Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have turned a serious conversation on Australia-China relations to poking fun at each other over a washing machine saga and an iconic dagwood dog moment.
The pair’s weekly appearance on the Today show turned jovial when Mr Marles, who is Acting Prime Minister while Anthony Albanese is on leave, revealed his washing machine was broken.
Mr Dutton accused the Defense Minister of lacking domestic skills, saying: “Richard wouldn’t know whether he has a front loader or top loader at home”.
“That’s not true. I do the washing!” Mr Marles hit back in defence.
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The Acting Prime Minister then went on to detail his adventure to do the washing.
“We did get to the laundromat with six Federal Police,” Mr Marles said.
“As they’re talking into their cuffs, all the other people in the laundromat were thinking, what on earth is going on here.
“We managed to get in there and get the job done, myself and my son.”
Mr Dutton said he wanted to see “evidence” of the trip to the laundromat.
Mr Marles then weighed in on the discussion around Mr Dutton eating a dagwood dog at Brisbane’s Ekka on Thursday.
The Liberal leader was pictured armed with three dagwood dogs before taking a large mouthful of the tomato sauce-laden battered sausage.
“Can I just say, as always, Peter is an absolute picture of elegance,” Mr Marles laughed.
Mr Dutton defended the iconic Aussie snack, saying: “If you go to the Ekka, you have to have a dagwood dog.”
“I mean, you eat it on the side and chew into the stick.
“You drop the sauce on your pants, which is a bad shot.
“What choice were you giving me?”
In July, the pair revealed they came together to celebrate Mr Marles’ 55th birthday while in America – further cementing their unlikely friendship.
“It was a gathering of about 900 people and he was center stage,” the Opposition Leader said.
“Too many birthday candles for me to report back, but it was a nice occasion… I was really touched to be there.”
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