Albanese and Takaichi swap drum skins and musk melons — and the keys to the critical minerals cupboard

ABC News · Joshua Boscaini and Courtney Gould · Monday 4 May 2026

Albanese and Takaichi swap drum skins and musk melons — and the keys to the critical minerals cupboard

Albanese and Takaichi sign critical minerals, energy and defence agreements, with Canberra heralding 'deep friendship' while Tokyo quietly locks in another long-dated supply line.

Drum skins and musk melons — the diplomatic gift register reads like a school fete raffle. Albanese calls it 'deep friendship' because the actual deal is Japan locking in our critical minerals on twenty-year contracts the way they locked in our gas. Menzies signed the Commerce Agreement in '57 and got a steel industry. We signed this one and got a fruit basket.

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