News and politics live updates: PM concedes Nikki Osborne podcast ‘error’ as Jane Hume demands Japan apology

Anthony Albanese insisted during multiple media appearances that every Australian who saw him hold up his hands around his chest as the melons were referenced did not see what they thought they saw, laughably insisting that it all came down to a point about whether he gesticulates when he speaks.

“When I give interviews, anyone who has sat down with me, and there’s a bit of footage of me doing interviews, sitting on chairs, will say that I don’t do them with my arms crossed. And so certainly, as the interpretation that some have put on this is simply not correct,” he told reporters.

He gave the same excuse again later in the day on television and at a later press conference.

He also denied knowing that he would be given the question about shagging Kylie Minogue — a quiz Ms Osborne says is her signature question and features in every episode.

If he honestly did not know, he and his office are incompetent, as they failed to do their basic job by watching the podcaster’s previous episodes to know what might be coming up.

Why other cabinet ministers and MPs felt it was their job to defend this level of ineptitude is incomprehensible. It was a case of a sheep bleating first, thinking never.

Last night, Mr Albanese conceded he had buyer’s remorse about agreeing to appear on Bush Deep.

“Of course, if I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast. We have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error,” he said.

Case closed then?

There’s just one big problem.

If the error was so obvious, to the point that you now wish you could turn back time, why did so many Labor women defend this to the public?

Continue reading here.

Matt Canavan will headline the Nationals’ WA conference this weekend by revealing “Labor’s secret GST clawback,” claiming the State’s resources companies could be hit with up to $6 billion in green taxes.

The Nationals leader is expected to cite new analysis in his address which shows WA’s resources sector will take the billion-dollar brunt of Labor’s renewables transition through ballooning compliance costs of the so-called safeguard mechanism — a key tool which forces big emitters to limit pollution.

The analysis, by conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs, comes after the Government’s climate department released a consultation paper to inform an upcoming review of the tool, which suggests a more stringent regime after 2030.

The government paper explores options to tighten, restrict and expand the safeguard mechanism rules to help Labor reach its 2035 emissions reduction target of between 62 and 70 per cent and the legislated net-zero by 2050.

In an exclusive interview with The Nightly ahead of his trip, Mr Canavan labelled it effectively “a West Australian tax” — insisting it unfairly penalised the State for taking risks to invest and expand its resources sector.

Mr Canavan said as the policy only targets facilities emitting more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) a year, which means more than a third of the businesses captured by the framework are based in WA’s resources sector.

“If we are to align the safeguard mechanism with that announced national target (62 and 70 per cent by 2035), then the decline rate for businesses is going to increase from roughly 4.9 per cent a year to about 7-8 per cent a year,” he said.

“So, it’s a big, big jump for businesses. I’ve already had some contacting me concerned.”

​Read more. ​

Health Minister Mark Butler has conceded Australia crossing the $1 trillion gross debt milestone is a “big headline number”, as Labor and the Coalition traded blows over the state of the nation’s finances.

“There’s no question about it,” Mr Butler told Sunrise, while arguing Australia’s debt remained lower than comparable countries and was almost $200 billion below the projections Labor inherited in 2022.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume hit back, claiming it would take 100 years to eliminate the debt even if $20,000 was paid down every hour.

“The Labor government has received $400 billion in windfall revenue gains just in the last four years. And it’s all been spent. It’s gone,” she said.

Mr Butler rejected the attack, declaring: “We haven’t got a plan to pay down debt. We’ve been paying down debt.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume has delivered a blistering assessment of Anthony Albanese following the Prime Minister’s admission that appearing on Nikki Osborne’s podcast was an “error”.

Senator Hume argued the concession did not go far enough and demanded the PM apologise directly to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

“He’s halfway there. He said he wouldn’t do the podcast, but let’s face it, he sounded like a grubby, leery old man and he should apologise to the Japanese Prime Minister, the first female Japanese Prime Minister in history,” Senator Hume told Sunrise.

“Why is this so hard, Mark? Why can’t he just apologise for offending her even if he was misinterpreted? Just apologise. It’s not that hard.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded he would not appear on Nikki Osborne’s controversial podcast again, describing the decision to go on the show as an “error”.

“If I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast. You know, we have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error,” Mr Albanese said.

The admission follows weeks of controversy surrounding the appearance, including his participation in a “marry, date, shag” game and remarks about “melons”.

Health Minister Mark Butler defended the PM on Sunrise, saying Australians wanted their leaders to admit when they got something wrong.

“I think what the Prime Minister did last night was what we expect of a leader,” he said.

We’ve made it to the end of another huge week in politics, but there’s still plenty happening before we clock off for the weekend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s podcast saga is back in the headlines, the $1 trillion debt milestone has sparked plenty of debate and there’s a busy day ahead in Canberra.

Grab a coffee and stay with us as we bring you the latest news, politics and key developments throughout the morning.