Arabic version: تعليق عن شمّام يثير انتقاد سفير سابق

According to ABC News, former Australian ambassador Shingo Yamagami has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over a joke about two melons gifted by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The comments were made last month on the Bush Deep podcast, where Albanese made a gesture in front of his chest while discussing the gift.

Writing in The Australian, Yamagami said the remarks showed “ignorance” of the gift’s significance and were “insulting”. He described a crown melon as Japan’s most prized fruit, saying it is treasured as something special and that the particular fruit had been painstakingly nurtured in a special greenhouse. Yamagami said Takaichi had already faced derogatory comments about her gender since becoming prime minister.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek defended Albanese, saying Australia had an excellent relationship with Japan and describing it as an important strategic and economic partner. She said Yamagami was wrong to interpret the remarks as a reference to the Japanese prime minister’s anatomy.

Separately, the federal government said bulk-billing rates rose from 81.9 per cent to 84.1 per cent nationwide in the June quarter. The government committed $8.5 billion at the May election to expand bulk billing, with a target of making nine out of 10 GP visits free by 2030. The Northern Territory recorded an annual increase of 13 per cent, reaching 90.8 per cent.

Parliament is due to return on Tuesday, with the government seeking progress on gambling advertising reforms and National Disability Insurance Scheme changes. Health Minister Mark Butler said the government wanted to pass the NDIS legislation in the sitting fortnight, while negotiations continue over proposed gambling-ad restrictions and an online-ad opt-out system.