Brittany Higgins’ ’difficult conversation’ with PM

Alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins says she has had a “difficult” and “robust” discussion with the PM on women’s safety in parliament.

Alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins says she had a “difficult” conversation with the Prime Minister on Friday that she hopes will help change the system that “let her down”.

The former ministerial staffer has alleged she was raped at Parliament House, setting off a cultural reckoning in Canberra and becoming a figurehead in a national movement for change.

Her advocacy has put pressure on the government to address issues of sexual assault and harassment against women, in parliament and beyond.

“The Prime Minister acknowledged that the system had let me down,” she said on Friday after emerging from her meeting with Scott Morrison.

Brittany Higgins speaks to the media after her meeting with Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

“We had a very robust discussion,” Ms Higgins said outside the Commonwealth Parliament Offices in Sydney.

She said the Prime Minister agreed with her reform was needed and among the specific proposals she put to him was an independent authority where parliamentary staff could make human resources complaints.

“There needs to be better safeguards for staffers, whether there are power dynamic issues (between) parliamentarians and individual staffers,” she said.

“We also had a robust discussion about the need for an independent authority about human resources.”

She said she had argued that a possible framework for an HR system could take inspiration from the kind of changes that were made to the issue of members’ entitlements when the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority was established in 2007.

“(I drew) a parallel between those two things,” she said.

Ms Higgins said Mr Morrison appeared to understand what had happened to her.

“And that was encouraging,” she said.

Brittany Higgins said she and the Prime Minister had a ‘very robust discussion’. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

But asked if she thinks Mr Morrison “gets it” on a broader level, she answered: “I’m hopeful that he’s going to do the right thing by women.”

Mr Morrison said his government was “committed” to reform and he looked forward to Ms Higgins contributing to two reviews his government has established in the wake of her alleged rape.

“I acknowledged her courage in coming forward and assisting in this work,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

“I am committed to achieving an independent process to deal with these difficult issues.

“In addition, the meeting was an opportunity to thank her personally for her contribution to my government.

“As I told parliament, whether it’s members, senators, or our staff, we all want to make a contribution to our country and we should be able to do that in a safe environment for everyone.”

Though the meeting was weeks in the making, Ms Higgins said there was not an immediate sense of relief afterwards.

“No, it was hard. It was difficult, it wasn’t easy,” she said.

“But it was a conversation that needs to be had. And it was an honest and frank discussion, and it’s important that we had it.”

Ms Higgins had a 3pm appointment with the Prime Minister that stretched almost until 5pm.

Earlier on Friday, Ms Higgins met with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, who said while their conversation was private, Ms Higgins had a set of requests she would put to the Prime Minister.

HAPPENING NOW: Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins is meeting with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in Sydney. @10NewsFirstpic.twitter.com/sN6JmylMLj

— Stela Todorovic (@Stela_Todorovic) April 29, 2021

A key request would be to set up an independent authority to handle harassment and bullying complaints in the parliamentary workplace.

“At the centre of her asks is a modest and a reasonable one,” Mr Albanese said.

“There’s a need for an independent body so that any woman or any staff member faced with the issues which Brittany was faced with, with the reported sexual assault, or people with other issues related to staffing, relating to culture in Parliament House or in parliamentary offices, are able to go forward and get independent advice.

“Ms Higgins will put forward those issues and we hope that the Prime Minister listens to her.”

He described Ms Higgins as a “courageous” and “impressive” woman and said he hoped her advocacy would lead to change.

“Today’s meeting was an opportunity for me to listen,” Mr Albanese said.

“We need to listen to women and to listen to their concerns, to listen to the experience that they’ve gone through and to listen to their views about solutions.”

Brittany Higgins met the Prime Minister on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

Ms Higgins was seen at the offices alongside her partner and ACT victims of crime commissioner Heidi Yates.

In mid-February, Ms Higgins came forward to news.com.au with allegations she was raped at Parliament House in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ office by a colleague.

Ms Higgins’ allegations are the subject of an ACT police investigation.

Ms Higgins has previously said she felt forced to choose between reporting the alleged rape to the police and keeping her job, and she “internalised the trauma” for two years.

Since Ms Higgins went public with the claim, there have been a series of allegations of poor behaviour and mistreatment of women within Parliament House.

She appeared at the March 4 Justice on the lawns of Parliament House and delivered a forceful speech encouraging women to “speak up”.

“Take ownership of your story and free yourself from the stigma of shame,” she said in her speech.