On Monday night, the ABC finally aired an investigation into QAnon and Australia, and how the far-right group has ties to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

QAnon is a radical ideology spread online that spews conspiracy theories around a global pedophilia and sex trafficking ring with roots in Satanism.

Australia still hasn't declared QAnon a danger – these far-right associated organisations slip under security radars so easily #4corners

— David Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeMLC) June 14, 2021

Australia is the fourth largest country for online QAnon-related activity, according to extremism think tank, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

That Australia has the fourth-highest online subscription in the world to QAnon is absolutely terrifying. #4Corners

— Jerome Doraisamy (@JeromeDoraisamy) June 14, 2021

The Four Corners episode was nearly pulled after Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the program’s reporting as “deeply offensive” and in “poor form” last week.

‘The Great Awakening: A family divided by QAnon’ was centred around the Stewart family in Sydney, and how their lives have been impacted by 51-year-old Tim Stewart’s descent into QAnon’s rabbit hole.

At one point, Stewart was the country’s most prominent QAnon stalwart on Twitter, Crikey reported.

Thanks to @Milliganreports and @neighbour_s for that great episode of #4corners. And to the PM's office for promoting it so well.

— Jo Dyer (@instanterudite) June 14, 2021

A lifelong friendship

Tim Stewart and Scott Morrison have known each other for decades. Stewart’s wife Lynelle is the decades-long best friend of the Prime Minister’s wife, Jenny.

As Stewart got more enthralled with QAnon, his old family friend rose to the highest position of power in Australia back in August 2018. Stewart was even invited to the new Prime Minister’s maiden speech.

If QAnon people are “excited” about your election and you invite them to parliament and you keep communicating with them and you hire them to work in your household, you don’t get to be “offended” when people think you’re facilitating QAnon.

Because you are.#4corners #QAnonPM

— Ben Davison (@Ben_Davison1) June 14, 2021

When the Morrison family moved into Kirribilli house, Lynelle was hired as a household attendant at the residence. The infamous holiday ScoMo took to Hawaii during the disastrous bushfire season in 2019 was also joined by the Stewart family.

Tim Stewart boasted he was”house-sitting” Kirribilli House. That’s a VERY concerning issue of this story. Staying in the official Sydney residence of the PM, taxpayer-funded obviously with staff. The enormity of potential security risks is very disturbing and needs investigation.

— Wendy Grant (@WBG1955) June 14, 2021

Senator Penny Wong flagged Lynelle’s employment as an issue given Stewart’s involvement with QAnon during senate estimates over the years, and was told that it shouldn’t be a matter of concern.

Lynelle Stewart, wife of QAnon supporter Tim Stewart (banned by Twitter for his activities on behalf of the terrorist group) somehow got security clearance to work for the PM at Kirribilli House.
Astounding stuff

— Dr Sheep Devil Person (@noplaceforsheep) June 5, 2021

National apology, or national influence?

Stewart reportedly boasted about his access to Morrison so much, that a QAnon crusader was interrogated by counter-terrorism police for saying online that the group had ‘hacked’ the PM’s office.

In the 2018 national apology for institutional child sexual abuse survivors, it’s believed the group wanted the phrase ‘ritual sexual abuse’ included in ScoMo’s speech — in QAnon dialect, this is wording synonymous with cannibalism, rituals, and torture they believe world leaders are executing.

Think of this like a code that sends a direct and clear message that they have been heard by Scott specifically.

“I am organising an intimate strategy for PM re [sic] the Ritual phrase,” a message sent by Stewart read.

“An army of victims and therapists would specifically love it if Scott’s apology referenced ‘ritual abuse victims’. This exact wording is a key phrase for victims. Think of this like a code that sends a direct and clear message that they have been heard by Scott specifically,” he texted his wife.

My heart goes out to every survivor of sexual abuse for whom, after tonight’s revelations on @4corners, the Prime Minister’s incredibly important apology in parliament must now ring very hollow.@ScottMorrisonMP has a lot of #Qanon questions to answer.#4Corners #auspol

— Lisa Wilkinson (@Lisa_Wilkinson) June 14, 2021

Given the phrasing wasn’t used in the Royal Commission findings that prompted the apology, people were confused how ‘ritual sexual abuse’ wound up in his speech, while others feared it was intentional validation for QAnon followers coming from the mouth of a person of such authority.

A spokesperson for the PM’s office has said in the past that the “term ‘ritual’ is one that the Prime Minister heard directly from the abuse survivors.”

#4Corners
Morrison’s sexual assault speech including the #Qanon code, “ritual sexual abuse” immediately took the apology’s meaning away!
Scott Morrison was a under the influence of #Qanon#QanonPM

— When the Flame Turns Blue ??❤️ (@WhenTurn) June 14, 2021

“I find it deeply offensive that there’d be any suggestion that I would have any involvement or support for such a dangerous organisation,” Scott Morrison said on June 4. A spokesperson told Four Corners two days that ScoMo sees QAnon as a “discredited and dangerous fringe group.”

Since the investigation was broadcast, the Prime Minister’s office has not released any further statements on the matter.