The Labor government stands accused of seeking to “politically profit” from Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations.
Higgins reached a compensation agreement with the Commonwealth in December 2022 after she launched legal action against her employers in the previous coalition government.
Higgins alleged she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in 2019 inside the office of then-Coalition minister Linda Reynolds, who they both worked for.
Lehrmann has always denied Higgins’ allegation.
Text messages between Higgins and her partner David Sharaz emerged this week suggesting the pair contemplated strategising her story with Labor minister Katy Gallagher, when she was in opposition after the rape allegation was made public.
It is further alleged by the opposition that Senator Gallagher misled Parliament in 2021 when she rebuffed claims she was tipped off about the rape allegation before it was made public in media reports.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley told reporters senior government members needed to clear the air on what they knew and when.
“The release of text messages and audio recordings has brought into question the conduct of some senior Labor ministers, and the prime minister himself, relating to whether they chose to weaponise a rape allegation for political purposes,” Ley said.
“The government’s credibility is in tatters and so every single claim needs to be validated.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the opposition attack as “bizarre.”
“You had allegations by a Liberal staffer that another Liberal staffer had a sexual assault in a Liberal minister’s office, and somehow, somehow Katy Gallagher has some responsibility for what was going on here,” he said. “This is bizarre.”
The Federal Court of Australia heard on June 9, the phone records—reportedly sent to the parties involved in Lehrmann’s criminal trial—seemed like an “orchestrated campaign” to influence his defamation action against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Network Ten, and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
“The publicity of the last few days could only have been calculated to put pressure on witnesses not to cooperate,” said Sue Chrysanthou S.C., who is representing Wilkinson.
Chrysanthou suggested Lehrmann be asked if he was involved in leaking the text messages to the media.
Lehrmann’s barrister, Matthew Richardson S.C., said his client “absolutely denies” the suggestion he was involved in leaking evidence which he described as a “grave and serious allegation.”
Senator Reynolds—who was criticised over her handling of Ms Higgins’ situation—has threatened to refer her compensation payment to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which comes into force on July 1, with the support of her leader Peter Dutton.
Lehrmann faced a criminal trial last year over the rape allegations made by Higgins.
The trial was discontinued because of juror misconduct, and a retrial was ruled out because of the potential effect on the mental health of Higgins.
An ACT inquiry report into the handling of the rape trial is due to be handed down in July.
