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“Devastating”: Tense live interview sees Peter van Onselen grilled on The Project

Carrie Bickmore and Guardian's Amy Remeikis both take issue with a newspaper column penned by 10 political editor.

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A tense live interview last night on The Project saw host Peter van Onselen grilled for a column he wrote.

His article published in The Australian was prompted by 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame in a frosty photo shoot with PM Scott Morrison at The Lodge yesterday.

“She was ungracious, rude and childish, refusing to smile for the cameras, barely acknowledging his existence when standing next to him. The footage tells the story free of overstatement,” van Onselen wrote.

“She didn’t have to play the role of court jester, or be a fake. Just be a decent human being, that’s all. If that wasn’t possible, why bother to attend at all?”

But last night Guardian journalist Amy Remeikis, whose new book On Reckoning criticises PM Morrison’s handling of the Brittany Higgins affair last year, did not hold back in a live interview.

“I have to say this, Peter, your remarks during this whole period, is one of the reasons why I wrote the book, because your response absolutely helped fuel my anger, and the anger of so many people around it,” she said.

“…you hold such an important part in that conversation and for you to take that line was devastating to so many people. And your column today, again, devastating to so many people, because this is the point. The point is women constantly have to come out, talk about their trauma, talk about their position, talk about not being taken seriously scream the roof down, get to the point where I am almost crying on national television to talk about this. Because we’re constantly being told how we should act, who we should think about and who perhaps should be seen in our place.”

Carrie Bickmore also weighed in on his response to the photo shoot yesterday.

“Why do you feel the need to tell Grace how she should have behaved? But second of all, why should she stand there and smile and pretend it‘s all okay when there is an absolute catastrophe on the cards here?” she asked van Onselen.

“I don’t think she should stand there and smile and pretend it’s all OK, I just thought she shouldn’t go. If you can’t be polite in some form, then don’t go,” he replied.

“But why should she have to be silenced and quiet? Why can’t she go and make a statement in her behaviour about how she feels over what has happened in the past year?” Bickmore prodded.

“I don’t think she was silenced, I think it would have made a big difference if she hadn’t gone, if you can’t have basic courtesy to the Prime Minister – I don’t like Scott Morrison particularly – but if you can’t show basic courtesy, I think it’s immature,” he answered.

“In the article today you spoke about how she’d acted as a child, you know when she should have been able to act as a child? When she was a child. But she was preyed upon by a man and lost part of herself in that. I‘m unsure how that article today helps when I’m assuming, like the entire nation, you want violence against women and children to end?”

“I survived an attempted sexual assault on me, which I’ve written about before,” he replied. “So I understand that side of it. But I just think if you can’t, you know, be polite to the Prime Minister of the country. I get it. I said in the article I get it. If she can’t be polite to him, but then just don’t go because otherwise I think it’s immature.”

Remeikis soon let rip at 10 network’s political editor.

“You attempted to police a woman who lost all agency as a child where she was groomed and told how to behave. And she has since come out and made her entire adulthood about not behaving in the way that other people think that she should that she’s going to be true to herself. And because of the politics of civility you wrote a column in the national masthead, slamming her for that. You said she shouldn’t have gone. She has every right to be there. She has every right to show her feelings. And if she doesn’t want to be part of a politically staged photo op, she doesn’t have to smile to make other people feel better and not hurt their feelings.”

51 Responses

  1. I can’t help but feeling that somehow this is a bit of a publicity stunt on the Project’s part. It just seems too odd to me that Carrie would suddenly be going against Peter V so strongly when she seems to have happily worked alongside him for quite some time. Or maybe thats what it was, just faking it but she has more ‘star power’ than him so if she felt that strongly about the issue why work alongside him at all, I’m sure she could have said either he goes or I do.

      1. Yes I’m aware of that but if it were me i would not work along side someone who had written such damning articles about a sexual assault victim (allegedly).

