Higgins faces questions from Lehrmann’s barrister on covert calls

Brittany Higgins has told a jury she taped a phone call with Senator Michaelia Cash about her rape complaint, alleging it was the “weirdest call” of her life while being crossexamined by Bruce Lehrmann’s barrister.

Brittany Higgins has been quizzed by the barrister representing her alleged rapist, Bruce Lehrmann, including the “weirdest call” with a cabinet minister that she recorded covertly.

It comes after the former staffer told the jury she felt pressured, by Liberal Party bosses, that her job was on the line if she went to police.

Lehrmann, 27, pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins without consent, and being reckless as to her consent, in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

Crown Prosecutor Shane Drumgold has alleged in the ACT Supreme Court that Lehrmann sexually assaulted Ms Higgins in the office of their boss, Minister Linda Reynolds, after Ms Higgins became very intoxicated after staff drinks.

Lehrmann denies having sex with Ms Higgins.

Brittany Higgins arrives to give evidence on day three of the rape trial in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

A jury of 10 women and six men, on Thursday, watched as Ms Higgins took the stand to face questions from Lehrmann’s barrister, Steve Whybrow, about the month she resigned from her job in politics and spoke to police and journalists.

Mr Whybrow questioned if Ms Higgins had set out to damage the Liberals by speaking to the press days after she resigned from Senator Michaelia Cash’s office on 29 January 2021.

“I wanted to address cultural problem, I loved my party, I loved the Liberal Party,” Ms Higgins said.

“I didn’t want to hurt them, I wanted reform on this issue.”

“I didn’t think police would prosecute this argument, I never thought I’d get here, I never thought his name would be published.”

The former staffer said it was about achieving “reform” inside the party.

Bruce Lehrmann at the Magistrates Court in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

“I don’t think he’s the only perpetrator,” she said.

“I’m not saying it’s confined to this singular incident, and I know many stories.”

Ms Higgins told the court she spoke to the media and police within days of each other, trying “both avenues”.

“I stand by my choice, I’m not ashamed of that,” she told the court.

Ms Higgins told the court she was not pushing the story, even when the media got their hands on a briefing document through her partner that she had prepared for the police.

She told the court she was not involved with discussions between journalists, Samantha Maiden and Lisa Wilkinson, about how or when the story would come out.

“In my mind I thought I’d do one print (interview), one TV and go back to uni and disappear,” she told the court.

She told the court she had numerous conversations with Senator Cash about the alleged rape but, on the phone, the senator acted as if she didn’t know the details.

Senator for Western Australia, Michaelia Cash in parliament. Picture: Martin Ollman

Ms Higgins told the jury it was “the weirdest call of my life” as the senator spoke about a security guard being the alleged perpetrator – so she recorded it.

“It’s my word against a cabinet minister’s,” Ms Higgins said.

“The power disparity between those two is ridiculous.”

The former staffer said she recorded an earlier conversation, with the chief of staff, for “corroboration” and sent it to journalist Samantha Maiden – but it was not to be published.

Ms Higgins told the court the chief of staff, in that recording, referenced another sexual assault in the Liberals that never made it to police.

She said the chief of staff also spoke about fears her own alleged assault would come out in a senate estimates hearing.

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Higgins told the court, at the time of her alleged sexual assault, her then-bosses pressured her because of the political implications if she came forward.

Brittany Higgins arrives to give evidence in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury. Picture: Martin Ollman

She told the court about her impressions from a meeting with Minister Reynolds and her chief of staff, Fiona Brown, in the same room she was allegedly raped days earlier.

“My interpretation of that was; if I raised it with police, there were going to be problems, and they wanted to be involved or informed,” Ms Higgins said.

“This could, theoretically, be perceived in the broader public sense as a political problem for the Liberal Party with women.”

Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to work from her hometown, Queensland’s Gold Coast, and continue with her police complaint.

But, the former staffer said, Ms Brown made it clear that she needed to go to WA for the upcoming election or she would not have a job.

“It became really apparent my job was on the line, so I towed the party line, and I decided not to proceed at that time,” Ms Higgins said.

Two days after then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the 2019 election, prosecutors told the court, Ms Higgins emailed police to drop the case.

The trial continues.