Albanese regrets podcast appearance, foreign home buying plunges

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed regret over his appearance on the comedy podcast "Bush Deep," where he made a joke about a gift of melons from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. During the podcast, Albanese recounted Takaichi offering him the melons and appeared to make a gesture, prompting host Nikki Osborne to joke about Pamela Anderson. The incident led to media criticism, and Albanese later apologized for "elements of the podcast."

In an interview with ABC's 7.30 program, Albanese reflected on the experience. "I learned that I need to do better every day, and of course, if I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast," he stated. He explained that while the government aims to connect with as many people as possible, the podcast appearance was an error.

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I learned that I need to do better every day, and of course, if I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast.

In separate news, the number of Australian properties purchased by foreign investors has significantly decreased. The Productivity Commission reported a more than 22% drop in investment approvals to 5,284 in 2024-25, largely due to a ban on foreigners buying existing homes. The Albanese government extended this ban until June 2029. Despite the fall in residential approvals, the overall value of foreign investment in Australia grew by 32% to $256.4 billion, driven by commercial property deals.

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You know, we have a view which is [we’re] trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.