Tasmanian Liberal MP Sue Hickey has accused Senator Eric Abetz of slut-shaming Brittany Higgins and suggesting that she could have put national security at risk by getting “disgustingly drunk”, in a fiery statement made under parliamentary privilege.

She also claimed Senator Abetz told her in a conversation on March 1 that Attorney-General Christian Porter would be protected against allegations of rape by the law and because “the woman [making the accusations] is dead”.