Grace Tame must reveal who made threatening phone call if she wants action, says Morrison

Grace Tame has claimed she received a ‘threatening’ phone call

Grace Tame has been invited to name the person who allegedly threatened her over the phone if she wants any action taken against them.

In an explosive speech on Wednesday, the children’s safety campaigner claimed she got a ‘threatening’ call in August from a senior member of a government-funded organisation urging her not to criticise Scott Morrison ahead of this year’s election.

The 27-year-old said the call reminded her of threats from her 58-year-old maths teacher who raped her when she was 15.

The Morrison Government has urged the mystery caller to out themselves and apologise but can’t take any action unless Ms Tame names them.

Families Minister Anne Ruston, who was at Ms Tame’s speech, said it was up to her to provide information about the caller. 

‘It is up to Ms Tame whether she would like the matter taken further and I absolutely respect that,’ she told ABC Radio on Thursday.

‘If she does, of course we will be happy to make sure we get to the bottom of the issue.

‘Obviously, Ms Tame is the one who’s in control of what we do with this piece of information from here,’ she said. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has been slammed on Twitter by Grace Tame

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has been slammed on Twitter by Grace Tame

Senator Ruston said the call ‘shouldn’t have happened,’ adding: ‘The Government and the Australia Day Council had no knowledge of this accusation that was made. We’d be keen to get to the bottom of what has actually happened.’ 

Several members of the the National Australia Day Council, a government funded organisation, have had conversations with Ms Tame – but the body insists none of them was threatening.

‘The NADC has spoken to a number of personnel who have had conversations with Ms Tame over the past year, none of whom had interactions with Ms Tame that would be considered ”threatening”, as the 17 August conversation has been described,’ a spokesman said.

‘The NADC has contacted Grace and her management to ask about the specifics of the conversation described at the National Press Club.’

The Government announced on Wednesday it was investigating who made the call, prompting Ms Tame to lash out on Twitter.

‘Scott conducting an investigation into who made the phone call is THE VERY SAME embedded structural silencing culture that drove the call in the first place and misses the point entirely,’ she wrote. 

She quickly followed up with another tweet, saying: ‘Stop deflecting, Scott. It’s not about the person who made the call. It’s the fact they felt like they had to do it.’ 

Grace Tame (pictured) has slammed the Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a series of tweets

Grace Tame (pictured) has slammed the Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a series of tweets

A tweet (pictured) sent by Grace Tame on Wednesday evening after appearing at the National Press Club

A tweet (pictured) sent by Grace Tame on Wednesday evening after appearing at the National Press Club

Ms Tame followed up with another tweet (pictured) targeting Scott Morrison

Ms Tame followed up with another tweet (pictured) targeting Scott Morrison

In a statement on the alleged threatening phone call, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said: ‘The first the PM or PMO became aware of that allegation was during today’s Press Club speeches. 

‘The PM has not and would not authorise such actions and at all times has sought to treat Ms Tame with dignity and respect.’

It went on to say that Mr Morrison has made no criticism of Ms Tame and that despite her not naming the person, that person should apologise to her. 

‘Those comments were not made on behalf of the PM or PMO or with their knowledge. 

‘The PM and the government consider the actions and statements of the individual as unacceptable,’ the statement said.  

The Prime Minister has an increasingly fractured relationship with Ms Tame, who gave him a frosty reception (pictured) during a morning tea at The Lodge in Canberra recently

The Prime Minister has an increasingly fractured relationship with Ms Tame, who gave him a frosty reception (pictured) during a morning tea at The Lodge in Canberra recently

Speaking alongside fellow women’s campaigner Brittany Higgins, Ms Tame said she got the call last August. 

‘I received a threatening phone call from a senior member of a government funded organisation, asking for my word that I wouldn’t say anything damning about the Prime Minister on the evening of the next Australian of the Year Awards,’ she said after warning the audience ‘brace yourselves’.

Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement 

 ‘The first the PM or PMO became aware of that allegation was during today’s Press Club speeches. 

