The PM’s biggest problem isn’t calling Grace Tame ‘difficult’. It’s that he can’t admit he’s wrong
Idea
If an entire country misunderstands something you say, are people guilty of not knowing your intentions, or are you guilty of using your words clumsily?
And if your next apology is clumsy and comes across as oblivious and insincere, then who takes the blame?
That’s the conundrum facing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese now, after he called Grace Tame “difficult” during a stage play on Wednesday and was asked to describe people in one word..
He said he was just trying to convey that the Australian of the Year and child sexual abuse survivor had a difficult life.
“Grace Tame took the personal trauma and that terrible experience that she went through and channeled that into being a strong, powerful advocate, especially to other young women,” Albanese said Thursday morning as anger began to erupt.
If you really mean it, if that’s what you’re really trying to say, and if that’s what you really believe, why not use those words? I’m helping. Strong. Strong. Lawyer.
Probably because Albanese knew what he was saying and to whom he was saying it. He chose to describe Tame, a long-standing and vocal critic of News Corp, as “difficult” at this stage. messenger of the sunThe Victoria Summit of the future. Many in the audience will remember that Tame attended an event at the Lodge just over a year ago and stood next to Albanese and his now-wife Jodie Haydon, wearing a T-shirt that read “F— Murdoch” in bold letters.
Does Albanese really expect anyone to believe that he isn’t aware that the word “difficult” will be understood very differently in a room full of people who consume News Corp media than it would be in a room full of people at, say, a writers’ festival event?
Of course not. Because he probably doesn’t believe it either. Halfway through his unapologetic apology, he provided more context for his word choice.
“Now, there are other issues that I don’t agree with, like the language that Grace Tame used at the demonstration in Sydney. So it’s impossible to describe people in one word,” he said, referring to the controversial slogan used by Israeli President Isaac Herzog at a pro-Palestinian rally during his visit earlier this month.
As for Tame, he’s not having it. Quoting “Dude Scott [Morrison] Now!!! ‘He’s had a hard life’… Stop underestimating me, old man. We all know what you mean. It’s already a medal of honor. An admission that I made him angry,” she commented on social media.
But the thing is, even if you’re someone who sees Tame as a difficult personality – or prickly, or tough, or whatever other adjective you want to use to describe someone who refuses to give in and mold themselves into the shape you expect them to fit – that precise trait is what got him where he is, what helped change laws to protect children in Australia, what brought so much awareness to a pervasive social problem, what helped countless survivors feel less alone.
Describing any woman as difficult would always end badly. But saying “I’m sorry if I was misunderstood” and thinking that this actually counts as an apology makes the situation worse.
Add to this the fact that Alban refused to apologize to Sarah Williams’ lawyer after a dispute arose over his right to speak at a What Were You Wearing rally in 2024 – he thought she was implying he was a liar – and it becomes clear that the prime minister has a real problem with admitting he was wrong and sincerely apologizing.
For a person who proudly declared on the campaign trail that showing kindness is not weakness, choosing the word “tough” to describe a survivor and it’s incredibly difficult to understand what Tame has achieved.
Katy Hall is senior editor and regular columnist.
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Katy Hall is deputy state subject editor. He was previously deputy opinion editor of The Age.
