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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-14 Daily Xml
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Tame, Ms G.

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:12): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the minister tell the council about the recent event that was hosted by members of parliament to attend and hear from the former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:12): I would like to thank the honourable member for his question in relation to a recent event hosted for members of this parliament to hear from former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame.

Few people over the past few years would be unfamiliar with the now household name of Grace Tame. Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has long been the champion of generating awareness and accountability in relation to child sexual abuse, sadly as a result of her own story of abuse suffered as a child by her former high school maths teacher.

Since being named Australian of the Year in 2021, Ms Tame has established the Grace Tame Foundation, which is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation that campaigns for and assists in funding initiatives to prevent and respond to the sexual abuse of children and others. One of the campaigns currently run by the foundation is the Harmony Campaign, which is aimed at achieving consistency in sexual assault laws across Australia.

The campaign has three main asks for all Australian jurisdictions to improve these laws pertaining to sexual assault. The first ask is for all relevant states and territories to rename the offence of, in South Australia's case, 'unlawful sexual relationship with a child' and to remove the word 'relationship' in the naming of that offence. The foundation has been strong in its advocacy that a child cannot consent to sexual activity and softened wording doesn't accurately reflect the gravity of the crime. Instead, it feeds into victim-blaming attitudes, eases the conscience of perpetrators and gives licence to characterise the abuse as some sort of romance or relationship.

It was in no small part due to this campaign and Ms Tame's fierce advocacy on this important change, and after suggestions for amendments in previous bills from the Hon. Connie Bonaros in particular, that this important change has now been made in our criminal statutes only in very recent times. It was a privilege for many in this parliament to witness the bill in the upper house and the final passing of the legislation in the other place.

Ms Tame made her way over to South Australia from her home in Tasmania to acknowledge the significance of this change that she has advocated for not just in this state but in every jurisdiction around Australia. It was indeed an honour to have Ms Tame here on this occasion. It was, I think, very enlightening and profound for many members of this parliament to be able to hear from Ms Tame that the language we use to talk about the crimes that involve sexual abuse, especially of children, carries so much importance in the response and prevention of child sexual abuse.

During Ms Tame's second visit for the final passing of the legislation, she generously agreed to speak at a forum for any member of this parliament to attend, hear from and ask questions of the former Australian of the Year. It reflected well that so many members of this chamber and members of the other chamber attended the forum where Ms Tame spoke powerfully on the importance of education and how perpetrators manipulate young and vulnerable people and can so convincingly change the narrative to flip the blame onto victim survivors when the language used in public conversations in our legislation in some way encourages it.

As a result of much of the hard work of the Grace Tame Foundation there is only one jurisdiction in Australia that has yet to make this change, and the Northern Territory has recently introduced a bill to do so. I wish to thank all those who attended the forum with Grace Tame, listened to Ms Tame and asked questions. I would particularly like to thank and pay tribute to Grace Tame, all the people from the Grace Tame Foundation, particularly Max, and of course recognise the brave victim survivors of child sexual abuse who are able to use their often very painful stories to raise awareness and to ensure that change occurs to make it better for children in the future.

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