Brittany Higgins: Defence Minister Linda Reynolds cries in the Senate over political fallout from alleged rape

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds broke down in tears as the political fallout from an alleged rape in her office takes a dramatic toll.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has broken down in tears in the Senate and was left unable to answer a question as the political fallout from an alleged rape in her office continues to take a dramatic toll.

The Prime Minister told Parliament today that MPs, senators and staff had been left “traumatised” over the fallout from the scandal, announcing he would rush in emergency counsellors to help those affected by the recounting of the harrowing details.

Senator Reynolds broke down during a question in the Senate unrelated to the rape claim after offering another unreserved apology to Brittany Higgins in Parliament where she indicated she was “deeply, deeply sorry.”

RELATED: Linda Reynolds grilled over Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape

RELATED: Jacqui Lambie demands Linda Reynolds resign

Senator Linda Reynolds during Question Time in the Senate. Picture: Sam Mooy

During question time on Thursday, she was asked a question about Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s administration of community grants but an emotional Senator Reynolds became overwhelmed.

“If I could ask, if I could have indulgence, to answer on Monday,’’ she said as she became visibly teary.

“I think I’d be in a better position to answer on Monday. If you could give me a minute? Can I take it on notice.”

It is almost unheard of for a minister to take a question on notice during question time in that manner.

Ms Higgins claims she was raped on a couch in Senator Reynolds’s office by a fellow Liberal staffer in March 2019, after a night out when she was working for the then Defence Industry Minister. It has since emerged that security guards helped the pair enter the suite, and after the man left they found Ms Higgins half-naked and disorientated in the office.

News.com.au revealed on Tuesday that the Department of Finance then controversially ordered the cleaning of the office, a decision that was the subject of an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation that cleared anyone of wrongdoing.

Brittany Higgins' former boss, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, has given a second statement to the Senate. This follows heated questioning yesterday about her handling of the rape allegation. @10NewsFirst #auspol pic.twitter.com/oewHyJ5aVA

— Tegan George (@tegangeorge) February 18, 2021

In the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister revealed that Senator Reynolds held a secret meeting with an assistant commissioner of the AFP over an alleged rape in her office two years ago, adding to the long list of people that knew about the incident.

But despite this high level contact between the Defence Minister’s office and the AFP, Scott Morrison insisted that nobody ever told him about the rape until news.com.au published the story at 8am on Monday, February 15.

It comes as the AFP confirmed late Thursday that a “senior member of the Australian Federal Police met with Senator Reynolds and her chief-of-staff on 4 April 2019 in relation to allegations of sexual assault in the Minister’s office on 23 March, 2019”.

In a statement, the AFP said it has “engaged with the Department of Parliamentary Services and Presiding Officers a number of times”.

“The matter is an open investigation and further commentary could be prejudicial.

“The AFP will not be making further comment on this matter.”

Senator Linda Reynolds holds back tears. Picture: Sam Mooy

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives today. Picture: Sam Mooy

The Prime Minister said this week that there was never a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in his office but questions remain over why he was never told, a decision he has made clear he did not agree with.

The list of people who knew of the controversy now includes the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, security officials, Department of Parliamentary Services bureaucrats and Senator Reynolds’ chief of staff who now works in the Prime Minister’s office.

Mr Morrison said his chief of staff John Kunkel knew of an “incident” two years ago but did not learn it was an alleged rape until news.com.au contacted the office last week.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says she was told of an “incident” two years ago after the issue threatened to come up in Senate estimates but never knew until Ms Higgins quit her job that it involved an alleged sexual assault.

Senator Reynolds wipes away a tear. Picture: Sam Mooy

Brittany Higgins has said the PM is engaging in ‘victim-blaming rhetoric’.

On Wednesday, news.com.au published voicemail recordings of Senator Cash urging Ms Higgins to “sleep tight” and assuring her the office had the fallout “under control”. The message was sent in October, 2019.

The Prime Minister has refused to return fire over former Liberal staffer Ms Higgins, claiming he was engaging in “victim-blaming rhetoric”.

“The last thing I would want to see is to add any further disinterests to what Brittany is already going through,’’ he said.

“I am doing everything to ensure that is the case and how we seek to handle these issues. I am very sorry she feels that way. She must be under tremendous stress during the course of this week.

“She has shown courage and bravery in speaking up. I have been listening to what she’s been saying and I am seeking to put in place arrangements, whether it is the support of staff who are here in this building here and now and will be feeling, I think, increasingly fragile or vulnerable because of the nature of these events.

“Everyone here tried to do the right thing. They took advice and followed the advice and they sought to provide that support and this is what the challenge here is for us.

“Even when that has been done, it hasn’t done the job because now Brittany clearly feels that way and that is not disputed. What we are seeking to apply our attention to is ensuring we learn from that and others are not in a position where they are faced with this again. That is simply what we are trying to do. That is simply what we are trying to do honestly and openly.”