osborne asked Mr Albanese if he would “shag, marry or date” three female Australian celebrities – Ms Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore.
Mr Albanese initially said he had “just got married” and was “only six months in”.
But when Osborne pressed, asking what he would do the marriage “goes tits up”, Mr Albanese said he would pick “Kylie, clearly”.
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her, and date her?” Osborne asked.
“All of the above,” Mr Albanese replied, calling Ms Minogue “terrific”.
He said in a statement on Monday: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments.”
In another part of the interview, Osborne asked if Mr Albanese and his wife, Jodie Haydon, were still “bonking like rabbits”, to which he replied they were “when we have time”.
“After the footy. It’s always a good aphrodisiac, a Souths (Sydney Rabbitohs) win,” he said.
The apology came amid fury from fellow parliamentarians of all political colours, with Teal-turned Community Strong Australia MP Zali Steggall saying it was “entirely inappropriate for the Prime Minister to participate in such a game”.
“He needs to learn to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist,” Ms Steggall said.
Meanwhile, Liberal frontbencher Sarah Henderson said Mr Albanese had “got into the gutter with his grubby remarks”.
“Anthony Albanese’s whisky-fuelled comments on the ‘Deep Bush’ podcast are disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister,” Senator Henderson posted on social media on Sunday.
“Comedian Nikki Osborne is very good at her craft and cleverly skewered the Prime Minister throughout her interview.
“Rather than politely decline to engage, Mr Albanese got into the gutter with his grubby remarks which show extremely poor Judgement at a time when trust in Labor is collapsing.
“Mr Albanese’s crude locker room talk makes a mockery of Labor’s claim to be champions of women.
“How low can this Prime Minister go? Australians deserve better than this.”
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher refused to comment when asked about Mr Albanese’s comments.
