In an appearance on the Bush Deep podcast, which aired in July, the prime minister mentioned two crown melons gifted to him by his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi. When asked by host Nikki Osborne about how the melons were brought into Australia, Anthony Albanese said he didn't know, while making hand gestures. The comments largely escaped scrutiny when the podcast was published, but they were later picked up by Japanese papers, before Australian media ran coverage. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil responded to news of coaltion's probe calls by saying the Liberals had "absolutely lost the plot". "I take him (Mr Albanese) at his word when he says the way that it's interpreted is not the way he intended," he said.