The government continues to face an all-out effort, led by parts of the media, to depict Anthony Albanese as the Benny Hill of international diplomacy endangering Australia’s regional standing.

There is ongoing anger – or so we’re told – over a crude double entendre from the Australian prime minister made over a month ago that indirectly involved his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi and her gift of two melons during her recent Australian visit.

The incident initially produced the kind of sniggering usually found in a schoolyard, and grave demands for public apologies.

Now the opposition has now referred the leak of a diplomatic note sent by Japan to Australia to the federal police, prompting housing minister Clare O’Neil to declare the Liberals have “lost the plot”.

There has been encouragement for Tokyo to deliver outrage and condemnation, with the issue resurfacing after former Japanese ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami criticised the exchange in The Australian on Monday.

However, the Japanese government has insisted it is more concerned about the condition of its national economy than a crudity pinned to the Australian prime........

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