Anthony Albanese’s infamous exchange with a podcast host about Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s melon gift may have been crass, ill-advised and cringeworthy. Indeed, it certainly was. The big unanswered question was whether the prime minister’s bawdy banter with a so-called bush Barbie, and his steadfast refusal to apologise to Takaichi, had fundamentally damaged the relationship with one of Australia’s most important strategic partners.