  2. I am not a big fan of PVO but actually felt quite sorry for him coping it from Amy and Carrie. Carrie was all class as usual but Amy was a disgrace. Firstly to grace. Grace as normally is a fantastic communicator. She speaks so well on an incredible important issue and considering what she has been through. She is a smart woman and she knew exactly what she was doing. Amy said she did not want to smile because of her child hood experiences. For a woman who speaks so well I really don’t think so. Grace was rude and childish and clearly has no respect for the Australian of the year award. As to Amy. She was incredibly rude to PVO. Putting him down and pointing. He was the co host. of the program imagine if the sexes were swapped. There would be outrage of a male spoke to a female like that. And rightfully so. and then once she is finished incredibly she plugs her new book. What a shocker.

  3. I do see both sides of this story but i do think PVO is way better than Hamish. When Hamish and Lisa are on there is too much backslapping agreement going on. PVO and Waleed often give a differing opinion which makes debate more interesting.

  5. I’ve never heard of PVO but that was odious deflection on his part. Grace Tame’s stance was as powerful and significant as that bloke who refused to shake Scomo’s forced-upon hand during the bushfire crisis a couple of years ago. Simply “not attending” to be polite would not have stirred up further important conversations.

  6. Shouldn’t go “if can’t show basic courtesies to the PM”. Poor Scomo. Lucky he wasn’t the first female PM, I’m sure she would have appreciated a few more courtesies during her time.

  8. Women are sick to death of being told how they should behave.white male privilege oozes from every pore of the likes of PvO, the PM and his cronies, Murdoch and the main stream media…imagine feeling the need to write a whole column about someone not using their manners?! It’s this kinda thing that women are finally saying enough to.how many of us have smiled and laughed when we knew it was the safest way to not be sleazed on, to get out of a situation that at any second might turn into a sexual assault, how many of us have smiled and laughed or even just been polite when confronted with misogynist ‘just jokes’, ‘just boys being boys’…how many of us lock our car when driving alone, how many of us have had to be polite and use courtesy because we are women???? How dare we show that people like our PM make our skin crawl with disgust…Morrison is lucky she even let him touch her and I’m quite sure she only allowed it because she knew she would be expected to.

  10. If PVO writes an article like that then it’s worthy of notice as his posts usually swing to the left to the point where you’d think he votes Labor. It’s no surprise as to some of The Project’s panellists’ responses due to politics. It’s one of those shows I feel where if it was a different politician or political party, the response would be different.

    It’s very tense on The Project nowadays. Even Kate Langbroek’s comments alluding to low ratings was groaned at by presumably the crew. It was a good show some years ago and I acknowledge their charitable works, but it’s unwatchable now due to bias.

  11. #scomo has pictured smiling at everything from funerals to bushfire aftermaths to cricket to hanging out of planes. He’s been criticized for it. Smiling does not make things okay. In fact sometimes it acts as a middle finger to other people pain.
    So fair play to Grace Tame.
    As for the people saying she was invited to scomos home – a home she pays for with her taxes, to an event she pays for with her taxes.

    2. That grin he has on his face is a permanent facial look, as i have seen baby photos of him and its his natural look. Does make him look like he smirks at everything.

  12. The courage and advocacy of brave women like Brittany Higgins, Rosie Batty, Hetty Johnston and Grace Tame are a true inspiration to us all. I’m sure they would recognise that they can’t always get everything right nor can they be above criticism. It is a journalist’s job to report and comment on the news of the day. This is true even if the comments are wrong or widely held as being wrong. I am alarmed that there are so many calls these days to shut journalists down on the basis that people will be offended.

    1. Exactly, it seems if one person disagrees with them they get shot down for having the opposite opinion. I think the cancel/woke brigades are destroying debate and different of opinions.

  13. Grace T is more than entitled to express her view. As a tax payer, politicians work for her. ScoMo pretty much makes decisions based on focus groups. Labor politicians are equally capable of such things. Having initially ignored pretty credible claims of atrocious behavior within Parliament House, ScoMo attempted to gain favour on this issue by referencing his wife and daughters in what seriously looked like a premeditated scripted TV moment. Sickening. I can’t begin to imagine what GT has gone through and the lasting trauma. With Grace you get authenticity…for better and worse. With ScoMo, anything but.

