Thread by @Vic_Rollison

I’m live tweeting @TamePunk and @BrittHiggins_ #NPC address. This is going to be a historically important speech, even if Morrison thinks it’s not significant enough to attend. Follow along here👇🏻

Laura Tingle introduces Grace and Brittany to huge cheers from audience 🙌🏻. Brittany starts by saying she was raped on a couch in what she thought was the most secure, safe building in Australia - Parliament House. If she can be raped there, it can happen to women anywhere.

Brittany says she decided to speak out - despite abuse and criticism she receives - because she wants change. She wants to make it easier for women to share stories of abuse when they see other women making change like she is trying to do. But she says too little has changed.

Brittany says she’s afraid that the ‘reckoning’, where women said enough is enough, is just becoming a blip on the news cycle. She gives a backhander to journos who said this issue had been ‘neutralised’ as a ‘net positive’ for PM - when in reality it hasn’t been solved at all.

She says last year wasn’t a March for acknowledgment or language, it was a March for JUSTICE. She wants real change, and that starts with the PM. She says Morrison’s words have sometimes been offensive - ‘imagine if it was our daughter’ etc. She says he also hasn’t taken action.

Huge applause when Brittany said she wanted Morrison to drive change in his party, in the parliament and in the wider society. She doesn’t want to see words anymore, she wants to see action. She says the Jenkins Review showed sexual abuse and discrimination is rife in parliament.

She says she is grateful for the apology, and was glad she was allowed to attend thanks to Zali Steggall. However, she says the Jenkins Review response has to include action, not just words. Without these changes, women won’t want to be in parliament, and that hurts all women.

Brittany says she used to think gender was not a defining feature of her life. But she’s now learned for some people it is, and it shouldn’t be. She says there is a lack of action nationally to address family violence. This has left some of the states to go it alone.

The problem is well known - we know all the stats, she says. Women with disabilities or First Nations women are particularly vulnerable to abuse and violence. Brittany says the national plan’s aims are so lofty and ambitious that they’re impossible to turn into realistic action.

She says the plan has statistics to show problem but is lacking in concrete steps to make change happen. She says without targets, there is no accountability. Success needs to be measurable. Brittany says previous targets have not been met, and that failure needs acknowledgement.

She says her patience has run out. She finishes by saying even though she has been through pain on this journey, she hasn’t lost belief in Australia - her community - to bring about the change women need. She names other women who have inspired her to believe change is coming.

Brittany receives a standing ovation. She spoke brilliantly - such clarity and passion. It’s now Grace’s turn. She starts by telling her story of being targeted and groomed by a serial paedophile. She says child sexual abuse is rife throughout Australia, both physical and mental.

Grace talks about abuse culture and how it continues even when abuse stops. She says abusers and their defenders control the narrative so that survivors have to continuously justify themselves, which cedes more power to abusers - making them even stronger.

Grace tells the story of the abuse she gets on social media blaming her for her teacher abusing her. She says survivors of abuse are constantly having to explain what has happened to them, and fight against those who stood by and let it happen. Her abuser didn’t just abuse her.

She says it’s this struggle that means many still are too scared to come forward with their stories. She says abuse is all about the misuse of power. Grace makes point that she’s not just advocating for women, but for all victims of child sexual abuse, which includes boys and men

Statistics say men are more often the abusers and women the victims, but statistics don’t represent all people. This nuance she says is lost when people misrepresent her as politically divisive. This ignores that she has been talking to politicians from all parties to make change

Grace then calls the media bias and says she’s been commodified and politicised. She has nothing nice to say about media. Big reveal: Grace says she received phone call last year warning her to be nice to PM at the Australia Day ceremony because there is an election coming up.

She equates this request - all to do with power and the reinforcement of power - is just like when her abuser used his power to warn her not to tell anyone she was abused, because he would lose his job/power. She says she needs to use her voice to fight for what is right.

Grace says she will continue to use her voice. ‘What is the point of rewarding someone for their work only to stifle their voice when it gets too real?’ Great question Grace! She is not retreating into silence now as they would be hypocritical.

She says her voice has been weaponised. She said she was goaded into criticising Morrison at her last Press Club speech where she said children shouldn’t be required to have empathy. She then felt threatened by PM’s office as they can dictate funding for organisations.

She says she is willing to put her reputation on the line because she would rather go down criticising an institution than backing up a coercively controlling one. Such powerful words - I’m not able to summarise effectively here - you’re going to have to read Grace’s full speech.

She finishes by asking govt to take abuse seriously. No more stunts, but actually taking strong stance. She mentions symbolism of protecting an alleged rapist (Porter). Second ask - she wants adequate funding for prevention and education to stop all this before it starts.

Grace makes point that billions are being spent on submarines but won’t spend anywhere near enough on family violence. She says only $2 million spent on prevention education program, and only half was given. $1.36 million divided by 4 million students is 11 cents per year.

She critiques short sighted voted based funding, rather than long term needs based funding. Third ask is national consistent legislative change. She says abusers find safety in outdated laws. Her abuser was charged with a crime that implied she was in consensual relationship.

Grace says she is working with ACT to change legislation to remove ‘relationship’ to ‘persistent sexual abuse’. She wants this change occurring nationally and in a consistent way. She wants abuse taking seriously, prevention funding, and national consistent structural change.

