Prime minister says he and Chris Bowen were having ‘light-hearted banter’ when they were caught discussing where they keep their phones
Anthony Albanese has apologised for a hot-mic gaffe at the UN climate talks in Turkey, saying he regretted being overheard discussing mobile phone radiation and “dicks” in a candid conversation.
“I of course regret that. I apologise,” Albanese said during a visit to the Australian warship HMAS Stalwart in Manila on Sunday.
“This was a private conversation, we thought, between two friends having a bit of light-hearted banter.”
Ahead of a meeting at the Cop31 climate summit in Antalya on Friday, Albanese and the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, were caught on camera discussing which pocket they use to keep their mobile phone.
Albanese can be heard telling Bowen that he should store his phone away from his heart because “it can interfere with your 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 asks: “Because of your dick?”
Bowen agrees and says: “Arguably more important than the heart.”
On Sunday, Albanese played down the incident which occurred ahead of a meeting with business leaders in…
