Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for describing child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame as “difficult”, saying his remark was misinterpreted.
In a one-word response during a rapid-fire questioning round at the Future Victoria conference on Wednesday, Mr Albanese described Ms Tame, the 2021 Australian of the Year for her advocacy for child sexual abuse survivors, as “difficult”.
He later clarified that he was referring to the very difficult life endured by Ms Tame, who was groomed and raped by her former maths teacher.
“If there was any misinterpretation, then I certainly apologise,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“She has had a difficult life and that was what I was referring to. What Grace Tame has done is turn that difficult experience that she had into being a strong advocate for others.”
Following Mr Albanese’s apology, Ms Tame said: “What a patronising cop out from a total coward.”
“Straight from the Scott playbook,” she wrote on Instagram, referring to former prime minister Scott Morrison, with whom she had a strained relationship.
“I’ll take the badge of honour, though. That, and being called ‘absolutely outrageous’ by the Israeli defence minister. Must be doing something right.”
She earlier said, “‘Difficult’ is the misogynist’s code for a woman who won’t comply.”
The prime minister’s description of Ms Tame also drew criticism from several prominent figures on social media.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “Some of my best friends are ‘difficult’ women … (OK, all of them, and I love them for it!)”
Greens leader Larissa Waters said: “Labelling women as difficult won’t silence us.”
Ms Tame was 15 when her teacher, Nicolaas Ockert Bester, 58, began grooming and repeatedly raping her. He was later found guilty and served a year and nine months in jail. Ms Tame suffered a setback this week after the former teacher was deemed unfit to stand trial on separate charges linked to allegations that he had made social media posts that menaced or harassed her.
Ms Tame was named Australian of the Year in 2021 for her work advocating for child sexual abuse survivors, including her efforts to overturn laws in Tasmania that made it illegal for victims to speak publicly about their experiences.
Ms Tame, who was critical of the Morrison government for its response to allegations of toxic workplace culture in the parliament, refused to smile at an official event with the then prime minister in 2022. Footage of her expression during the meeting quickly went viral.
In the aftermath, Mr Albanese, then in the opposition, shared a photo of the pair, reflecting what he described as their warm relationship and called her a “powerhouse”.
Their relationship appears to have grown uneasy since Ms Tame drew criticism for using the phrase “Globalise the Intifada” during a pro-Palestinian rally this month.
The slogan “Globalise the Intifada” has appeared at some pro-Palestinian demonstrations, invoking the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli rule and calling for the expansion of resistance or solidarity efforts beyond the region.
The phrase is reportedly under consideration as the Australian government widens its crackdown in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack on what it alleges are hateful slogans.
Ms Tame’s remarks prompted calls from some critics for her Australian of the Year title to be stripped.
Mr Albanese did not criticise Ms Tame for her comments at the rally, but did object to a t-shirt she wore at an official reception for the 2025 Australian of the Year nominees bearing the slogan “F*** Murdoch”, referring to the media mogul. The prime minister said the T-shirt detracted from “what the day should be about”.
