Jenny Morrison has copped it overnight as fury grows over her comments surrounding Grace Tame and “manners”.
Jenny Morrison has copped it overnight as fury grows over her comments surrounding Grace Tame and “manners”.
Appearing on 60 Minutes Mrs Morrison criticised the former Australian of the Year after the recent incident at The Lodge, where Ms Tame was famously photographed during a frosty exchange with the PM.
Speaking to Karl Stefanovic for an exclusive sit-down interview alongside her Prime Minister husband, Mrs Morrison quickly admitted she wished Tame had shown “manners and respect” and was “disappointed” by the whole exchange.
“I just found it a little bit disappointing, because we were welcoming her in our home,” she said.
“I just wish the focus had been on all the incredible people coming in. I respect people that want to change things, stand up for their beliefs, and are strong, but I still think there are manners and respect.”
Ms Tame is yet to comment.
Soon after Grace Tame began trending across social media and with a spike in Google searches just before midnight. “Jenny” was hot on her heels.
Support from Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes came soon after who sent “all the love to Jen and the girls tonight”, but for the most part, the feedback for the PM’s “secret weapon” was less than impressive.
“Grace Tame does not lack manners,” said Georgie Dent, a contributing editor to Women’s Agenda.
“She rejected the deeply ingrained and toxic expectation on women to smile even when they’re deeply uncomfortable and she acted with integrity.
“I will be delighted if my daughters have one 100th of Grace Tame’s dignity.”
Former Liberal MP Julia Banks posted a note to Jenny, who she says she “met briefly”.
“I know Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins. I know and have worked with Scott. I know a lot of people who work[ed ]with him.
“To Jenny (who I’ve met briefly) – I say ‘with manners & being polite’.
“Everyone I know is disappointed in him.”
Mrs Morrison said she wanted her daughters to grow up to be “fierce, strong, independent amazing people,” but that “they can still do that and show kindness to other people and be polite and have manners”.
Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist Lucie Morris-Marr slammed the response, posting after: “So Jenny Morrison says she’s disappointed by Grace Tame’s lack of manners. Australia is disappointed in Jenny Morrison being utterly self absorbed and hugely, woefully devoid of intelligence or sensitivity.”
But it wasn’t just Jenny. Pedestrian’s Julian Rizzo-Smith wrote: “Scott Morrison turning to Jenny in that 60 Mins interview to answer questions about Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame is incredibly transparent and tactless.
“But it also discredits a lot of the work these women as well as others have made to improve politics.”
Nevertheless the interview had some nicer critics, with Derryn Hinch posting: I thought the 60 Minutes Morrison program, featuring Jenny, was good.”
In the days follow the exchange at The Lodge in January, Tame explained her thoughts on the now viral moment. “The survival of abuse culture is dependent on submissive smiles and self-defeating surrenders,” she posted on Twitter.
It is dependent on hypocrisy. My past is only relevant to the extent that I have seen — in fact I have worn — the consequences of civility for the sake of civility.”
Mr Morrison previously addressed the exchange, saying he always greets guests “with a smile” when anyone enters his home.
“When Jenny and I invite someone to our home, we greet them with a smile and they’re always welcome, and that day was actually about all the finalists we came to celebrate,” he said in the days after the ceremony.
“I haven’t raised any issues about (the incident) – all I’m saying is we were there that day to celebrate those who had done an incredible job for our country.”
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