‘I bet it felt good’: PM slammed over speech
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has come under fire during the delivery of his keynote speech while opening the Australian Women’s Safety Summit.
Over the next two days, a series of addresses and panel discussions on issues affecting women’s safety will help determine the priorities for the next national plan to end violence against women and children.
During his speech on Monday morning, Mr Morrison thanked the thousands of women and girls who shared
their experiences with sexual and physical violence and said he was shocked at the stories of women who did not feel safe in their own country, including in Parliament House.
But his decision to read out testimonies from sexual assault survivors sparked immediate outrage.
Australian of the Year Grace Tame, who will be involved in the preventing and responding to sexual violence panel on Tuesday, said that sharing those stories was inexcusable.
“Scott has just finished his opening keynote address … in which he appropriated private disclosures from survivors to leverage his own image,” Ms Tame wrote.
“Gee, I bet it felt good to get that out.”
During his speech, Mr Morrison
made reference to the government’s reaction to Brittany Higgins’ complaint that she had been allegedly sexually assaulted by a staffer in Parliament House.
Ms Higgins, arguably one of the major figureheads for ending sexual violence in Australia, revealed she had not even been initially invited to the event.
Mr Morrison said Ms Higgins’ allegations over the government response had prompted conversations about “longstanding and serious failings in this Parliament House” that had “turned into a conversation about women’s experiences everywhere”.
“Right now, too many women do not feel safe, and too often, they are not safe and that is not OK,” Mr Morrison said.
“There is no excuse, and sorry doesn’t cut it.
“They are not safe at home, they are not safe at work, in broad daylight … in public spaces.
“Here in this place, even this place where I speak to you from today, you are not always safe.
“I want all the women and every girl in this nation to live without fear.”