MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (16:48): I too stand to speak on the matter of importance that's before us today, because we all know that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept. The PM just walked past a standard that no Australian woman should have to accept. In fact, no Australian should have to accept it, and neither should the Japanese prime minister.

Mr Albanese should admit his behaviour was deplorable. He should apologise. Australians should hold him to his word, because, in April 2022, this is what Prime Minister Albanese said: Earlier today I made a mistake.

I'm human. But when I make a mistake, I'll fess up to it, and I'll set about correcting that mistake … I won't blame someone else, I'll accept responsibility. That's what leaders do.

So today we are asking the Prime Minister to honour those words. Stop denying your actions were not offensive and demeaning. You don't get to decide that.

Others make that judgement, not you—and they have. The Prime Minister's actions, gesturing towards his chest to describe a female's body during a crude exchange comparing the Japanese prime minister to Pamela Anderson, have been widely condemned by just about everybody except his own Labor colleagues. The Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Minister for Women and the Minister for Social Services are all out there defending this quite frankly indefensible action by the Prime Minister.

Let me remind you what these parliamentarians have said in the past. In July 2018, Senator Wong said: Sexist slurs to demean women have no place in political debate in this country. We agree with her.

In October 2022, on the 10th anniversary of Julia Gillard's misogyny speech, Minister Plibersek said: I felt … I was there while history was being made. But in August 2026, in defending Anthony Albanese over his crude remarks, Minister Plibersek dismissed the former Japanese ambassador's reading as a complete misinterpretation. We don't agree with her.

Today in question time, what did Minister Gallagher reply when asked whether she, as the Minister for Women, thought that these comments were degrading and demeaning to women and whether she, as the Minister for Women, would be standing up and saying to the Prime Minister that these comments are completely unacceptable? She said: I know that this is a leader that always stands up for women and always respects women.

I suggest to you that the actions of this prime minister are not respectful to women. Then there's Anthony Albanese himself. In June 2026, following a billboard that was put up in Victoria targeting the then Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, he posted on X and then repeated at a press conference: No matter who you support in politics, it is completely unacceptable to demean, objectify, belittle or offend women.

But in August 2026, after his actions had been widely condemned not just here in Australia but around the world, he rejected the assertion of the question when he was asked about it. As we're sitting here today, we have a prime minister who is refusing to accept that what he did and the standard that he set is unacceptable. Let me read out the words of Julia Gillard in October 2012, when she was referring to the then prime minister, Tony Abbott: … if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia he does not need a motion in the House of Representatives; he needs a mirror.

I would suggest, Mr Albanese, as the Prime Minister of this country, that perhaps you needs a mirror. Perhaps you need to have a look at your actions. What we have seen in the last few days following this deplorable action by the Prime Minister is an expectation and a standard—a standard expected by this prime minister of every other member of this parliament, and expected by every member of the Liberal Party the entire time we were in government—being completely walked out the door.

This prime minister sets a double standard. Before the election, he tells Australians that his expectation is one thing, and then, following the election, he thinks it's okay to make sexual, derogatory remarks about Kylie Minogue. He did, at least that time, apologise unequivocally.

I think the right thing for the Prime Minister to do is unequivocally apologise to the Japanese Prime Minister and the women of Australia for his tawdry, dirty, grubby remarks.