Grace wraps up by saying there has been a huge amount achieved. This includes women feeling like they have a voice, on path of equity and respect. She says an advocate is only as strong as those who support them. She says together they are making change, history and MAKING NOISE.

Now, onto the questions. Laura starts by observing that both have found themselves unexpected spokespeople for communities and issues that didn’t have a voice. She asks them what specific things need to be on the political agenda since Minister for Women and Labor leader are here

Brittany says it starts at the top by modelling correct behaviour in their own workplace. This would change the way other employers view the safety of employees from sexual harassment. She says Jenkins Review should be about more than just Parliament House. But it was missed.

Grace says change is not something you can cherry pick - all the changes have to happen for it all to work. First question from Karen Middleton. Grace has a notorious side eye, speech helped explain why. She wants to know if the call is reason she chose not to smile at Morrison.

Grace’s answer was she acts with integrity. That’s it. Karen asked Brittany if she had permission to release the Barnaby messages. She says it was a conversation about what PM knew about her rape. Barnaby clearly didn’t believe the PM knew nothing. And she says that’s been lost.

Katina Curtis asks next question. How do you keep up hope that change that is needed will happen? Brittany says she gets her hope from the women who support her and are also speaking out. She sees a new wave of women who aren’t coping it and that’s kept her going in dark times.

Olivia Caisley from the Australian asked if they will be campaigning during the election and for which party. Brittany says she doesn’t belong to anyone and belongs only to herself. She will be pushing for timeframes for commitments.

Next question is Julie Hare from AFR. She says there aren’t many men at speech and only one man asking a question. She asks if gender issues are still seen as a niche issue. Brittany says female journalists have helped her get her message out, but it’s telling men aren’t there.

Grace says she’s done a lot of speeches for corporate audiences, and talking about child sexual abuse is less of a gendered issue. She has often related to male survivors of clergy abuse. Then she entered the ‘gendered’ space and finds it really sad. There is a division projected

She wants less division and instead look at the issue as a human issue - an abuse of power. Men are not the enemy. Behaviour is the enemy. Sam Maiden from News.com.au is next. She asks Brittany about Rochelle Miller, women being disparaged in corridors after 4 Corners

Brittany says it was deeply traumatic. She hadn’t spoken out then. Brittany saw so much of herself in Rochelle’s experiences - the idea was that women were letting down the team. She says it was Rochelle and other survivors who inspired her to tell her story. It spurred her on.

She next asks about what the media ask of survivors to drive change. She wants to know what’s that like - to have to traumatise themselves when they are in the media. Grace acknowledges the support of her family and partner Max. She takes time out and does it for greater purpose.

Grace says she wants to keep doing what she does to make sure more people aren’t traumatised. Next question is from Shuba Krishnan SBS World News. She asks about rights of gay or trans students. Grace says some people shouldn’t have more right to be themselves than others.

Brittany says many are being traumatised by the debate and media should remember that. Rob Stott next asks about gender quotas and what’s holding the Liberals back. Brittany says quotas would make a huge difference as women are being shut out due to ‘merit’ argument.

Grace asked by a journalist (missed name sorry) if she’ll go into politics. Grace says her answer is no, although Kim Beasley did try to sway her. But her answer is no as she can achieve more outside politics. Brittany was asked if she wants to work in politics again.

Brittany says she can’t see it being feasible but it is an incredible job. Eliza Edwards is next from Nine News. Brittany was asked if she thinks she’ll ever get an answer from PM about review of her rape allegations. Brittany says she doesn’t have much faith in Gaetjens Review.

Grace is asked if she would name who called her warning her about being rude to PM. Grace says if she planned to name them she would have in the speech. Next up is someone from Sky News. Missed name. She asks if Albanese would be a better PM than Morrison.

Grace says to much applause ‘all Albo would have to do is none of the things Scott Morrison did’. Brittany says she’s not here to cast judgments. Next is Karen Barlow from Canberra Times. She says since men dominate politics, and with politics on the nose, what can be done?

Brittany says there’s a whole induction training process in parliament needed as staffers don’t always know how it all works, and are often quite young. The relationship between staffers and public servants is also problematic. Grace says she’s already said a lot about that.

Georgie Moore from AAP. Question for Grace - she has lobbied for uniformity of child sexual abuse. Is she worried that states will let this motion pass. Grace says she’s not worried, she’s exited as the Grace Tame Foundation is campaigning to ‘stop romanticising sexual abuse’.

Brittany was asked what she was feeling when she watched Morrison give an apology in parliament yesterday. Brittany says she tries to remove herself from the Jenkins Review by thinking of all the survivors. She felt a moment of grief and recognised the significance of the moment.

Next question is journalist from Daily Tele. Missed name again! (Another woman! Only one male question asker so far! WTF!). She asked about consequences for bullying and sexual harassment in parliament. Brittany says it’s still quite limited - would have helped her but not enough

She asks Grace if the complaints system can change the culture of a workplace. Grace says only if it works - the parliament one still puts the power in the hands of someone other than the complainer. Brittany says there needs to be more consequences for workplace harassment.

That’s the last question. Just to recap, only one male asked a question. And there didn’t seem to be many male MPs in the room. What’s that all about? Really quite disappointed. Albo was there. I really think the PM needed to be there.