Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joked that Australia could "take over" New Zealand, citing a provision in the Australian Constitution. The remarks were made during an appearance on comedian Nikki Osborne's "Bush Deep" podcast in July.
"We could take over New Zealand. It's still in our Constitution. We can just do it. Sorry," Albanese said, laughing, according to the Daily Mail. The Australian Constitution's covering clauses reference New Zealand in the definition of original Australian colonies, leaving a constitutional pathway for New Zealand to join the Australian Federation as a state, an offer that has never been taken up.
While Albanese's comments about New Zealand garnered some attention, Osborne noted that his remarks about potentially being intimate with singer Kylie Minogue generated greater controversy. "I didn't realise that that would be controversial. No, I thought it was harmless," Osborne told the Mark Bouris podcast. She added that Albanese said, "I could just take over New Zealand tomorrow if I wanted. That's in there, and no one cares because he wants to shag Kylie."
Albanese later issued an "unequivocal" apology for comments made about who he would sleep with, marry, or date among Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore, stating, "Kylie, clearly. All of the above... she's terrific." The Prime Minister has also faced scrutiny over comments and hand gestures made in reference to crown melons gifted by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a May visit to Australia. Albanese has rejected calls to apologize for the melon incident, asserting that its interpretation was incorrect. The Japanese government indicated no action would be taken regarding the matter, and a letter from Tokyo to Canberra suggested there had been "sensationalised reporting in the Australian media."