  14. Once again we see the project take the left wing high moral ground. This show was so much better in early days when it had some balance. This seems to have gone since lisa joined.

      1. Agree. Used to be a great show. Every night it is so biased and during the day you can predict what agenda they will be pushing tonight. I think this grace debate has proven if they were more balanced and gave both opposing view points they would get more social media reaction. Stop preaching to us and interview people with differing views. Much more entertaining.

  15. PVO stated the obvious, Grace Tame did not want to be there. Actions do speak louder than words. It seems that when we call out things for what they are, people with differing views react. Society in general needs to take a deep breath and chill. I think TV has got to many critics on opposing sides that complicate thoughts and opinions.

  16. I have never been so repulsed by someone in my entire life. Why is he still employed by The Project?
    I will refuse to watch anything or associate with anyone that thinks his comments were okay.

  17. Grace Tame has been an excellent Australian of the Year and has, hopefully, paved the way for future holders to use the honour for improving society. I noticed Dylan spoke about funding the NDIS last night.

  18. Huge congratulations to Dylan Alcott, what a great acceptance speech. We live in the best country in the world and with people like Dylan doing their best, it can only get better. So tired of all the daily, constant Political bashing and whinging. I think her not showing up at all would’ve helped her cause much better than making herself look like a spoiled little brat.

  21. I agree with PVO. I think you should always have respect for all politicians who you meet, no matter whether you agree with the person’s beliefs, polices or whatever. I believe Grace Tame’s behaviour was extremely childish, why couldn’t she just smile for one picture? If I ever had a meeting with a Green politician, I will still exchange pleasantries with them, even though I strongly disagree with nearly all of their policies

    1. “ I think you should always have respect for all politicians who you meet, no matter whether you agree with the person’s beliefs, polices or whatever.”

      Heck no. Politicians chose to take that role, hence they campaign to get voted in. Public figures. As a voter, you have every right to express your own thoughts / opinions / beliefs to them. If they can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.

      Grace Tame did things right. If I was in her shoes, I’d say a few choice words purposely on a hot mic.

      PVO is wrong in this matter, but because he gets paid to write this “opinions”, his employers are happy and has scored ‘water cooler talk’, and has people like myself making comment. So someone won there.

  22. I love that Carrie got involved, usually her reflex is to diffuse the situation and change the subject to something lighter, and rob the audience of a good discussion between waleed and Steve. Hope we see more of this.

  23. What struck me was the jarring juxtaposition between Grace Tame and Dylan Alcott yesterday. Both Australians of the year. One was humble, passionate, honoured to be there, sent a very positive message of change, and focused on that change rather than on themselves. As someone who is neither female nor disabled, one of their messages spoke to me profoundly more than the other.

    1. Wait a year. See if the Government announce a new strategy to address disability access in sport and completely disregard Dylan in any preparation of it, to the point where he finds out it exists when he’s asked about it a live TV interview, and then see if he’s still as humble and honoured to be there. In addition to constant disregard by Prime Minister who you’re expected to grovel to and be wheeled out for photo opportunities and make small talk with.

      If Dylan gets treated the same way, it will be interesting to his reaction after a year.

  24. As with all great debates, I can see both sides of the story here having their merits… I’m not sure where I sit, that would require a deeper thinking of the issue.
    But what I will say is that it’s amazing and important TV the rare times when the Project gets it right.

    1. Except that this isn’t a debate is it? It’s Bickmore and Remeikis trying to argue that Van Olsen should be silenced and can’t be allowed to debate because his opinions somehow cause them physical harm. That is cancelling and the opposite of free debate. Tame actions were a deliberate, calculated partisan political attack. One that she knows Morrison can’t avoid because he can’t not invite her as this part of the ceremony was to honour the end of her tenure as Australian Of The Year. She didn’t disrespect Morrison, she disrespected the office of Australian Of The Year and her work in it. Good on Van Olsen for standing up to the media’s groupthink.

      1. You’re basically arguing that Amy and Carrie were trying to silence a man ( they weren’t) who was trying to silence a woman and dictate her behaviour.
        It’s still a man’s world and these women have had enough. More power to them.

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