‘The PM has not and would not authorise such actions and at all times has sought to treat Ms Tame with dignity and respect. 

‘Ms Tame should always be free to speak her mind and conduct herself as she chooses. 

‘The PM has made no criticism of her statements or actions. 

‘While Ms Tame has declined to name the individual, the individual should apologise. 

‘Those comments were not made on behalf of the PM or PMO or with their knowledge. 

‘`The PM and the government consider the actions and statements of the individual as unacceptable. 

”’You are an influential person. He will have a fear,” they said. The fear? What kind of fear – I asked myself.  

‘A fear for our nation’s most vulnerable? A fear for the future of our planet? And then I heard the words ”with an election coming soon”…’ 

‘And it crystallised a fear – a fear for himself and no-one else, a fear he might lose his position or, more to the point, his power,’ Ms Tame said.  

Ms Tame said the conversation brought back memories of being groomed and threatened by her maths teacher who was jailed for assaulting her. 

‘Sound familiar to anyone? Well, it does to me. I remember standing in the shadow of a trusted authority figure, being threatened in just the same veiled way,’ she said. 

‘I remember him saying, ”I will lose my job if anyone hears about that, and you would not want that, would you?” 

‘What I wanted in that moment is the same thing I want right now and that is an end to the darkness, an end to sexual violence, safety, equity, respect, a better future for all of us.’  

Ms Tame, who appeared with a cast on after injuring her arm in a bike crash, also revealed further details about her assault, including how her teacher kept an envelope containing pieces of her hair. 

‘I have lost count of how many times I have had to say this now, but the man who abused me was at my high school from 1992 until I reported him in 2011. His first successful target was in 1993, and the school knew this before I was born,’ she said.

‘I have spoken with three others he took advantage of before my time, and countless other women and men who bore witness to his predatory behaviour during his 18 year tenure who, now wishing they hadn’t, turned a blind eye, who, now wishing they hadn’t, smiled through it.’

Ms Tame said police discovered ’28 multimedia files of child abuse material which included nine files of videos of adults penetrating children’ as well as ‘a trophy file of students both in uniform and topless on his computer’.

The 27-year-old said after the investigation police presented her with ‘an envelope full of my own hair’ and she described child abuse as the ‘epitome of evil’. 

‘I was targeted, stalked, isolated, groomed, and repeatedly raped as a minor by a known serial paedophile,’ she said.

‘Child sexual abuse is the epitome of evil. It is also disturbingly common. Perpetrated not by monsters on the fringes of society, but by everyday citizens, hiding in plain sight.’ 

Grace Tame was critical of the Morrison Government in here speech at the press club

Ms Tame is pictured at the National Press Club

Grace Tame was critical of the Morrison Government in here speech at the press club

The campaigner has been fiercely critical of the Morrison government and hit headlines last month when she refused to smile for photos alongside the PM outside his Canberra residence. 

In her speech she dismissed the Coalition’s approach to women’s safety as ’empty announcements’, ‘placatory platitudes’ and ‘superficial last-minute acknowledgements’. 

But she refused to answer a question about which political party she supported or if she has been working with any political parties, instead making a series of animated faces while remaining silent. 

Ms Tame demanded more funding for sexual and domestic violence prevention education programs in school and said taxpayers’ money was being wasted on defence.

‘The federal government is prepared to spend over $90 billion of taxpayers’ money on submarines that might be ready by 2040 to combat a potential offshore threat,’ she said.  

She also blasted the Government’s handling of historic rape allegations against former attorney-general Christian Porter, which he denies.

Mr Morrison refused to set up an independent inquiry to examine the allegations after police said they could not investigate after the alleged victim passed away. 

‘Lest I mention the symbolism of promoting an alleged rapist, protecting him from an independent inquiry, and then allowing him to receive a million dollars worth of anonymous donations to pay his personal legal fees,’ she said.  

Australian of the Year Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins before their speeches

Australian of the Year Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins before their speeches

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