WSFM’s apology over Brendan Jones’ Brittany Higgins statements

Sydney radio station WSFM has apologised for comments made by presenter Brendan Jones about the staffer who dealt with Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins after the alleged assault.

WSFM has apologised for comments made by presenter Brendan Jones, pictured right with co-host Amanda Keller, about the conduct of Liberal staffer Fiona Brown. Picture: Adam Yip

Sydney radio station WSFM has quietly apologised for comments made by presenter Brendan Jones about the conduct of Liberal staffer Fiona Brown, who strongly denied during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann that she had been anything but supportive of Brittany Higgins.

In a hard-to-find statement on WSFM’s website, the station has expressed regret about statements made by Mr Jones that could be taken to refer to Ms Brown, who was Linda Reynolds’ chief of staff and spoke to both Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins in the immediate aftermath of the alleged assault in Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office.

“During that segment a comment was made by Brendan Jones which would be understood as critical of those who dealt in Parliament House with the rape allegations made by Ms Brittany Higgins against a fellow staffer,” the WSFM statement says.

“A reference to Ms Higgins’ superiors was understood by Ms Fiona Brown, who held a senior position, to be a reference to her conduct. Due to the ongoing criminal proceedings we were previously unable to clarify our position.

“We now apologise to Fiona Brown if our broadcast caused her any distress or concern and retract any imputation that may have arisen in relation to her.”

The comments were made in a Jonesy & Amanda interview with Lisa Wilkinson the day after her Logies acceptance speech in June this year, in which the TV presenter endorsed Ms Higgins’ credibility and version of events just days before the trial was due to begin.

The trial was vacated after ACT Supreme Court chief justice Lucy McCallum ruled the speech by Ms Wilkinson and the subsequent radio interview with Mr Jones and Amanda Keller had “completely obliterated” the distinction between an allegation and finding of guilt.

Justice McCallum quoted Ms Keller’s claim that Ms Higgins “was raped in Parliament House” and Mr Jones’ statement that she was interviewed “in the very room she was raped”.

In evidence before the jury in the ACT Supreme Court trial Ms Higgins said she felt pressured by her workplace not to pursue the alleged assault after being denied the option of working from her home on the Gold Coast during the election.

But Ms Brown said that both she and Senator Reynolds had told Ms Higgins she was within her rights to make a police complaint and if she wanted to do so, she would be fully supported.

“(Ms Higgins) was concerned about how this could impact her career and Senator Reynolds said there would be no impact to her career and that she had our full support,” Ms Brown said.

Ms Brown said the only reference Ms Higgins made to her alleged assault was when she recalled Lehrmann being on top of her while the pair were in Parliament House during the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Ms Brown said she was the one who set up the meeting between Ms Higgins and Australian Federal Police officers in Parliament House in April 2019.

Ms Brown broke down and was excused from court after Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Steven Whybrow read a text message to her from Ms Higgins, expressing her gratitude for Ms Brown’s support.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has at all times denied the allegations. The DPP has now withdrawn the charges.