The choice of Dylan Alcott, a champion wheelchair tennis player, as Australian of the Year for 2022 turns the page on a year when the holder of the title has attracted more than the usual share of controversy.
The 2021 Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, was chosen for her advocacy for the victims of child sexual assault in Tasmania. She had campaigned for a law allowing victims including herself to speak out about their experiences.
But she has also taken up the fight on related issues including sexual violence against women, the #MeToo movement and the status of women generally.
This wider role has often carried her into politically sensitive territory at a time when the Liberal Party was struggling to hose down complaints about its allegedly male-dominated culture.
She has made common cause with Brittany Higgins, the staffer who has alleged she was raped in a ministerial office, in pushing for change to the sexist culture in Parliament.
Ms Tame’s provocative and even blunt style has attracted criticism. After Prime Minister Scott Morrison said thinking about his children had helped him to understand the horror of Ms Higgins’s allegations, Ms Tame said, “It shouldn’t take having children to have a conscience.”
On Tuesday, during a final visit to the Lodge, Ms Tame either squinted frostily at Mr Morrison or tried to ignore him.
As the Herald reported, opinions differ on whether her behaviour was appropriate for an Australian of the Year.
After the scenes at the Lodge, Liberal senator James McGrath said she was “childish” and called on her to hand back her award.
Even Rosie Batty, the 2015 Australian of the Year who championed the fight against domestic violence, told the Herald she felt uncomfortable with some of Ms Tame’s tactics because they antagonised politicians who can help change things.
Australian of the Year should feel free to speak out loud and clear
Source: Philippines Alive
