Grace Tame Halts Speaking Engagements, Cites "Smear Campaign"
Former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, has announced she has no further speaking engagements scheduled for the remainder of the year. She attributes these cancellations to an "ongoing smear campaign." The announcement came during her address at the No to Violence national conference in Hobart, where she also discussed a recent controversy regarding the phrase "globalise the intifada" and highlighted the increasing issue of AI-generated child exploitation material.
Speaking Engagements Halted Amidst "Smear Campaign" Allegations
Ms. Tame stated that her appearance at the No to Violence conference in Hobart would be her final speaking engagement for the year. She attributed the cancellations of her paid speaking events to an "ongoing national smear campaign," and also stated her belief that she is contending with a "well-oiled political machine."
Prior to this announcement, Ms. Tame had indicated via an Instagram post that she had lost three speaking engagements related to child safety due to what she described as an "ongoing media smear campaign."
Grace Tame stated her belief that she is contending with a "well-oiled political machine" behind the "ongoing national smear campaign" she attributes to her cancelled speaking events.
Phillip Ripper, chief executive of No to Violence, stated that there had been an organized effort to remove Ms. Tame from the conference program. Mr. Ripper described this effort as involving letters, phone calls, and approaches to other speakers, though he did not identify the source of this pressure. He called for organizations that had withdrawn Ms. Tame's bookings to reinstate them.
This development follows an attempt by the Australian Jewish Association to cancel Ms. Tame's appearance at an International Women's Day event in Bendigo. However, the event organizer, Be.Bendigo, proceeded with her appearance, citing a commitment to "respectful, constructive conversations."
The "Intifada" Controversy and Clarifications
The attempt to cancel Ms. Tame's appearance at the Bendigo event followed her participation in a Sydney protest against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, where she led a chant of "globalise the intifada." Ms. Tame began her speech in Hobart by clarifying that she does not support violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of hatred.
The term "intifada" translates to "shaking off" in Arabic. Historically, it has referred to periods of violent Palestinian protest against Israel.
Grace Tame began her speech in Hobart by clarifying that she does not support violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of hatred.
The phrase carries different interpretations: some members of the Jewish community perceive it as a call for violence, while many Palestinians associate it with the struggle for self-determination.
In response to public discourse surrounding the phrase, the New South Wales government is currently considering whether to outlaw its use under revised hate speech laws. Queensland has recently banned its use if intended to menace or offend.
Ongoing Advocacy for Child Safety
During her address at the Hobart conference, Ms. Tame, a survivor of child sexual abuse, focused on the increasing prevalence of AI-generated child exploitation material. She characterized this issue as a "global public health emergency" and emphasized the enduring impact of child sexual abuse on victim-survivors.
Her presentation included data on offending behaviors and attitudes, suggesting that individuals involved in child sexual abuse are often older, married, socially supported, and exhibit intensive and frequent internet use. She also noted a recent change in legal terminology, with the word "relationship" having been removed from criminal charges related to child sexual abuse.
Ms. Tame's advocacy includes efforts to promote legal reform that would allow victim-survivors of child sexual abuse to speak publicly, a practice that was previously banned in Tasmania. She has also addressed what she describes as systemic failures in identifying child abusers and how institutions may enable abuse by disregarding whistleblowers.
She highlighted that child abuse is Australia's most under-reported crime, citing a conviction rate of 0.3 percent.
Child abuse is Australia's most under-reported crime, with a conviction rate of just 0.3 percent.
According to statistics presented by Ms. Tame, out of 1000 reports of child sexual abuse, 100 are represented in court, six result in conviction, and three are subsequently overturned on appeal.