Grace Tame addresses contentious pictures with Scott Morrison

Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Grace Tame. Photo / NCA NewsWire

Grace Tame has described former prime minister Scott Morrison as a "lying, rorting" man, and revealed the worst advice a victim of trauma can ever be given is to just "get over it".

The 2021 Australian of Year appeared on Monday's episode of The Project and addressed speculation that her infamous side-eye photos taken during a tense meeting with Morrison were the result of her autism diagnosis, as some claimed online.

She suggested some critics were more "upset" by those photos than by sexual violence perpetrated against children. Tame was 15 when she was sexually abused by 58-year-old Nicolaas Bester, a teacher at St Michael's Collegiate School in Tasmania.

"[The side-eye was] because [Mr Morrison] is a lying, rorting, secretive … you can fill in the blanks," she told Project host Carrie Bickmore.

"The moment which was only lasted a matter of seconds where I frowned at the Prime Minister – if people are more upset by rudeness, which is subjective, than raping a child, that says an awful lot about what is wrong in society.

"We continually, disproportionately point the finger of blame and shame at children and our people who are coping with abuse and who, yes, might abuse substances, they might misstep and stumble.

"Where is the proportionate shaming and blaming and questioning of the people who abuse them and hurt them in the first place?"

Tame was named the 2021 Australian of the Year after overturning a Tasmanian law that prevented her from speaking about her experiences of sexual assault.

She met with the then-Prime Minister before a morning tea for the 2022 Australian of the Year finalists.

The 27-year-old was seen looking unimpressed as Morrison and his wife Jenny stood for photos with other people as she waited to enter the event in January of this year.

"Hello Grace," Morrison was then heard saying at The Lodge in Canberra.

"G'day," she responded.

"How are you going? Congratulations on the engagement," Morrison continued.

"Thank you," Tame said, not making eye contact with the Prime Minister.

She then smiled at Jenny who said something that couldn't be heard.

Tame then appeared visibly unimpressed while standing for photos next to the Prime Minister.

She didn't say anything once the photos were taken before walking off. Tame had earlier tweeted an image about her two days in Canberra: "On second thoughts let's not go to Canberra. It's a silly place," it said, alluding to a line from Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

Tame's awkward interaction with Morrison was dubbed by critics as "rude" and "childish" and earned her the label of a feminist hero from supporters.

During an interview on 4BC, Morrison was asked: "Did yourself and your wife Jenny feel disrespected?"

He did not deny he felt disrespected but noted he had greeted Tame with civility.

"I've seen all of that. Anyone comes to our home, when we invite somebody, we greet them with a smile, and they're always welcome,'' Morrison said.

Unprompted, the then-Prime Minister noted that the focus of the day was supposed to be about the year's finalists, not Tame.

"And that day, that day was actually about all the finalists coming to celebrate,'' he said.

"And the previous Australians of the Year were there. Jenny and I were there and that day was all about them.

Morrison then acknowledged Tame had experienced great difficulties.

"Look, Grace is a passionate person who's raised important issues," he said.

"She's had a terrible life … ordeal … a terrible life … um you know things happened to her ordeals, the abuse. It's just awful.

"And I know a lot of Australians, myself included, you know, support her efforts to ensure that these issues can be raised and addressed.

"Our government has done more than any other government on this issue, and that is in part because of the strong focus that has been brought to these issues and the response that we've made.

"So I thank her for her time as Australian of the Year and as I say, when you know, if people come to our house, Jenny and I always greet them with a smile."

In her new book, The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, Tame recounts how she was groomed and molested by her 58-year-old teacher, Bester, at 15 and her struggle to cope with trauma in the aftermath of the abuse.

Tame was a student at St Michael's Collegiate School, an Anglican girls school in Hobart, when she was abused by Bester.

In 2011, the maths teacher was sentenced to two years and 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to "maintaining a relationship with a young person under 17" and possession of child exploitation material.

Bester served one year and nine months in jail and went on to complain his conviction had cost him "everything" including his reputation in the community.

Tame said the phrase "get over it" is the most "culturally ignorant" advice she has heard since beginning her work as an advocate for sexual abuse survivors - as it's "scientifically impossible".

"Such is the nature of grooming and child sexual abuse that as you age and grow so does the trauma," she continued.

"It doesn't matter how big you are physically or tough you are or smart you are to begin with, once you are traumatised your neural pathways are permanently altered.

"It is not a force of logic, it is a force of nature."