'Just didn't cut it': Tracy Grimshaw's scathing words for Scott Morrison
A Current Affair's Tracy Grimshaw has penned a scathing opinion piece directed at Scott Morrison after he failed to attend the Women's March4Justice rally or meet with its organisers.
Thousands took to the streets on Monday, calling on political leaders to make greater strides towards equality and ending violence towards women.
As Brittany Higgins addressed the masses outside parliament house, the prime minister was noticeably absent from the demonstration.
While Mr Morrison said today's powerful marches were "right and good", Grimshaw said he should have walked outside Parliament House and met the organisers of the event.
Marise Payne, the Minister for Women, should have also been there, the television host added.
"Not everyone would've welcomed them but if they can't cop the odd boo, they're in the wrong game," Grimshaw wrote.
Mr Morrison did address the demonstrations as he sat in parliament today.
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"So many are able to gather here in this way, whether in our capital or elsewhere, and to do so peacefully to express their concerns and their very genuine and real frustrations," he said.
"This is a vibrant liberal democracy, Mr Speaker, not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets, but not here in this country."
Grimshaw criticised his comments, saying they fell short of the mark.
"Telling us how lucky we are because if we'd gathered like this in another country right now, we'd be shot?
"Well, that just didn't quite cut it today PM," she said.
Mr Morrison had offered to meet with the organisers of the March4Justice event in private, but the offer was turned down, The Guardian reported.
He acknowledged in parliament Australia still has a long way to go to counter the abuse and violence many women face.
"One in four women, Mr Speaker, have experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15. One woman dies every nine days, Mr Speaker, at the hand of a current and former partner," he said.
"Indigenous women, Mr Speaker, are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised than non-indigenous women."
A human problem, not a political one
Rape allegations have tainted Canberra in the weeks since Brittany Higgins came forward, she put it best today during her brave speech:
"This isn't a political problem. This is a human problem," Ms Higgins said.
“We've all learned over the past few weeks just how common gendered violence is in this country. It's time our leaders on both sides of politics stop avoiding the public and side-stepping accountability.
"It's time we actually address the problem.”
Grimshaw shared a similar sentiment — saying women and men should be able to come forward and report sexual assault without fear of persecution, shaming or ostracisation.
"We want a world where daughters will grow up, not having to manage a groping boss or a violent partner, or be too scared to walk home from the bus at night," Grimshaw said.
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