Anthony Albanese has dramatically backtracked to put a new spin on his comment that child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame is ‘difficult’ after he sparked a backlash.
The Prime Minister took part in a rapid-fire Q and A at the Future Victoria summit on Wednesday when he was asked to reply with one-word answers.
Asked to provide a description of Ms Tame, the 2021 Australian of the Year, Albanese replied: ‘Difficult.’
But when confronted on Thursday, the PM tried to justify it as a comment on Ms Tame’s ‘difficult life’ – and immediately apologised if that had been misinterpreted.
The admission came after he was asked by an ABC reporter if ‘all women are difficult, or just Ms Tame?’
‘I was asked to describe people in one word, and Grace Tame, you certainly can’t describe in one word,’ Albanese explained.
‘She has had a difficult life, and that was what I was referring to.
‘What Grace Tame has done is to turn that difficult experience that she had into being a strong advocate for others, which is why she received, quite rightly, the Australian of the Year Award.
‘If there was any misinterpretation, then I certainly apologise.
‘I think that Grace Tame has taken what is personal trauma and that awful experience that she had and channelled that into helping, in particular, other young women being a strong and powerful advocate, being quite courageous in the way that she has gone out.
‘Now there are other issues, such as the language that Grace Tame used that I disagree with at the demonstration that was held in Sydney.
‘So that’s why it’s impossible to describe people in one word, and that wasn’t meant to be taken that way.
‘It was certainly just a word that comes to mind when different people are mentioned.’
Ms Tame hit back on Thursday when she reposted a message from sex abuse survivor and advocate Harrison James taking a brutal swipe at Albanese.
‘Difficult is the misogynist’s code for a woman who won’t comply. History tends to call her ‘courageous,’ Mr James captioned a photo with Ms Tame.
He added: ‘Love you Grace Tame. Thank you for refusing to be anything but brave.’
Aussie musician and former manager of The Wiggles, Paul Field, also pledged his support on Thursday.
‘We need more and more ‘difficult’ women, like Grace Tame,’ he wrote.
‘Always speaking truth to power. Continued love and strength to her.
He added a quote from late primatologist Jane Goodall: ‘It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there’s so many of us.’
Greens leader Larissa Waters led the barrage of backlash to Albanese’s comment.
‘Labelling women as difficult won’t silence us. It won’t stop us speaking truth to power. Next time try ‘unbreakable’ or ‘warrior’ or ‘fierce’ Prime Minister,’ she said.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young added: ‘Some of my best friends are ‘difficult’ women….(OK, all of them, and I love them for it!)’
Everyday Aussies were just as outraged and branded the comment as a ‘betrayal’ and called for Albanese to ‘do better’.
‘Couldn’t say inspiring, or courageous, or powerful or ‘great,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘Grace Tame is so courageous and tenacious. This is so disappointing from our PM.’
The backlash prompted others to leap to Mr Albanese’s defence.
‘The cue was ‘Grace Tame’ in which he responded with ‘difficult’. The cue was not ‘women’,’ one wrote.
‘For those suggesting that he was calling women in general difficult, you are not interpreting this dialogue correctly.’
Another questioned: ‘Because he called one woman difficult, he is calling all women difficult?’
A third wrote: ‘Grace Tame has never done anything of value for the country or anyone else.’
Ms Tame sparked controversy earlier this month when she chanted ‘Globalise the Intifada’ during a speech at a Sydney rally, protesting the visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog.
The stunt sparked widespread calls for the former Australian of the Year winner to be stripped of the honour.
Albanese’s latest swipe at Tame comes a year after she wore a shirt featuring the slogan: ‘F*** Murdoch’ at an Australian of the Year function he hosted at The Lodge in Canberra.
He and now-wife Jodie Haydon posed and smiled for photos and shook hands with Tame during a short, awkward conversation.
‘It is something that, in my view, took away from the people who were there, and my focus was simply on that,’ Albanese told the ABC two days later.
‘I want debate to be respectful… and that’s a choice that she made.
‘People are allowed to express themselves, but I thought it was disrespectful of the event and of the people who that event was primarily for.’
It was just one of several answers Albanese was slammed for during Wednesday night’s rapid-fire word game.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson also hit back after Albanese described her as divisive.
‘If he wanted to use the divisive for me, I’d say he’s been the most divisive Prime Minister we have ever had in this country,’ she told Sky News.