Grace Tame discusses a tense meeting at The Lodge with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Grace Tame addressed her tension with Scott Morrison last Wednesday, saying that abuse culture relies on “submissive smiles” and “self-defeating surrenders.”

Last week, footage of Ms. Tame’s meeting with Jenny Morrison and Mr. Morrison went viral. In it, Ms. Tame seemed less than thrilled to have met the couple ahead of a morning tea at The Lodge.

Some criticized 2021 Australian of the Year as “childish” or “rude,” while others praised their integrity.

“The survival and growth of abuse culture depend on submissive smiles, self-defeating surrenders, and submissive smiles.” It depends on hypocrisy,” Ms. Tame stated, speaking for the first time about the subject on Twitter.

Last year, the awards honored the 27-year-old child sexual abuse survivor for her advocacy for survivors.

She said, “My past is only relevant to that extent that I have seen I have borne — the consequences of civility for civility’s sake.”

Ms. Tame stated that she didn’t intend to get into gender debates.

She said, “What I did was not an act of martyrdom during the gender culture war.”

Many women get tired of being told to smile by men for their benefit.

“But it’s more than just women who are taught to smile and conform to the visible rotting status quo. It’s all us.

Ms. Tame was critical of the federal government’s response in Parliament to sexual assault allegations and toxic workplace culture.

After Brittany Higgins, a former Liberal staffer claimed she was raped at a ministerial building by a fellow Liberal staffer in 2019, she spoke out against Mr. Morrison’s initial response.

Morrison stated that he had spoken to Ms. Higgins about his situation and had been encouraged by his wife to consider him as the father of two girls.

She told the National Press Club that it shouldn’t be necessary to have children to have a conscience.

Even worse, the mere fact of having children does not guarantee a good conscience.

On Friday, Mr. Morrison stated that he had not raised any concerns about the meeting with Ms. Tame.

“When Jenny invites someone to our house, we greet them smiling, and they’re always welcomed,” Mr. Morrison said to radio station 4BC.

“I haven’t raised any issues regarding [the incident] — all I’m saying is that we were there that day to celebrate those who had done an amazing job for our country.”