Grace Tame uses smiling photo to take swipe at Scott Morrison after election loss

Grace Tame has revealed her famous side-eye is only reserved for some, in a dig at Scott Morrison after he lost the federal election.

Grace Tame has revealed she will smile for a photo with the Prime Minister – if it’s not Scott Morrison.

Taking to social media after Anthony Albanese’s win over Mr Morrison, the 2021 Australian of the Year posted a photo of her and the incoming PM with a great big smile.

“A grateful nation is crying with you. And who said I didn’t smile at the prime minister?” Tame captioned the photo.

“Here’s to inclusion, integrity, diversity, truth, equity, respect, safety and change. A better future. For all of us. For the planet. Congratulations to @albomp, and to the people of Australia — for a triumph over corruption and abuse. A triumph of hope. Today was a victory for us all.”

Grace Tame posted this photo with Anthony Albanese. Picture: Instagram / @tamepunk

Ms Tame, an advocate for survivors of sexual assault, famously refused to smile with Mr Morrison in a photo at The Lodge in January.

The event was a morning tea for 2022 Australian of the Year finalists and the photo of Ms Tame’s side-eye made headlines across the country.

The now-viral photo where Ms Tame gave Scott Morrison the side-eye. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Tame has been open and vocal about her dislike of Mr Morrison.

On the day of the federal election on Saturday, she weighed in on speculation the arrival of a Sri Lankan boat carrying asylum seekers in Australia may have been orchestrated as an “election stunt”.

Despite the Coalition generally refusing to provide details of “on-water matters”, a press release was issued by the Australian Border Force on election day to confirm the arrival of a vessel.

Journalist Karen Middleton told ABC News Breakfast on Saturday she had received a message from a Sri Lankan man on April 26, who said a friend in Colombo had seen people being put on two boats by Sri Lankan police. She was unable to verify the claim.

Ms Tame tweeted footage of Middleton’s appearance and commented the interception of a boat “on the eve of an election” was “a chilling a coincidence”.

“As well as being xenophobic, this vitriolic, fear-mongering rhetoric is blatant propaganda designed to undermine opponents,” she wrote.

“Our nation is better than this.

“Whatever the truth is in this case, people are not pawns. People are people.”

In the days leading up to the election, Ms Tame continued to be vocal on her criticism of Mr Morrison. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

In the days before the election, Ms Tame also spoke on Betoota Advocate’s podcast about Mr Morrison.

“He’s quite intelligent. I’ll give him that,” she said.

She then followed up the compliment with a jab at Mr Morrison, adding: “No-one can be the leader of a country without having intelligence and skills and mastery at least of manipulation.”

The 27-year-old went on to brand Mr Morrison “vindictive” and accused him of using his government powers to silence her after she refused to smile in the now-viral photo.

“The problem is Scott Morrison – his entitlement. ‘I’m the Prime Minister, and she should smile at me because I’m the Prime Minister’,” she told the podcast.

“I was standing next to Scott Morrison, and I’m friends with Brittany (Higgins).

“And I’m like, I can’t smile at you. Like, this is a crock of sh*t.

“All these play-nice institutions that just harbour abusers and cover it up – for the sake of what?”

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal Party staffer, has alleged she was raped at Parliament House in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ ministerial office by a colleague, and claims she felt forced to choose between reporting it to the police or keeping her job.

Originally published as Grace Tame uses smiling photo to take swipe at Scott Morrison after election loss