Scowling at Scott Morrison, Grace Tame squanders her moment

It is not rude to protest. But there is a reason, as excruciatingly correct behaviour expert Miss Manners once quipped, why it is called “civil” disobedience.

There was nothing civil about Grace Tame’s last performance as Australian of the Year; it looked more like childish disobedience. Much as I am fond of quoting feminist historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s observation that well-behaved women seldom make history, there is nothing inherently history-making in being merely ill-behaved.

The photographs of Tame’s exit interview at the Prime Minister’s residence are awkward. Tame stands angled away from the Prime Minister and his wife Jenny, scowling. They beam warmly, like the parents of a surly teenager doing their best to capture a nice moment with their recalcitrant child.

Twitter went wild with approval for Tame’s act of defiance. Someone with an anonymous profile summed up the mood by tweeting in solidarity that “we are all Grace Tame right now”. But that’s Twitter and, as Joe Biden’s campaign strategist told the media after winning the US election, the secret to his success was very simple: “We turned Twitter off.”

Tame came to the role of Australian of the Year with an important mission to teach Australia to recognise predatory grooming and give a voice to the survivors of child sexual abuse. Her harrowing personal experience gives her the authority to speak powerfully on the subject.

She was not obliged to accept the role of Australian of the Year – nobody would have blamed her had she chosen to use the voice Nina Funnell’s Let Her Speak campaign gave her to represent no-one but herself. But having taken the job, she had a responsibility to act for all the harmed children. Instead she has squandered her time on political sniping.

What was it she hoped to achieve? Personal antipathy is hardly a revolution.

When the images of her last official engagement are beamed into the lounge rooms of many people, they will see a polite couple trying to make the best of welcoming a rude young woman into their home.

The Prime Minister has taken a personal popularity hit lately. But the sympathy generated by these images may be just what he needs to revive his fortunes.

Grace Tame’s tenure as Australian of the Year began with a roar and ended with a whine. A little more cold civility would have elevated her disobedience.

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