Liberal staffer seeking criminal investigation over alleged rape

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins is seeking a criminal investigation into her alleged rape, and is hoping to drive change within Parliament House.

A Liberal staffer who was allegedly raped in Parliament House is seeking criminal charges against her alleged perpetrator, who she says should “face the full force of the law”.

Brittany Higgins, who was working for defence industry minister Linda Reynolds when the incident allegedly occurred two years ago, is also demanding Scott Morrison give her a “voice” in overhauling parliamentary rules and standards to ensure others do not experience the same trauma.

Ms Higgins, who bravely detailed her story this week, said on Friday that she was engaging with the Australian Federal Police and wanted a “comprehensive” investigation.

“The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently,” she said.

“I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date, I have waited a long time for justice.”

Ms Huggins said she was also determined to “drive significant reform” and expected a “truly independent” probe of how her case was handled by the Prime Minister and his government, as well as the “toxic workplace culture” in parliament.

“I believe that getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores the trust of staff,” she said.

“The Prime Minister has repeatedly told the Parliament that I should be given ‘agency’ going forward.”

“I don’t believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now and have advised the Prime Minister’s office that I expect a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff.”

“It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with just what happened to me, and how the system let me down.”

It comes as the jobs of staff in Scott Morrison’s office could be on the line if an internal probe finds they misled the Prime Minister about their knowledge of an alleged rape in Parliament House.

Leaked text messages published by The Australian showed a Liberal staffer talking to alleged victim Brittany Higgins about contacting the Prime Minister’s office within a fortnight of the incident in 2019.

The staffer said his colleague in the Prime Minister’s office was “mortified to hear about it and how things have been handled”, and that he would discuss it with his chief of staff.

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

On Friday, Mr Morrison said the messages would be considered in an investigation by his departmental secretary.

“I’ve received the advice from my office and I’ve asked my department to actually look into that advice so I can be assured,” he said.

“I would like to know if there was anything different here … I want to know.”

Senior minister Peter Dutton said Mr Morrison was “angry” at his staff behind the scenes this week, and that “if he has been misled, then that’s a different level for him to deal with”.

Government sources suggested disciplinary action would be taken if the Prime Minister’s staff knew of the incident — prior to Ms Higgins sharing her story publicly — and failed to inform him.

Mr Morrison had already criticised Ms Higgins’s boss at the time, defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, for failing to alert him.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese accused Mr Morrison of “dissembling” about his knowledge of the incident, saying his explanation of who knew what “just defies belief”.

“It’s not credible that the Prime Minister continues to say that his office only found out about it this week,” he said.

But Mr Morrison said he had “sought to be as open and honest as I can be” about the “devastating” case.

“I’ve told you everything I know about this matter and I will continue to,” he said.

It came as Mr Morrison’s chief of staff John Kunkel contacted all government MPs, senators and staffers on Friday to offer support services after “recent events have taken a toll on many who work in Parliament House”.

After Ms Higgins said she was made to feel like a “political problem”, Mr Kunkel said “no member of staff should feel that their employment would be threatened by reporting a serious incident to police, or by raising any workplace concern through formal channels”.

He said that while politics was a “complex, demanding and unique environment”, there was “no excuse for bad behaviour”.