Susie O’Brien: Lisa Wilkinson’s motives laid bare in audio

New audio shows Lisa Wilkinson had clearly made up her mind that Bruce Lehrmann was guilty, way before any court convicted him.

Bruce Lehrmann’s interview with Channel 7 aired on Sunday night, but the most fascinating insights didn’t come from him.

They came from journalist Lisa Wilkinson, the “girl from the western suburbs of Sydney” who’s pulling in $1.7m while not working at Channel 10.

In audio played on the show, Wilkinson tells Brittany Higgins she is fighting for the “inequality that exists out there, whether it’s white privilege, whether it’s male domination, whether it’s, you know, criminal activity that is suppressed”.

Wilkinson had clearly made up her mind that Lehrmann was guilty of rape, way before any court convicted him.

Her comments lay bare her motives: cementing her status as someone fighting for the everyday woman rather than an arrogant millionaire A-lister.

Wilkinson also wanted to lock in Higgins’ tell-all interview for her low-rating show The Project.

Brittany Higgins’ partner asked Wilkinson, “What are you getting out of it?”. Picture: Supplied

The group was also laughing about giving Lehrmann only 10 minutes to respond to accusations, as if life-changing rape allegations are a lighthearted matter.

Higgins’ partner David Sharaz is smart enough to smell a rat.

“What are you getting out of it?” he asks Wilkinson.

What a pity he wasn’t smart enough to stop Higgins from being manipulated by Wilkinson and her husband Peter FitzSimons, who organised her book deal. Higgins started outlining chapters before she even went to police.

As a female, I am always inclined to believe women who make accusations of rape.

Higgins’ association with Wilkinson and her husband don’t undermine Higgins’ claims, and don’t mean she’s lying.

In fact, the interview uncovered some inconsistencies in Lehrmann’s story. The part where he portrayed himself as a “gentleman” for escorting her back to Parliament House was particularly grating.

But Wilkinson’s involvement – which included grandstanding at the Logies – muddies the waters and gives ammunition to those who want to paint Higgins as a liar. This is deeply concerning.

Wilkinson has been around for decades and should have foreseen the chain of events that has taken us further away from the truth than ever.

It’s possible we will now never really know what went on for that 40 missing minutes in Parliament House.

Journalists should tell stories, they should never become the story.