Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Photo / Getty Images
Grace Tame has taken a swipe at Scott Morrison as she weighs in on the circulation of an old photo of her sitting next to a bong.
"Alright, I confess, we were doing a cover of April Sun in Cuba. On the oboe," Tame tweeted on Tuesday alongside the photo, referencing the Prime Minister's ukulele rendition of the song on Sunday night's widely mocked 60 Minutes sitdown with Karl Stefanovic.
The Herald has chosen not to publish the image.
Earlier, Lisa Wilkinson slammed the circulation of the photo as a "deplorable hit job".
"These relentless hit jobs on @tamepunk are utterly deplorable," The Project host wrote on Twitter.
"They're designed to say to any woman striving for change: step out of line/question the status quo and we're coming for you. What a good time to make a donation to the Grace Tame Foundation."
These relentless hit jobs on @tamepunk are utterly deplorable.
— Lisa Wilkinson (@Lisa_Wilkinson) February 14, 2022
They’re designed to say to any woman striving for change: step out of line/question the status quo & we’re coming for you.
What a good time to make a donation to the Grace Tame Foundation.https://t.co/vvrPsfYzkP
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke shut down rumours the photo was deliberately leaked to media by the federal government.
"I saw some people on Twitter start to say the government did it. I don't believe that at all," Hawke told 3AW radio.
"The media have just as much motive in these things and public issues on pursuing people. They do it to politicians and public figures all the time. I don't think it's relevant. I don't think it's necessary."
Australians today rallied to the defence of Tame after a news outlet published the photo of her as a 19-year-old.
The former Australian of the Year and childhood sexual abuse survivor was pictured in an Instagram photo from 2014 sitting on a couch with a water pipe used for smoking marijuana, as a friend next to her appears to be rolling a joint.
After news outlet the Daily Mail published the now-deleted photo on Monday – which it said had been "unearthed" by her "critics" who had delved into her Instagram timeline, after the Prime Minister's wife Jenny Morrison criticised her manners on 60 Minutes – celebrities, comedians, journalists, musicians and politicians voiced their support.
It’s hard but I forgive Grace
— Wil Anderson (@Wil_Anderson) February 14, 2022
"Fair chance that bong photo gets Grace Tame nominated for Australian of the Year again!" wrote comedian and Project host Peter Helliar.
"It's hard but I forgive Grace," said comedian Wil Anderson, who then shared a photo of himself smoking a weed pipe.
Musician Ben Lee wrote, "She keeps getting better".
Author John Birmingham wrote, "Didn't think it was possible for Grace Tame to be any cooler. Was wrong."
One Twitter user asked, "But did she s**t herself at Macca's after the '97 NRL GF?", a reference to the viral rumour that Scott Morrison "soiled himself at Engadine McDonald's" – which the PM has described as "the biggest load of rubbish".
In her only direct comment about the photo so far, Tame replied, "Quite possibly, I would've been two years old. I s**t myself a lot back then."
Quite possibly, I would’ve been 2 years old. I shit myself a lot back then. https://t.co/PaF3fF0gIX
— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) February 14, 2022
She has liked a large number of tweets coming to her defence, including one suggesting she may take legal action.
That tweet read, "How did the Daily Mail get the photo? I've seen tweets saying it came from @TamePunk Instagram. If that's true, then Grace Tame (and/or the photographer) are the copyright holder(s). Be a shame if the Mail got sued."
I am sure there is a photo of me like that.
— Dave Sharma (@DaveSharma) February 14, 2022
I don’t think this stuff is remotely in the public interest.
A number of Australian politicians from both sides of the aisle voiced their support.
Liberal MP Dave Sharma wrote, "I am sure there is a photo of me like that. I don't think this stuff is remotely in the public interest".
Darcy Byrne, mayor of Sydney's Inner West Council, wrote, "Putting out photos of the much respected former Australian of the Year partying as a youth is beyond pathetic. Grace Tame's manners are fine, it's the politicians scraping the bottom of the barrel that need to learn about respect."
Port Phillip deputy mayor Tim Baxter tweeted, "I'm the Deputy Mayor and I smoked bongs as a teenager. And I've still never been as cool as Grace Tame."
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's son Alex Turnbull also weighed in.
"Going after Grace Tame for drug use is extremely risky for any LNP members under 40 especially some people in the House and Senate. I'll leave it at that. Don't start stuff you can't finish."