PM Rules Out Referring $3 Million Higgins Compensation Payment to Anti-Corruption Body

Brittany Higgins (with David Sharaz) arrives to give evidence in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on the third day of the trial of her alleged rapist, Bruce Lehrmann in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 6, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out referring Senator Katy Gallagher to the anti-corruption commission over a reported $3 million (US$2 million) compensation payment to former political advisor Brittany Higgins.

Higgins received the payment from Gallagher’s department—in her capacity as finance minister—in December after a drawn-out saga involving rape allegations against former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Yet new text messages reveal that Higgins’s boyfriend, David Sharaz, had enlisted Gallagher and Albanese to leverage the rape claims for political advantage over the former Coalition government.

“I don’t take advice from anyone … I had not met Brittany Higgins until I met her, publicly, on the same day that she met [former Prime Minister] Scott Morrison,” Albanese told reporters on June 8.

He said he would not refer the matter to the Labor-established National Anti-Corruption Commission saying it was “independent of parliamentarians.”

“In fact, it could be regarded as an entirely inappropriate action by the prime minister or any other politician for that matter, to try to direct the anti-corruption commission into what to do,” he added.

Text Messages the ‘Smoking Gun’ to Claims

A tranche of text messages was provided to the Australian Federal Police, the director of public prosecutions in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the legal defence team of Lehrmann during the course of the investigation into Higgins’ sexual assault allegations.

Lehrmann was accused of raping Higgins in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds in 2019.

One line of correspondence between Higgins and Sharaz includes a discussion over Senator Gallagher’s willingness to assist in the case.

“Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for,” Sharaz wrote on Feb. 11, 2021 in text messages revealed to The Australian newspaper. “She’s an old friend. We opened a chair together! So you can trust her.”

Australian Finance Minister Katy Gallagher speaks during a budget lockup press conference in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 25, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Higgins replied, “Going forward pass my details onto Katy. I’m happy to talk to her.”

Later that day, Sharaz wrote, “Katy Gallagher messaged me. She’s angry and wants to help. She’s got the context. Says they knew something was wrong because they fired Bruce and not you. They avoided a scandal.”

A set of text messages on March 18, 2021, revealed Higgins asking Sharaz to “at least get Katy to ask about it in estimates.”

“You may as well feed everything you have to Katy,” she said. “The sooner we can nip it in the bud the better. Especially if we can call them out by name.”

Sharaz responded: “I’ve texted Katy and SHY (Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young).”

Later that year, Gallagher and fellow Labor Senator Penny Wong pursued the matter asking 23 questions over three days of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in the Senate. This was followed up by a fiery exchange between the three senators during a Senate Estimates hearing.

Reynolds was warned of the tactic by late Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching, who said the issue would be “weaponised.”

Reynolds was later hospitalised and took a period of leave following the increasing pressure over whether she showed an appropriate duty of care to her former staffer, Brittany Higgins.

Linda Reynolds arrives for a media conference in the press gallery at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Dec. 7, 2020. Sam Mooy/Getty Images

After the election in May 2022 and Gallagher as finance minister, the government would approve the $3 million compensation payment to Higgins after a short mediation process—Reynolds and fellow minister, Michaelia Cash, were compelled not to take part.

Reynolds is now considering referring the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Prime Minister and Environment Minister Also Implicated

The text messages also showed Sharaz claiming he had direct contact with Albanese, who was the then-opposition leader, and Tanya Plibersek, the then-spokesperson for women.

“So Albo gave me his number—he just came in to do the breakfast show—and says if you meet with Scomo to let him know, and he’ll fly to Canberra to be there if you want to meet with him too,” Sharaz text on April 16, 2021.

Higgins responded, “For sure. I have no qualms meeting with Albo.”

On April 22, Sharaz messaged Higgins a confirmation of the meeting, “Friday 9 am with Albo locked in at CPO. Details to come.”

“Tanya too.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek are seen after a swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Canberra, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The text messages come after it was revealed a five-hour brainstorming session occurred between Higgins, Sharaz, Lisa Wilkinson (TV presenter), and her producer Angus Llewellyn on how they could leverage the matter and find “friendly MPs.”

Lehrmann was charged in 2021, but his trial was repeatedly postponed until it was dropped altogether in 2022 due to concerns about Higgins’s mental health.

The director of public prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, was also criticised amid accusations that the willingness to charge Lehrmann may have been influenced by politics and media.