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The Conversation
The Conversation
Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

View from The Hill: Albanese tried to be ‘hip’, only to let diplomacy slip

Anthony Albanese has been delivered a stinging rebuke from a former Japanese ambassador to Australia over some tasteless joking on a podcast about his prime ministerial counterpart’s gift of two highly valued melons.

In a blunt article, Shingo Yamagami, ambassador to Canberra from 2021 to 2023, wrote, “Prime Minister, please enjoy Japan’s sweet and juicy melons without thinking about a women’s anatomy”.

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