Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has categorically denied misleading the Senate over her prior knowledge of the Brittany Higgins’ interview, but refused to be drawn on what discussion she might have had with Higgins or her partner David Sharaz at the time.
Gallagher has, however, said she did not communicate anything about the interview, which was to be aired on The Project, to Anthony Albanese, Labor Senate leader Penny Wong, their staffs, or her own staff.
“I was provided with information in the days before the allegations were first reported, and I did nothing with that information,” she said in a statement to the Senate. “Absolutely nothing. I was asked to keep it to myself, and I did.”
Later, under concerted opposition interrogation, she declined – on the grounds of confidentiality – to say whether she had been supplied with the yet-to-be broadcast Project interview, as has been reported. She also warded off questioning about whether she had given feedback.
In a Senate estimates committee meeting in 2021, Gallagher said she’d had no knowledge. She was replying to Liberal then-minister Linda Reynolds’ claim a Labor senator had warned her two weeks before Higgins made her rape allegation of the then-opposition’s plan to use it politically.
Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds’ office by fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann, which he denied. (Lehrmann was not named in The Project interview.)
Gallagher said in her statement: “I was shocked at the assertion made by Senator Reynolds with the clear implication that I was responsible or had some involvement with making that story public.
“That was not true. It was never true, and I responded to that allegation by saying no one had any knowledge.”
She said she explained to Reynolds the same night that she’d been given “a heads up about the allegations in the days before they became public, an explanation she accepted at the time”.
Gallagher also said she’d had no role in the payout the Commonwealth has made to Higgins.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Earlier, at the Labor caucus meeting, Anthony Albanese declared the caucus was “1000%” behind her.
Albanese heaped praise on Gallagher, who is also Minister for Women, telling her “we thank you, we honour you, we’re with you”.
He told caucus that “no government has done more to put women at the centre of policy making than what has happened under Katy Gallagher”.
He described her as “a person of extraordinary integrity”, saying the attack on her was unfair, unjustified, and unscrupulous. No backward step would be taken, he said.
View from The Hill: Brittany Higgins story continues its damaging trail, with no end in sight
Opposition leader Peter Dutton told the Coalition party meeting it was “an open and shut case” that Gallagher had misled the Senate
“It is increasingly clear that a group of Labor operatives conspired to maximise the damage. It was absolutely brazen. Labor used an alleged rape victim for political purposes.”
He said it was entirely appropriate for the opposition to put pressure on Labor to answer the questions.
Labor is attacking the Coalition for taking up this issue, arguing this will deter young women coming forward when they have been sexually assaulted. Albanese said “the real tragedy is the impact this will have on any woman contemplating coming forward”.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus condemned the leaking of private text messages between Sharaz and Higgins, in which they discussed Gallagher being altered before the Project interview went to air.
Answering a question from crossbencher Zali Steggall he said “I am deeply concerned about the apparent unauthorised publication of material produced as a result of a subpoena in the criminal trial of Mr Bruce Lehrmann.
“Material produced to a court in response to a subpoena is subject to an implied undertaking from the parties who receive it, that it won’t be used for purposes other than for those court proceedings.”
He said the police were examining a complaint about this. The Ten Network has taken the leak to the police.
Steggall said in a statement: “The media should not have a leave pass on people’s right to privacy.
“Media publication of leaked private material produced for a police investigation undermines trust and confidence in the criminal justice system for victims. This is not in the public interest.”
Reynolds on Tuesday began legal action against the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, alleging Plibersek had defamed her in comments this week about her handling of the Higgins matter.
Meanwhile former prime minister Scott Morrison told parliament he and Fiona Brown, a staffer in then-minister Reynolds office who dealt with the Higgins case, had different recollections about whether they had spoken about the matter
Morrison had told the House in 2021 that he had spoken with Brown, who by then was working in his office, but Brown told the Weekend Australian that he had not.
In a Tuesday statement, Morrison said: “While I believed my response to be accurate at the time, I cannot, obviously, fully discount that her recollection of those events now is the more accurate. However, I reject absolutely any suggestion of deliberate intent in any such possible inaccuracy in my response.”
Morrison at the weekend spoke to Brown – who had said in the interview that she had felt unsupported by Morrison and his office.
He told parliament, “It was and remains my strong view that Ms Brown did all she could to provide support to Ms Higgins at that time.”
