Senior members of the Albanese government, including the PM, have serious questions to answer about what they knew, when

Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations have been used for a political hit job from the start of the saga, but recently we’ve seen just how deliberate and co-ordinated those efforts were.

David Sharaz: “I still hate the c***”.

Brittany Higgins: “He’s about to be f**ked over. Just wait. We’ve got him”.

Reading these text messages one might think the couple were discussing the man Higgins had accused of rape, Bruce Lehrmann. But it was then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, who was about to be “f**ked over”.

That is just one of dozens of revelations in recent days causing many to re-examine their view of what happened in the early hours of March 23, 2019 in the offices of then-Defence Minister Senator Linda Reynolds, the manner in which allegations of rape were weaponised to attack the Morrison government, and more recently the multimillion-dollar payout Higgins secured after just a few hours of ‘mediation’.

Labor came to office promising transparency, accountability and a federal integrity commission. The phrase hoisted by their own petard comes to mind for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) must investigate how millions of taxpayer funds were paid to Higgins and whether correct processes were undertaken before the matter was settled.

Brittany Higgins with her partner David Sharaz. Picture: Supplied

Hubris is a dangerous combination of arrogance and excessive confidence and Labor were exhibiting oodles of it late last year. One grim mistake that may come back to haunt the Anthony Albanese government is the fact that they finalised Higgins’ financial settlement just a day after the NACC became law on December 12.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, whose department paid Higgins the confidential settlement, must come clean about her role in the orchestrated political attacks arising from the allegations.

Senator Gallagher was indignant when accused of prior knowledge of the Higgins case. “No-one had any knowledge. How dare you,’’ Gallagher said to then-Minister Reynolds in June, 2021. “It’s all about protecting yourself.”

Her strident response came after Reynolds said: “I know how this started…I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office. Two weeks before.’’ But despite Gallagher’s denials, leaked text messages published by the Australian paint a picture that looks very much like political collusion.

Four days before the story aired Sharaz messaged Higgins: “Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for … She’s really invested now ha ha.” Sharaz also told Higgins in text messages that she should trust Gallagher who he referred to as “an old friend”.

In other texts Sharaz wrote: “Yep! I gave her [The Project] interview for context. I hope that’s okay? She’s not doing anything with it. But I’m also happy to step out and let her talk to you if you want. Basically, I wanted her to get all the context because it’s so complicated.”

Higgins replied: “That’s fine. It’ll all be public pretty soon anyway haha.” When the story did air and dominated the news cycle texts reveal that Gallagher remained a player in keeping the story in the headlines. One text from Higgins reads: “You may as well feed everything you have to Katy.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher must come clean about her role in the orchestrated political attacks arising from the allegations. Picture: Martin Ollman

Minister Gallagher must explain how she’s not guilty of grossly misleading statements about what she knew and when as well as her role in politicising what should have been above politics. Her position is untenable unless she can adequately explain the enormous inconsistencies between what she has said and what the leaked texts reveal. On Thursday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was standing by his Finance Minister. “I have absolute confidence in Senator Gallagher,” he said though the PM did not answer when asked if she had misled parliament.

From the start of this ugly saga it was apparent that allegations of rape were being used by politicians, the media and activists for a political hit job. In recent days we are finding out just how deliberate and co-ordinated those efforts were and senior members of the Albanese government, including the Prime Minister, have serious questions to answer about what they knew, when and their role in playing politics with a serious criminal allegation.

As I wrote at the time the treatment of women and issues surrounding sexual assault and rape should always be above politics; they are simply too important to all women. Twisting real concerns about violence against women into a partisan issue does not advance the cause of women, indeed it does the opposite.