in short
- Anthony Albanese has faced criticism from Greens politicians over comments about the former Australian of the Year.
- The Prime Minister has issued a qualified apology for labeling Grace Tame as ‘difficult’.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an explanation for comments made this week about 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, in which he called her “difficult”.
He issued a qualified apology on Thursday, saying he was sorry if his comments were misinterpreted, adding that he was referring to the “difficult life” Tame, a child sex abuse survivor, had experienced.
Tame later responded to Albanian, comparing him to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Tame had a notoriously tense meeting with Morrison at The Lodge in 2022.
“Dude is now quoting Scott!!! ‘She’s had a hard life’… Spare me the condescension, old man,” she responded to a social media post from independent media company Ette.
“We all know what you meant. In any case, a badge of honor. An admission that I confused him.”
The Albanians branded Tame ‘difficult’ in a rapid-fire match where he was asked to respond in one word to a list of public figures at the Future Victoria conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.
During the conference he also called One Nation leader Pauline Hanson “divisive”, Donald Trump “president” and former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor a “grub”.
His initial comments sparked criticism from public figures and politicians, including Tame himself, who referred to the “difficult” labeling in a social media post on Instagram on Thursday morning.
“’Difficult’ is a misogynist’s code for a woman who doesn’t play by the rules,” reads one message she shared.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote on social media: “Some of my best friends are ‘difficult’ women… (Okay, all of them, and I love them for it!)”.
Greens leader Larissa Waters commented: “Labeling women as difficult will not silence us.”
On Thursday, Albanese said Tame had turned her “difficult experience” into “being a strong advocate for others.”
He went on to describe Tame as a “strong and powerful advocate,” but took issue with her recent chants of “globalize the Intifada” at a pro-Palestinian rally.
“That’s why it’s impossible to describe people in one word.”
The word “intifada” and the phrase “globalize the intifada” have controversial meanings.
Intifada is an Arabic word referring to uprising or shaking off, and is used to refer to two periods of Palestinian resistance, including one marked by significant violence, including suicide bombings, against Israeli civilians.
However, both periods of unrest ultimately resulted in the deaths of many more Palestinians than Israelis.
Some pro-Palestinian activists say they are using the phrase to call for international solidarity and protest. Many Jewish groups say it encourages violence against Jews.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has said he will introduce legislation to introduce penalties for reciting the phrase.
For the latest news from SBS News, download our app And subscribe to our newsletter.
#Albanese #addresses #Grace #Tames #difficult #comment #Tame #compares #Morrison