Claims extracted
25
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
4%
1 of 25 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
15
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for remarks he made about “dicks” and phone radiation during “light-hearted banter” with Energy Minister Chris Bowen during climate talks in Turkey last week.
asserted
he → apologise → Turkey
Asked whether he regretted the comments, which were picked up by cameras, Albanese said: “Of course I regret that”.
asserted
I → ask → that
“I apologise.
asserted
I → apologise → ?
This was a private conversation, we thought, between two friends having a bit of light-hearted banter,” he said in Manila on Sunday, where he announced the signing of a new defence agreement with the Philippines.
asserted
he → think → Philippines
“That happens.
asserted
That → happen → ?
No one was hurt or harmed.
asserted
one → hurt → ?
We weren’t having private banter that criticised anyone.”
asserted
that → have → anyone
The exchange between Albanese and Bowen was picked up with a hot mic on Friday as the pair chatted while waiting to start a roundtable discussion about business investment at this year’s COP31 climate conference in the Turkish town of Antalya.
asserted
pair → pick → Antalya
According to the footage, which started recording before Albanese and Bowen made their official remarks, the prime minister told Bowen that he should store his phone away from his heart because “it can interfere with your rhythm”.
uncertain
it → accord → rhythm
The climate change minister then said he was more conscious of putting his phone in his pants pocket.
asserted
he → say → pocket
The prime minister asked: “Because of your dick?”
asserted
minister → ask → dick
Bowen agreed that it was “because of my dick”.
asserted
it → agree → dick
“Arguably more important than the heart,” he said, and both men laughed.
asserted
men → say → heart
Albanese’s apology on Sunday went a step further than the statement issued by his office on Friday, which said: “They were having a joke in between meetings.”
asserted
They → go → meetings
Coalition defence spokesman James Paterson said the incident was a bad look.
asserted
incident → say → ?
“Locker room talk like that has a time and place, and it’s not at international summits when you’re the prime minister of Australia,” he said.
asserted
he → have → Australia
The Prime Minister has on several occasions been criticised for being too slow or reluctant to apologise over such incidents.
asserted
Minister → criticise → incidents
He apologised in July this year after he was asked whether he would “marry, shag or date” pop star Kylie Minogue, and he said “all of the above.”
asserted
he → apologise → above
However, he did not explicitly say sorry for another exchange, in which he referred to the “couple of melons” that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi brought him as a gift during her visit to Australia, and the podcast host said she “came in looking like Pamela Anderson.”
asserted
she → say → Anderson
Albanese will meet with Takaichi on the sidelines of ASEAN this week.
asserted
Albanese → meet → ASEAN
He also gave an apology criticised as half-hearted after labelling former Australian of the Year Grace Tame “difficult” during a word association game this year.
asserted
He → give → game
“If there was any misinterpretation, then I certainly apologise,” he said, claiming that he meant to say she’d had a difficult life.
asserted
she → be → life
Albanese left Turkey for the Philippines on Friday to attend the ASEAN summit.
asserted
Albanese → leave → summit
Bowen stayed in Antalya to lead climate negotiations until the end of next week.
asserted
Bowen → stay → week
Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
asserted
Subscribers → sign → newsletter
The Aporia
