Was there ever a side-eye that divided a nation quite like the side-eye that former Australian of the Year Grace Tame threw at Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week? Except, let’s be honest, it didn’t really divide a nation — it divided those who still believe women owe men smiles with those who don’t.
Here’s what happened. At a morning tea to meet the 2022 Australian of the Year finalists in Canberra, Tame was enthusiastically called over for a photo op by Morrison (perhaps he was looking for a new costume: yesterday his daggy-dad hat or a hi-vis vest, today a strident advocate — we know how much he likes to play dress-ups).
Tame obliged, if somewhat reluctantly. She and fiance Max Heerey shook hands with Morrison, posed for a photo, and didn’t respond to his question (“How are you going? Congratulations on the engagement”). She also threw the PM an exceptional side-eye during the photos, and did not crack a smile (neither did fiance Heerey, by the way), before exiting stage right.
Cue the outrage.
It came in from all the usual suspects, but most notably political academic and journalist Peter van Onselen, who wrote that Tame was “ungracious, rude and childish”, and that if her disdain for Morrison was so great she shouldn’t have gone. Yes, because that would have played out really well. Later that day, van Onselen was co-hosting The Project with Carrie Bickmore and was blasted by Bickmore and guest commentator Amy Remeikis, Guardian Australia’s political reporter.
Since the side-eye sitch, Twitter has been flooded with comparison’s to Tame’s actions, more noticeably Justice Kenneth Hayne’s refusal to play nice with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2019, and Morrison’s forced handshake with a Black Summer bushfire victim, a situation he then went on to lie about (that’s lie number 39, folks).
The irony of the whole thing is that conservatives have been trying to silence Grace Tame all year. Now she’s finally given them silence and they can’t shut up about it.
This article was updated at 13:25, 28/01/2022.
She stuck to her guns,he should be grateful she allowed him to have a handshake, especially while we’re in a covid pandemic.
There’s no way I would shake his hand at any time. Remember the age pensioner who refused to shake Howard’s hand and how
he dismissed her? I do and cheered for her honesty.
Why should any of us be expected to smile and accept the hands of people who disgust us just because of the office they hold?
There’s also the photo of the woman whose hand was forcibly grabbed by Morrison during the 2019/20 bushfires despite her obvious reluctance to shake his hand, or even speak to him. And a day or so later the photo of the firey who refused to shake Morrison’s hand. Neither were photo ops that exactly went to the PM’s plan – or that of his media team.
The media team. As shallow and incompetent as the PM.
#IstandwithGrace
Of interest is that a google search of the event does not bring up the SBS footage which is the only media footage that includes the PM calling her over and her being sheparded by a minder. Google is saturated with Sky et al. Sad. Even you reviewed the Project footage which had cut out the prelude.
The Guardian had the full 33 seconds of footage.
he should be grateful she allowed him to have a handshake
Indeed. But why the hell should Mr and Mrs Phoney Baloney be there anyway? It would be more appropriate to have the purportedly apolitical Governor General – head of state, no? – than the PM, especially this one, who tries to turn every event into partisan and personal propaganda. He manufactures ordure out of everything he touches.
Absolutely correct about who should be officiating at a national day event.
Indeed, I had the same thought. It is a role for the GG.
The GG is obviously dead. Perhaps in some Batchelor party highjinks gone wrong, or a dastardly kidnap plot,, who knows.
Maybe the plot goes deeper, bear with me.
If the GG is dead, then he can’t call the election.
The facts speak for themselves.
An LNP cabal has done away with our beloved GG.
they sang you are my sunshine at the wake.. try to keep up..
So it’s “Weekend at Scottie’s“?
At least he hadn’t been carried to the AOTY reception with his limbs dangling loosely, like the bloke in Carlow last week when his mates tried to collect his pension.
You’re more likely to see the L-G than the GG these days…..
Absolutely. not a job for a potical hack (in my view a nobody) to try and get some photo ops. GG is the proper level of recognition.
A lady is not required to shake hands with anyone, ask my etiquette coach and books.
I would never shake hands with Smirko as my mind wonders whether his hands could be clean.
Peter Van Onslow really needs to find a new career, if all he is ever going to do, is misuse his position to publicly defend an accused rapist/ friend or insult a young woman who has doubts about being seen in the company of another defender of the same said accused rapist (I asked Christian and he denied it! I believe him. and that should be the end of the matter) .
We all know that the accused rapist can neither be cleared of his crime or convicted as the person making the accusations has killed herself. Smirko rejected a judicial review into Christian Porter’s fitness to hold the position of Attorney general.
I is strange how the right and Murdoch’s stooges translate actions. My interpretation was a little different as I thought she was thinking “I don’t care what your god tells you, you are not laying your hands on me you pervert.” My mind reading skills are usually excellent but if I am wrong that is my honest opinion.
Concise & cogent, thank you.
Years ago, The Chaser was running a gag on their website about how PVO had, after hundreds of hours of personal interviews, published an “unauthorised” biography of Dollar Sweetie. Yeah, he was that guy. These entitled creeps seem to experience some wierd kind of mutual attaction. Perhaps it is simply that that gravitate toward the few that haven’t got around to despising them yet.
Except that no one here can explain what this magical “judicial review” would have been.
Who can present what evidence (ignoring the now obvious fact that there is NONE), are the media cameras always present, who can ask questions, what bar needs to be met before a peice of ‘evidence’ is presented or probing question asked, what’s off limits, what is the mechanism for triggering such a review in the future for all other politicians etc etc.
Morrison still does not get it , does he! His own bad manners are evident to most , but they are excused because ” he is the PM?”
During national service officer training, we were told many times by both the officer and warrant officer instructors that respect MUST be earned and that it did not come simply because you had a single pip on your shoulder.
What has Morrison done to gain any respect?
Not ordering those wayward women demonstrating outside Parliament last year shot?
Shake his hand? Ewwww! Noooo!!!!
You never know who’s pocket it’s been in.
Absolutely! I’m not shaking anyone’s hand, there’s a pandemic on!
He plays pocket billiards
Egad! I’ve pulled a scummo (ie, displayed incompetence). I’ve failed my English language test! Does this mean I have to hand my citizenship back in? And it’s the only one I have, too. 🙁
“Whose”, not “who’s”.
Nobody noticed!
It’s a bit rough when you have to be your own pedant.
You never know if he didn’t drop into engadine maccas on the way.
Scotty’s photo op turned into a photo flop. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving tosser. Well done Grace Tame.
Ms Tame’s regard for Scummo was well expressed as was her overall decency given the smile she exchanged with Jen – one woman to another.