Imagine, if you will, a scenario in which a member of the British House of Lords or perhaps even a minor member of the royal family goes on the BBC and insists to a large British audience that the story of Brittany Higgins being raped in parliament is nothing but Labor party propaganda. Or imagine, again if you so please, a scenario in which a former Time magazine Person of the Year or even a member of the Israeli Knesset in an interview on the prominent public broadcaster insists that the story of 15-year-old Australian schoolgirl Grace Tame being groomed and then sexually abused by her male teacher has been thoroughly debunked.

The outrage that such imagined scenarios would cause, especially from the left, doesn’t bear thinking about. The Teal women would be beside themselves, shrieking ‘misogyny’, and, quite rightly, the Greens, Labor and many Coalition and other MPs would be yelling ‘How Dare You’ from the rafters of Parliament House.

Australia is fairly unique in having our own ‘Person of the Year’. Most countries don’t, and maybe for good reason. Arguably, it is the highest honour this country can bestow upon a citizen, equivalent to being named Time’s Person of the Year, perhaps, or being awarded a damehood.

As such, the title of AOTY either carries prestige that deserves to be treated with reverence and respect, or it does not. And if it does deserve respect, then any title-holder bears an equal responsibility to  treat their role in a fitting and appropriate manner or else relinquish the title.

Let us assume for the moment that the title is not only deserved, but deserving. Deserved for some individual’s feat of personal courage, dedication, selflessness and commitment, and deserving of our respect, admiration and ongoing gratitude.

A list of some high profile AOTYs is instructive: 1961, Joan Sutherland. 1964, Dawn Fraser. 1965, Robert Helpmann. 1968 Lionel Rose. 1971, Evonne Goolagong. 1972, Shane Gould. 1973, Patrick White. 1976, ‘Weary’ Dunlop. 1990, Fred Hollows. 1998, Cathy Freeman. 2001, Peter Cosgrove. And so on. Most appear to have been awarded the title for artistic or sporting achievements, or public work in areas of science or indigenous welfare.

Which brings us to the 2021 recipient of the title, Grace Tame. The reason for the honour? Her role as ‘an advocate for survivors of sexual assault’.

Well, perhaps the single greatest known modern example of mass sexual assault occurred (and began) on 7 October, 2023, in southern Israel. According to the Dinah Project report: ‘Sexual violence was widespread and systematic during the October 7 attack, occurring across at least six different locations, from the Nova music festival to Kfar Aza. Clear patterns emerged in how the sexual violence was perpetrated, including victims found partially or fully naked with their hands tied, often to structures like trees or poles; evidence of gang rapes followed by execution; genital mutilation; and public humiliation. Sexual violence continued in captivity, with multiple returnees reporting forced nudity, physical and verbal sexual harassment and sexual assaults. Most victims were permanently silenced – either murdered during or after the assaults or remain too traumatised to talk.’

Grace Tame appeared on the ABC, Australia’s official broadcaster, this week, and had this listener’s question put to her:

‘Can you please ask Grace why she is selective in her outrage? I have never heard her condemn or speak out on behalf of the Israeli women who were raped and killed by Hamas on October 7,’ the interviewer asked her on behalf of the listener, before adding, ‘Have you spoken about that, have you expressed outrage about that?’

To which Grace Tame replied, ‘I’m not going to sink to the level of entertaining any kind of propaganda, Hamish. Let’s not do that.’ When the interviewer retorted, correctly, ‘What’s the propaganda included in that question?’ Ms Tame replied: ‘Those things have been debunked.’

As Rebecca Weisser writes in her must-read column this week,

‘Debunked? How do you debunk Hamas bodycam footage of a woman set on fire with gasoline from the waist down, and who may still be alive? Or video of Hamas terrorists shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they sat astride 23-year-old Shani Louk’s lifeless body, her top pulled up, her bare legs splayed while jeering crowds spat on her? It took the UN five months, but they did eventually say there was evidence of rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, sexualised torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.’

The simple truth is that, not only as an ‘advocate for survivors of sexual assault’ but as a human being, Grace Tame has not only shamed herself, she has shamed Australia. And she has completely denigrated and destroyed the respect Australians should have had for future recipients of the Australian of the Year award. Her selfishness, stupidity and arrogance deserve outright condemnation from the Prime Minister and the government.

Either Ms Tame apologises not only to every family member of every man and woman savagely raped or sexually assaulted by Hamas (yes, men were raped too), but to every Australian and every Jew, for her disgusting moral relativism and gobsmacking ignorance.

And if she won’t unequivocally apologise, she should be immediately stripped of her Australian of the Year title, if not by this cowardly Labor government then by the next Coalition government. Otherwise, scrap this sullied award altogether.