Wagering on the Australian of the Year Award has been halted amid a law enforcement inquiry into assertions that the 2020 recipient was disclosed prematurely.
Second in command, Michael McCormack, has requested the Northern Territory gaming board cease accepting bets while national authorities probe accusations of an informant divulging Grace Tame’s victory. Tame, a sexual violence survivor turned activist, triumphed in a pivotal legal case in 2019 that invalidated Tasmania’s suppression order, which had prohibited her from publicly discussing her perpetrator.
She received the highest distinction at the yearly event coordinated by the National Australia Day Council (NADC) on January 26th, narrowly surpassing the other finalists, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy and former NSW Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
Nevertheless, her win is now under scrutiny due to claims that her identity was revealed before the formal declaration.
In the preceding weeks leading up to the results announcement in January, Tame’s odds decreased from $6 to $1.36.
This ignited apprehensions, and the issue was directed to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and subsequently to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
“The AFP recently informed me that it was examining allegations of possible misuse of public position or insider dealing concerning bets placed on the winning candidate,” McCormack stated in a message to The Daily Mail.
The Australian national law enforcement agency has concerns that wagering on these accolades could harm their standing and diminish public confidence in the Australian military training institution.
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