Lisa Wilkinson caught mocking Liberals in secret tape

Ex-Project star Lisa Wilkinson has been caught on tape mocking Liberals along with Ten colleagues and struggling to pronounce Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s name.

Ex-Project star Lisa Wilkinson has been caught on tape struggling to pronounce Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s name and mocking Liberals with Ten colleagues.

The explosive audio was recorded by Project producer Angus Llewllyn on his mobile phone during a pre-interview discussion at a Sydney hotel on January 27, 2021.

It includes Ms Wilkinson, Brittany Higgins, her partner David Sharaz and Llewllyn, an executive producer, drinking gin and tonics and mimosas and giving their ‘unplugged’ views on political leaders.

Channel Ten was then forced to hand it over under subpoena in the lead up to the criminal trial but only a snippet of audio was played to the jury. The bulk of the recording was never tendered in evidence.

Brittany Higgins’ partner David Sharaz with ex Project star Lisa Wilkinson

Lisa Wilkinson was recorded mocking Liberals on a secret tape. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

On Thursday night, Sky News’s Sharri Markson aired more from the marathon recording.

It includes Ms Wilkinson discussing claims the Liberals have preselected “diversity candidates” including Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Ms Wilkinson then struggles to pronounce Ms Price’s name before the group discusses the Liberal Party.

“See we know brown people,’’ Mr Llewllyn said, suggesting this was the approach of the Liberal Party.

“It’s like, I’m not a racist I have a black friend. That’s the argument,’’ Mr Sharaz responds.

Ms Wilkinson then chimes in suggesting the attitude of some in the Liberal Party is, “And my cleaner is black.”

News.com.au has contacted Ms Wilkinson, Mr Llewllyn and Channel Ten for comment.

Tensions have previously flared between Senator Price and Ms Wilkinson after the Channel 10 star announced her shock departure from The Project last year.

Ms Wilkinson struggled to pronounce Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s name. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Glenn Campbell,

Her complaints prompted Senator Price, who had a feud with Ms Wilkinson’s husband Peter FitzSimons after a combative interview, to unleash a brutal swipe on Facebook.

“Perhaps you and your husband might want to spend a few months out bush now that you have the time, to see what tough means to everyday Australians and some of our most marginalised people in communities that are far away from the sunny north shore?,’’ Senator Price said.

Lawyers acting for Channel Ten are now trying to determine who had access to the leaked audio material - a group which is said to include police, lawyers, the director of public prosecution’s office and potentially third parties.

Brittany Higgins with her partner David Sharaz. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The unprecedented leaking of Brittany Higgins’ private text messages and a secret recording of her talking with journalists is set to be raised at a federal court hearing on Friday as an extraordinary legal whodunit emerges over the six-hour audiotape.

According to the Daily Mail, which has originally obtained the audio, Ms Higgins drank a mimosa and Mr Sharaz a gin and tonic as they discussed the forthcoming episode.

But now questions have emerged over the leak of the audio that has Australia’s media and legal industry talking.

Separately, thousands of text messages on Brittany Higgins iPhone have been leaked to media outlets and Ms Higgins believes that some of the material is from her iCloud records that were handed over to police.

Bruce Lehrmann was accused of raping Ms Higgins before his trial collapsed and charges were dropped.

Bruce Lehrmann was accused of raping Ms Higgins until his trial collapsed. All charges have been dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Flavio Brancaleone

He is now pursuing a defamation action against two media outlets.

The legal firm acting for Mr Lehrmann in his defamation action – Mark O’Brien Legal – insist they never had access to the material that was leaked to the media.

“We have not had access to the phone and audiotape you refer to,’’ solicitor Paul Svilans told news.com.au.

“In fact, we are at present actually seeking access to the audiotape for the purpose of the defamation proceedings for the reason that we don’t have it.”

Criminal barrister Steve Whybrow said it was “kept secure”.

Barrister Steve Whybrow SC, who represented Mr Lehrmann at the criminal trial did have access but said it was kept secure at all times.

In fact, he refused to hand it over to Mark O’Brien Legal in the defamation action where he is instructed to appear as senior counsel.

“I can categorically assure you that I, my co counsel and my Chambers have absolutely kept any material received in R v Lehrmann secure,’’ Mr Whybrow told news.com.au.

“I have not (and have taken the view that I could not) even provide my solicitors in the defamation actions any material that was not already deployed in the criminal trial.”

DPP expects all parties to comply with ‘lawful obligations’

The Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold remains on leave after he gave evidence to the Board of Inquiry investigating the investigation and trial of Mr Lehrmann.

The acting DPP Anthony Williamson SC said the DPP does not ‘control’ or ‘manage’ disclosed information but expects all parties to comply with their lawful obligations.

“While the Board of Inquiry has conducted public hearings, I understand its investigative process has, for the most part, been conducted in secret,’’ Mr Williamson told news.com.au.

“I understand that coercive powers under the Inquiries Act 1991 (ACT) have been exercised, examinations have been conducted in secret, and non-publication/suppression orders have been made in relation to various aspects of the proceeding and given to various witnesses.

“The BOI is a statutorily independent process and therefore is not subject to the control or direction of the DPP, nor (unsurprisingly) has the BOI consulted with the DPP about its processes and investigation. I am not in a position to comment on what material the BOI may, or may not, have had access to.

“Similarly, I am not in a position to provide a running commentary on who had access to what material.

“As you would appreciate, the DPP provides disclosure in accordance with its lawful obligations. The DPP does not ‘control’ or ‘manage’ disclosed material once provided to the defence. We expect all parties to comply with their lawful obligations in relation to disclosed material.”

The Board of Inquiry led by Walter Sofronoff SC was contacted by news.com.au for comment and did not respond before publication.

The Australian Federal Police were contacted before the publication of this story and said they had “no comment” on the leak of the complainants private text messages provided during the criminal investigation.

News.com.au does not suggest either party was involved in the leak only that it was originally in the possession of the police, the DPP and lawyers and was ultimately provided to the media, by persons unknown.