Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was caught in a frosty exchange with the 2021 Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, on Tuesday.
The prime minister and advocate for the survivors or sexual assault were attending a morning tea for 2022 Australian of the Year finalists. Tame appeared visibly unimpressed by the Australian Prime Minister as the two stood next to each other for a photo.
“How are you going? Congratulations on the engagement,” Morrison said, referring to her recent engagement. Tame then thanked the prime minister while avoiding eye contact.
She was then seen glaring at Morrison.
Tame, a child sexual assault survivor, became Australian of the Year for helping spark a national conversation about the rights of survivors of sexual assault. The activist helped overturn a Tasmanian law that barred her from speaking about her own experiences.
Previously, Tame said she was left uncomfortable by Morrison’s remarks after she gave a speech on her experiences, after being conferred with the Australian of the Year title.
“Do you know what he said to me, right after I finished that speech and we’re in front of a wall of media? I s**t you not, he leaned over and right in my ear he goes, ‘Well, gee, I bet it felt good to get that out’,” she said in an interview last May.
The activist has been a vocal critic of the prime minister after accusations there had been a toxic culture towards female political staffers in Australia's parliament.
Notably, Tame was a supporter of former Australian Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins, whose rape allegations led to several inquiries on workplace relations within the country's national parliament.
SHARE ME