National Australia Day Council rejects Grace Tame’s claims of a “threatening” phone call about PM Scott Morrison
National Australia Day Council has rejected claims it ever had a “threatening” conversation with Grace Tame after she made the accusation on national TV today.
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Grace Tame’s claim she had a “threatening” conversation where she was asked not to criticise the Prime Minister has been rejected by the National Australia Day Council.
Ms Tame’s claim is now the subject of a formal investigation after she made the accusation on national television but declined to say which non-government organisation she was talking about.
Attention quickly turned to the Australia Day Council, which administers the Australian of the Year awards, given she specifically said that she was asked not to make disparaging remarks at Australia of the Year events.
News.com.au understands that Ms Tame set up an independent management team during her tenure in the job led by her fiancee Max Heerey.
This followed differences of opinion over how to manage her media appearances and Ms Tame’s preference for a personal approach as opposed to calling someone in an office somewhere else for administrative support.
In a statement, the National Australia Day Council said it was conducting further inquiries but denied it had ever had a “threatening” conversation.
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“The NADC has spoken to a number of personnel who have had conversations with Ms Tame over the past year, none of whom had interactions with Ms Tame that would be considered ‘threatening’, as the 17 August conversation has been described,’’ a spokesperson said.
“The NADC has contacted Grace and her management to ask about the specifics of the conversation described at the National Press Club.
“The Australian of the Year Award is just that – an award, not a role. Award recipients are free to use the platform the award provides any way they see fit, with the support of the NADC.
“The NADC has always sought to support Ms Tame throughout her tenure as Australian of the Year.”
Ms Tame received no salary for her role as Australian of the Year, with former recipients including Rosie Batty raising concerns about the blizzard of media attention with limited support in terms of managing press requests.
Instead, Ms Tame has carved out a lucrative business providing paid speeches to corporate events.
She also does an extraordinary amount of work for free for charities and advocacies groups leading to a frenetic round of public appearances that she has previously revealed contributed to incredible pressure and public scrutiny.
Scott conducting an investigation into who made the phone call is THE VERY SAME embedded structural silencing culture that drove the call in the first place and misses the point entirely
— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) February 9, 2022
Earlier today, Ms Tame lashed out at the Prime Minister over a formal investigation into a “threatening” phone call she claims she received.
The Morrison Government has launched a political witch hunt over the mystery person from a government-funded organisation that allegedly begged her not to criticise the Prime Minister ahead of the election, insisting the Prime Minister was horrified by the revelation.
But Ms Tame has taken to Twitter today to accuse the Prime Minister of missing the point and trying to find a scapegoat for a toxic culture.
“Scott conducting an investigation into who made the phone call is THE VERY SAME embedded structural silencing culture that drove the call in the first place and misses the point entirely,’’ she said
“Stop deflecting, Scott. It’s not about the person who made the call. It’s the fact they felt like they had to do it.”
Mr Morrison and his office insist they had no knowledge of the phone call before Ms Tame’s speech, and it calls for the person who phoned her to apologise.
A spokesperson described that person’s behavior as “unacceptable”.
“The first the PM or PMO became aware of that allegation was during today’s Press Club speeches,” Mr Morrison’s office said.
“The PM has not and would not authorise such actions and at all times has sought to treat Ms Tame with dignity and respect.
“Ms Tame should always be free to speak her mind and conduct herself as she chooses. The PM has made no criticism of her statements or actions.
“While Ms Tame has declined to name the individual, the individual should apologise. Those comments were not made on behalf of the PM or PMO or with their knowledge.
“The PM and the government consider the actions and statements of the individual as unacceptable.”
Earlier today Liberal frontbencher Anne Ruston who was at the speech in Canberra confirmed an investigation was underway.
Ms Tame sparked furore with her speech at the National Press Club in Canberra.
“On August 17 last year, not five months after being named Australian of the Year, I received a threatening phone call from a senior member of a government-funded organisation, asking for my word that I would not say anything damning about the Prime Minister on the evening of the next Australian of the Year Awards,” she said.
“‘You are an influential person. He will have a fear,’ they said. What kind of fear, I asked myself. A fear for our nation’s most vulnerable? A fear for the future of our plan? And then I heard the words, ‘with an election coming soon.’
“And it crystallised. A fear for himself and no one else, a fear he might lose his position or, more to the point, his power. Sound familiar to anyone? Well it does to me.”
She then compared the culture to the threats of the predator who raped her as a teenager.
“I remember standing in the shadow of a trusted authority figure, being threatened in just the same veiled way. I remember him saying, ‘I will lose my job if anyone hears about that, and you would not want that, would you?,’’ she said.
“What I wanted in that moment is the same thing I want right now, and that is an end to the darkness, an end to sexual violence, safety, equity, respect, a better future for all of us. A future driven by unity and truth, not one dictated under the politics of division and spin.”
Ms Tame was subsequently asked about the phone call, and specifically whether she would reveal what she said back to the unnamed individual.
“My answer to your question is that I act with integrity,” Ms Tame replied.
“Can you tell us what you said back to that person?” the reporter pressed.
“Nope. Doesn’t matter now, does it?” she said.
Another reporter asked whether she would reveal the identity of the individual or the organisation they worked for.
“I reckon if I was willing to name either, I would have put them in the speech,” Ms Tame responded.
Originally published as National Australia Day Council rejects Grace Tame’s claims of a “threatening” phone call about PM Scott Morrison
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