‘Not transparent’: Government slammed over Higgins’ compo payout

A secretive compensation payment worth up to $3m to Brittany Higgins has seen the government slammed for a lack of transparency as officials refuse to discuss whether legal advice was sought and claims tested. 

Pauline Hanson has slammed the lack of transparency surrounding a compensation payment of as much as $3 million to Brittany Higgins, saying that the handling of the settlement looks “political” and goes against the spirit of transparency Anthony Albanese promised when he came to power.

“This is not the government’s money, this is the taxpayer’s money,” Ms Hanson said.

“What investigations did they do and what advice did they get to suggest she deserved to get a compensation payment of up to $3 million? This is not transparent and I do question the quick payout to her.”

Ms Hanson also pointed out that while Ms Higgins received a quick turnaround in seeking compensation, her advisor James Ashby is still waiting to resolve his claims against the government relating to allegations he was sexually harassed by then-House Speaker Peter Slipper more than a decade ago.

Mr Slipper denied the allegations and Mr Ashby ultimately dropped his case against him.

Brittany Higgins with her partner David Sharaz arrived at court for the trial with her mum Kelly Higgins. Picture: Gary Ramage

The One Nation leader’s comments came a day after it was reported that Ms Higgins settled her claim against the commonwealth in the wake of the aborted criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

Ms Higgins had given notice on December 4 of her intention to sue the commonwealth for as much as $3 million for for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence, and victimisation.

Nine days later the Department of Finance, which handles compensation claims against the government, settled the dispute with Ms Higgins with the amount of damages paid remaining confidential.

It is unclear whether the confidentiality agreement bars Ms Higgins from speaking about the case in future, though at the 2021 March4Justice rally at Parliament House Ms Higgins spoke out against “staying silent.”

Employment barrister Tony Vernier said that while it was not unusual for the outcomes of mediations to remain confidential, “that was a very quick settlement.”

“I’m sure there were some negotiations but at the end of the day there likely would have been some directive to settle the matter and get it out of the media,” he said.

Senator Pauline Hanson during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Daily Telegraph put a series of questions to both Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and to the Department of Finance about the settlement and how the taxpayer was looked after.

These included asking whether the commonwealth sought legal advice as to whether Ms Higgins’ claims would stand up in court, how many people were interviewed in the course of the commonwealth’s investigation, and whether it was appropriate for Ms Gallagher to be involved in the settlement given her prosecution of Scott Morrison over his handling of claims of sexual assault in parliament.

On only one of these issues, Ms Gallagher’s involvement, was any clarity offered at all.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher. Picture: Martin Ollman

A spokesman for Ms Gallagher said that she had “no role in this process”, directing this newspaper to Department of Finance bureaucrats for all the other matters.

“At a mediation held on 13 December 2022, the Commonwealth and Ms Higgins settled her claims. At the request of Ms Higgins, the parties have agreed that the terms of the settlement are confidential,” an anonymous spokesperson for the Department said.

“All claims against the Commonwealth are handled in accordance with the Legal Services Directions 2017,” they added.

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