Australia's PM Albanese apologises for hot-mic remarks caught at climate talks

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for private remarks caught on a hot mic at the UN climate talks in Turkey. Speaking on Sunday during a visit to the Australian warship HMAS Stalwart in the Philippines, he said he regretted the incident and apologised.

Ahead of a meeting at the Cop31 climate summit in Antalya on Friday, Albanese and climate change minister Chris Bowen were caught on camera discussing which pocket they use to keep their mobile phone.

In the conversation, Albanese can be heard telling Bowen that he should store his phone away from his heart because it can interfere with his rhythm. Laughing, Bowen asks whether the advice was because a phone can be a little bit radioactive. Albanese says it makes absolute sense, before Bowen replies that he was more conscious of putting his phone in his pants pocket. The prime minister then makes a remark referring to Bowen's private parts, and Bowen agrees, saying that is arguably more important than the heart.

On Sunday, Albanese played down the incident. He said it was, as they thought, a private conversation between two friends having a bit of light-hearted banter. In his words, no one was hurt or harmed, and their private banter did not criticise anyone.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the prime minister had said the hot-mic comments were a joke in between meetings. The incident occurred ahead of a meeting with business leaders in Antalya.

The Coalition criticised the remarks on Sunday. Opposition frontbencher James Paterson told News24 the remarks were unfortunate and could damage impressions of Australia on the world stage. In his words, that kind of talk has a time and a place, and it is not at international summits when you are the prime minister talking to your energy minister.

But employment minister Amanda Rishworth dismissed the criticism, saying the comments were a joke. In her words, it was a private conversation in between meetings, and while a hot-mic incident is very exciting for people, there are bigger issues to tackle and discuss.

The speedy apology contrasts with previous gaffes by Albanese, including long-running controversy over comments on a podcast about the gift of melons from Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. Albanese repeatedly insisted the comments and his corresponding hand gestures were not a reference to breasts. Japan's government sent a diplomatic cable to Australia in July, days after the podcast originally aired, claiming there had been sensationalised reporting in the Australian media and saying they detected no ill intention in Albanese's statement.

Albanese previously apologised for a remark about Australian singer Kylie Minogue in the same podcast episode. He is in the Philippines for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and high-level diplomatic meetings, including with US President Donald Trump.