Albanese faces backlash over Kylie Minogue podcast comments | Sunrise

Well, backlash is growing against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, not just from the public, but from some of his colleagues after he made these controversial comments about singer Kylie Minogue during a podcast interview.

Shag, marry, date.Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman or Rhonda Burchmore?

I've just got married, I'm only six months in.Kylie, clearly.

You'd marry Kylie?And shag her?And date her?

All of the above.

Female MPs have condemned the PM's comments, calling them degrading and quote, beneath the office of the Prime Minister.For more, let's bring in Social Services Minister Tanya Klibersek and One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce.Morning to both of you.Tanya, clearly some people are offended by this.Should the Prime Minister nip it in the bud and apologise?

Well, I haven't listened to the whole of the podcast.I just heard that excerpt that you played then.What I'd say on women's equality in this country is that no government's been better for it and no Prime Minister's been better for it.We've actually got the lowest gender pay gap in history.We've got billions of dollars of more investment going into jobs like aged care and early childhood education and care.We've got paid parental leave for six months for the first time ever, paid at a higher rate with superannuation on top.

We've got 56 % of our caucus that are women.We've got a cabinet that's half female.No government has done more for women's health.Hundreds of millions of dollars invested.More than 30 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics with perimenopause and menopause treatments added on top of that now.New contraceptives, new menopause medications.

We're working on women's equality every single day and we're delivering on women's equality every single day.

And that's obviously commendable.But on this, should he apologise?

I'm not going to apologise.on a podcast I haven't heard.I've heard a few seconds of an excerpt that you just played a second ago.

That was the Shag Marry Date game, and that's how he answered.Do you think there's anything to apologise for, or is it a fun Aussie game that lots of people play?

Well, I'm not going to comment on a podcast I haven't listened to.

But what about the bit we just played to you?What do you think about that bit?

Well, if what the Prime Minister is saying is that he's a fan of Kylie Minogue, I guess that puts him in a group with millions of other Australians, including me.Including me. I'm a big fan of Kylie's as well.

Would you play the Shag, Marry, Date game on a podcast?

Yeah, no one's asked me that question anytime recently, I can tell you that.

Barnaby, is it a joke that lots of people play, or is it beneath the office of the Prime Minister?

I'd like to bring you to the regular broadcasting for a special mention from the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia.People Anthony would like to have sex with.Yeah, I think it's a little bit below him.And if he wants to know who he feels that he's been in an uncomfortable relationship with, maybe he'd like to go to the 165 ,000 people who can't pay their power bill, or the farmers who believe that the environmental encroachment of environmental laws taking away possession of their land.Or maybe you'd like to talk to all the small businesses who are furious about what's happening to the extra tax they're going to pay, or the record number of insolvencies in Australia.There are lots of people who feel they've been in a very unfortunate relationship with the Prime Minister of Australia, and he doesn't need to play a stupid game.

He can just go onto any paper, he'll soon read about them.

What would you have done if they asked you, Barnaby?

Avoided the question, like most people.