PVO: Grace Tame, we have history together. But your classless display with Albo proves some critics were right about you all along
It took two days, but after scratching around in his closet, Anthony Albanese eventually found his spine and said what needed to be said about Grace Tame's choice of attire while attending the PM's Australia Day morning tea.
The former Australian of the Year wore a 'F*** Murdoch' t-shirt to the official event at The Lodge on Saturday.
Albo labelled her doing so as disrespectful attention-seeking behaviour that detracted from the achievements of those the event was held to honour.
'I thought it was disrespectful of the event and of the people who that event was primarily for', he said in a radio interview on Monday.
The PM also said what Tame did was 'disappointing', 'wasn't appropriate', 'was obviously designed to attract attention' and 'took away from the people who were there'.
Well said.
Unfortunately, in real time, Albo and his fiancée Jodie Hayden simply smiled and posed with Tame for photographs, ignoring the vulgar words staring them both in the face when greeting her.
You couldn't wear this T-shirt around children, in a pub or club, and it could even be considered too much at a protest in Australia... so, after her second stunt at an Australia Day morning tea, Grace Tame shouldn't be invited to these sorts of events in the future, writes Peter van Onselen
Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon were put on the spot by Tame's decision to wear the profane T-shirt - smiling at the former Australian of the Year and posing with her for a photo
Surely Grace Tame of all people would have been understanding if Albo had refused to participate in such a photo. Or perhaps refused to smile for it?
This isn't the first time we've seen such bad behaviour by Tame at this very event. Remember that infamous photo with Scott Morrison?
Sadly, because of her repetitive juvenile behaviour she shouldn't be invited to such events in the future. That's despite all the good work some of Tame's activism has achieved over the years.
Knowing how to behave - as the PM eventually noted when asked about Tame's actions - should be a prerequisite to attending these sorts of official events.
A protester wearing that attire would surely be removed and potentially fined.
You couldn't sit in the public gallery of Parliament wearing that shirt.
You couldn't even get away with it in many clubs and pubs around the country.
You certainly couldn't wear it when around children.
It is hard to disagree with Albo's characterisation of the T-shirt stunt as anything other than attention-seeking behaviour.
Tame caused a scene at the same event in 2022 when she gave Scott Morrison this side-eye when greeting the then-prime minister
In recent years, I have been privy to private criticism of Tame from well-meaning figures across the political spectrum. Their main gripe is that her transition from a dedicated activist for survivors of child sexual abuse to a general left-wing provocateur perhaps isn't the wisest move.
The fact Tame is successful in her histrionics time and time again doesn't change the fact that attention-seeking is its primary purpose - as I've called out in the past, when she levelled her side-eye at Morrison.
I was a strong critic of Morrison's prime ministership, but even then, I said: '(Tame) didn't have to play the role of court jester, or be a fake. Just be a decent human being, that's all.
'If that wasn't possible, why bother to attend at all? At his Canberra house, no less. It isn't like the person who lives there wasn't going to be there.
'If your disdain for the man is so great (understandable perhaps) that you can't even muster basic and common courtesy, then just don't go. That would be reasonable. Plenty of people would understand.'
And common courtesy was again forgotten at the weekend.
Attempts to claim the real purpose of wearing the shirt was some sort of political or philosophical statement about the Murdoch media is a furphy.
It's all about Grace. Or to be fair, maybe it's 99 per cent about Grace.
If Tame seriously thinks she doesn't chase the spotlight - that it simply chases her - then maybe some sit-down self-reflection time is long overdue.
Tame is seen with her ex-partner and close friend Max Heerey at the Australian of the Year awards later that day
It might make her realise how untoward it is to use her profile to take the spotlight away from all those community-minded people nominated for awards that event was designed to honour.
While Albo might have only decided to call Tame to account on this occasion after sitting down with his spin doctors and pollsters, at least he got there in the end.
It must have been a finely judged calculation: risking the future wrath of Tame attacking him for criticising her, compared to appearing to mainstream Australia as too weak to call her out.
In the end, Albo went with the latter option, realising that the silent majority would have instantly formed the view that Tame's attire was inappropriate and disrespectful the moment they first saw it.
