Anthony Albanese \u201ctrying to be cool\u201d is to blame for the month-long saga that has haunted the Prime Minister since his controversial appearance on the Bush Deep podcast, according to Liberal MP Andrew Wallace.<\/p>\n
Mr Albanese admitted on Thursday it was an \u201cerror\u201d to go on the podcast, where he said he would \u201cshag, marry (and) date\u201d Kylie Minogue, described a South Sydney Rabbitohs win as a \u201cgood aphrodisiac\u201d and joked about the his Japanese counterpart\u2019s gift of melons.<\/p>\n
He has denied any lewd intention in his comments about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi\u2019s gift.<\/p>\n
Mr Wallace said on Friday that Mr Albanese\u2019s admission \u201cwas a concession from an old guy that was trying to be cool\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe should never have gone on that podcast,\u201d the Liberal moderate told News24.<\/p>\n
\u201cEffectively, what he\u2019s saying is that \u2026 he regrets all the trouble that he\u2019s caused himself by going on this podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, why would he have done it in the first place? <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was never going to end well, and unfortunately, this is \u2026 the trap that some politicians, even PMs of his experience, fall into.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Wallace added that politicians trying to reach new audiences should be better prepared and Mr Albanese\u2019s failure to do so \u201chas caused great offence to one of our strongest security partners and trade partners\u201d.<\/p>\n
Appearing on the ABC\u2019s 7.30 on Thursday night, Mr Albanese said he \u201clearned that I need to do better every day\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd of course, if I had my time again, which you don\u2019t, then I wouldn\u2019t have done that podcast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.\u201d<\/p>\n