Finance Minister Katy Gallagher grilled over secret Higgins meeting

The Finance Minister has refused to say whether she was provided with a full transcript of Brittany Higgins’ interview with Lisa Wilkinson.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has refused to say whether she was provided with a complete transcript of Brittany Higgins’ interview with Lisa Wilkinson and The Project telling Parliament it would involve a “breach of confidence.”

Senator Gallagher has been grilled over what she knew and when she knew it over the rape allegation following revelations in leaked text messages of her dealings with “an old friend”, Ms Higgins’ fiancee David Sharaz.

A secret six-hour recording of Ms Higgins discussing the allegation with Ms Wilkinson and Mr Sharaz ahead of the broadcast details Mr Sharaz discussing Senator Gallagher — and text messages suggest he sent her a transcript of the interview on February 11, 2021.

“Did you receive a copy of Ms Higgins’ The Project interview or a transcript of that interview or any part of it? How did you receive it and from whom?,’’ Senator Cash asked in question time.

But Senator Gallagher said she was not about to detail her private conversations with Mr Sharaz. She has previously confirmed she did learn of the allegation from him.

“What you’re asking me to do is to breach a confidence,’’ she replied.

“Let’s be clear about what you’re asking me to do here. What you’re asking me to do here is to disclose information that was given to me and asked to be kept by me in confidence.

“I don’t intend to disclose further interactions.

“And again, my answer to these matters is going to be the same, which is when somebody comes to me and provides me with information that they want to keep confidential.

“And what we’ve seen in the last week with these messages being sprayed around TVs and newspapers and all the rest of it, the message that you’re sending out is that if you share information with anybody, if you confide in anybody, if you seek help from anybody, you will be subject to that information being sought order and placed on the public record.”

Senator Gallagher was also asked, “Did you communicate any aspect of the allegations, with any member of your staff, Senator Wong or her staff or Mr Albanese” before the broadcast.

“No,’’ Senator Gallagher replied.

Katy Gallagher. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Gallagher has denied misleading Parliament in a statement where she warned the message to complainants after the leaking of Brittany Higgins’ private text messages was “watch out.”

After days of controversy, Senator Gallagher rose shortly after noon to make a statement as the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison was also addressing the House of Representatives.

“When it comes to responding to the serious allegations of rape that occurred in a minister’s office in this building, I have at all times been guided by the bravery and courage of a young woman who chose to speak up and about an alleged incident in her workplace,’’ she said.

“I have always acted ethically and with basic human decency on all matters related to Miss Higgins, and I will continue to do so.”

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmannn was charged in relation to the matter but was never convicted. The trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and the charge then dropped following concerns of Ms Higgins mental health.

‘I reject those allegations’

“I will always support women to come forward and I will always respect their confidence when it is sought. Over the past week, coalition members, including those at the centre of the rape allegations have been alleging that I have misled the Senate over comments I made almost two years ago. I reject those allegations,’’ Senator Gallagher said.

“I take my responsibilities to this place as a senator very seriously. And I have always conducted myself with the highest levels of integrity. And I always will. I did not mislead the Senate.”

Senator Gallagher said she was “shocked at the assertion made by Senator Reynolds with the clear implication that I was responsible or had some involvement with making that story public.”

“That was not true. It was never true. And I responded to that allegation by saying no one had any knowledge,’’ she said.

“I explained that to Senator Reynolds in a wide ranging private meeting that night, where several matters were discussed. I informed Senator Reynolds that I’d been given a heads up about the allegations in the days before they became public and an explanation she accepted at the time some two years ago.

“In fact, Senator Reynolds even said so on the record in Senate estimates that same night and I quote, I would like to say in relation to the matters raised before the dinner break, Senators Wong Gallagher and I had a very respectful discussion during the dinner break, and they have assured me they were not involved.

“This proves that Senator Reynolds knew the context of our exchange that evening was around whether or not I was involved in that matter becoming public, and I was not.”

“Senator Reynolds and Senator Ruston have known that for two years and have never since raised a concern about that with me,’’ she said.

Senator Gallagher said she was never involved in the matter becoming public and it had occurred on Ms Higgins “own terms.”

“The fact remains that those who owed Ms. Higgins a direct duty of care, had known of this for almost two years and did nothing to make changes or improve culture and safety in the workplace where this incident had occurred,’’ she said.

Leaking of text messages sends message

Senator Gallagher said she was concerned the leaking of Ms Higgins private text messages - obtained during the criminal trial and leaked to the media - could have a chilling effect.

“I feel that the message out of this for women who want and need to come forward is watch out,’’ she warned.

Brittany Higgins. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

“Women who may now choose to keep allegations of serious sexual or violent abuse silent to suppress the trauma and feel as though justice will always elude them. Women who might feel like the system won’t properly protect their welfare and might let them down. And I’m not going to stand for that.”

On the issue of the Commonwealth settlement of the claim bought by Ms Higgins, she said “much has been incorrectly written about my role in this over the past few months despite those outlets being provided with the accurate information.”

“The Minister for Finance has no decision making role in processes around significant legal matters. Absolutely none,’’ she said.

Former PM denies accusation

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison also delivered a statement to Parliament this morning on the matter, after his former staff member Fiona Brown accused him of misleading Parliament in a weekend interview.

Mr Morrison said it was an “extremely busy week” but denied any deliberate attempt to mislead the House of Representatives.

“While I believe my response to be accurate at the time, I cannot obviously fully discount that her recollection of those events now is more accurate,’’ he said.

“However, I reject absolutely any suggestion of deliberate intent in any such possible inaccuracy in my response. I’m pleased to have taken the first opportunity available to me to clarify these matters to the House.”

PM accused of misleading Parliament

A former Liberal staffer who dealt with the fall out from Ms Higgins rape allegation has revealed it “destroyed her life” and she felt like a “the dead carcass on the road”, let down by the Liberal Party and Mr Morrison.

Fiona Brown, a long-serving Liberal staffer, was the first person to speak to Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins after the “security incident” where Ms Higgins was found naked in the office and later went to work in the Prime Minister’s office.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Jason Edwards

But she said as she suffered a mental breakdown from the fallout, Mr Morrison did not support her.

“This has destroyed my life, my career, my livelihood,” Ms Brown told the Weekend Australian.

“It was like standing in front of a firing squad. And it was the day that my life ended, as I knew it. I just broke down and my colleagues around me had to witness me fall apart.

“The worst thing you can say about a woman is she walked past another woman’s rape. I went to work one day. This is what happened to me. I’m not here to tell you what to think.”

Three days after The Project interview, she says the Prime Minister had a brief conversation.

“I remember him coming back after question time on that Thursday … and for the first time he said: ‘How are you?”’ Brown recalls.

“He has never sat down or even walked by and had a proper discussion with me after the issue exploded. The most discussion I ever had with him was in that moment. That was the extent of it, a two-minute conversation: ‘Hi Fiona, how are you?’

“I said, ‘Oh, it’s pretty tough.’ And I apologised to him. I said, ‘I’m sorry they’re using me to get to you. I’m really sorry about that. But she never, never told me.

“And then the only thing he says in relation to this matter ever is: ‘We’ve spoken.’ That’s it.

“‘We’ve spoken, haven’t we’.” And then he walked off.”

 “That was it. I realised at that moment that I was collateral damage,’’ she said.

“I was devastated. I felt grubby.”