PM denies claims ‘friendly MPs’ coordinated Higgins questions

Anthony Albanese has shut down claims question time attacks on the Morrison government were pushed by journalists reporting on Brittany Higgins’ sex assault allegations.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied any co-ordination between his office when he was leader of the opposition and anyone associated with Brittany Higgins.

Asked about claims made on a tape recording broadcast Sunday night suggesting that Ms Higgins, Network 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson and others discussing whether “friendly MPs” including Mr Albanese could be enlisted to publicise her case, Mr Albanese said simply “no”.

Mr Albanese’s comment came amid ongoing speculation about whether Labor MPs strategised with journalists or others involved with Ms Higgins’ case to use he allegations to damage the Morrison government.

An analysis of Hansard transcripts shows that in early 2021 Mr Albanese and his shadow front bench peppered then-prime minister Scott Morrison with dozens of questions and parliamentary motions relating to his handling of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations in the days and weeks after her charges came to light.

In the three months after Ms Higgins’ allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House came to light, Mr Albanese asked 18 questions about Mr Morrison’s handling of the case as well as moving a number of motions and suspensions of standing orders.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rubbished reports that his office coordinated questions about Brittany Higgins’ case. Picture: AFP

Most of these questions came in the parliamentary sitting fortnight immediately after Ms Higgins’ allegations came to light in interviews with Network 10’s The Project and news.com.au.

Much of Mr Albanese’s questioning was aimed squarely at Mr Morrison and claims that he had failed to protect women working in Parliament House.

A tape recording broadcast on Sunday night suggested Ms Higgins (right), Network 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson (left) and others discussing whether “friendly MPs” could be enlisted to publicise Ms Higgins’ case. Picture: Getty Images

“Why does the Prime Minister claim he’s listening when he’s not only failing to listen, but, more importantly, failing to act?” Mr Albanese asked on March 23, 2021.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who at the time held the shadow education and women portfolios, asked at least a dozen questions over the same period.

On February 18, 2021, Ms Plibersek quoted Ms Higgins saying that “the continued victim-blaming rhetoric by the prime minister is personally very distressing to me and to countless other survivors”, asking how the prime minister responded.

Other shadow ministers also weighed in on the topic.

Catherine King, who was then the shadow industry minister, asked eight questions of Mr Morrison between the 15th and 25th of March, mostly about Ms Higgins’ claims that the then-prime minister “undermined and discredited (her) loved ones”.

Since the tape was aired, Ms Wilkinson has publicly denied contacting politicians or their staff.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek declined to comment specifically on this article but has previously rejected claims that she co-ordinated questions with anyone associated with Ms Higgins.

“Nobody tells me what to ask in question time,” she said Monday.