Tracy Grimshaw responds to ‘uppercut’ comment after AFTA CEO resigns

ACA host Tracy Grimshaw has finally responded to AFTA CEO Jayson Westbury’s ‘uppercut’ comment, branding it a “disturbing personal attack” as the executive appeared on the program last night.

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A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw has responded to Australian Federation of Travel Agents CEO Jayson Westbury’s violent comments towards her, branding the rant as a “disturbing personal attack”.

The executive said the journalist “needs to be given a firm uppercut or a slap across the face” in a webinar last Friday.

Jayson Westbury resigned from his position yesterday.

“Jayson Westbury had one job,” Ms Grimshaw said.

“As CEO of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents he was supposed to help them navigate the devastating effects of this COVID-19 pandemic and somehow address the scathing criticism from customers who now couldn’t travel and couldn’t get refunds,” she said.

“Instead, he chose to shoot the messenger in a disturbing personal attack on me.”

Mr Westbury appeared on the program last night after resigning from his position, in an interview which was scheduled before the comments became public.

“Jayson Westbury’s language was appalling and he’s paid the price for it,” Ms Grimshaw said.

“But his members deserved better representation, and the board obviously came to the same conclusion today,” she said.

In his interview with journalist Brady Halls on the program, Mr Westbury said he had apologised to Ms Grimshaw in a letter.

“I have extended my apologies to Ms Grimshaw in a note which she will receive in the mail,” Mr Westbury said

Australian Federation Travel Agents boss Jayson Westbury has been called on to resign after his comments that Tracy Grimshaw needs a “firm upper cut” over negative stories about travel refunds.

“I unreservedly apologise for that statement. That was a bad choice of words by me, it was a heightened time there was a lot of member disgruntlement,” he said.

A statement from the Australian Federation of Travel Agents said that Mr Westbury resigned because of his comments, which he now knows were “inappropriate and unacceptable in any circumstances”.

“His choice of words cannot be condoned. His work history stands in good stead for the service he has provided to the travel industry and AFTA’s members,” Chairman Tom Manwaring said.

Mr Westbury made the comments in an AFTA member webinar on Friday, which was shared on YouTube and the organisation’s website, before being deleted.

Tracy Grimshaw pictured at the A Current Affair desk. Picture: Channel 9

The webinar was to update to industry members following negative publicity about the travel industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The comments were widely condemned by women’s groups and anti-domestic violence campaigners, many of whom called for Mr Westbury to stand down.

In the webinar, Mr Westbury said the ACA host “needs to be given a firm upper cut or a good slap across the face” over the show’s reporting of a travel industry refund scandal.

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“There have been further pretty ordinary ACA stories going on about members of AFTA, as far as I am concerned no one’s guilty of anything,” he said.

“I’ve personally boycotted it, I won’t be ever watching it again, I think that Tracy Grimshaw needs to be given a firm upper cut or a good slap across the face.

“And I mean that virtually, of course, I wouldn’t want to invoke any violence on anyone but some of the behaviour and some of language used on that program is just outrageous.”

Red Heart founder and anti-domestic violence campaigner Sherele Moody said Mr Westbury should be sacked.

“CEO Jayson Westbury says A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw “needs to be given a firm uppercut or a slap across the face” for doing her damn job,” she posted on Twitter.

“I say Westbury needs to be sacked. No ifs. No f***ing buts! Violence against women is never the answer.”

Journalist and anti domestic violence campaigner Sherele Moody has condemned comments by the AFTA boss.

The Older Women’s Network also called for the travel boss to stand down.

“He said he meant it “virtually”. Virtually or not, that is 100 per cent unacceptable. As the industry’s leader, he is paid to represent the interests of travel agents. Unless they support violence against women, this man has to be stood down.”

The comments come as police and victim support groups cautiously watch domestic violence rates after Australians were urged to stay at home to beat the spread of COVID-19.

NSW Police has not reported dramatic increases in DV offences, but other organisations, like Victim Services and support centres, have recorded more calls for help during the pandemic.

Jaeneen Cunningham, executive director of Safe Haven, a national network supporting women escaping domestic abuse, said the language used by Mr Westbury was ‘completely inappropriate”.

“It just makes all our work go back two steps, when people talk like that in the national spotlight,” Ms Cunningham said.

“We work really hard as volunteers to change that narrative, that language.

“If people like this are not called out and there are no consequences to their actions, they just get away with it. It’s not appropriate. There has to be some sort of consequences to that.”

Mr Westbury’s address in the webinar followed criticism of the travel industry after thousands of Australians forced to cancel travel plans ahead of airline announcements were hit with hefty cancellation fees.

The ACCC has received more than 6000 complaints over cancellation fees.