Katy Gallagher’s ‘I believe Brittany Higgins’ statement is a step too far, writes Dennis Shanahan

Senator Katy Gallagher in the senate chamber has declared: “‘I believe Brittany Higgins.” Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I believe Ms Higgins”: Katy Gallagher in the Senate Friday, June 16,2023.

After days of being under siege over what she knew about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, when she knew about them and what she did with the information, the Finance Minister has baldly stated her belief in truth of the claims.

After a sordid week of sexual assault allegations under parliamentary privilege, stonewalling over who in the Labor team knew about the Higgins’ rape claims before they were public and cries of political weaponisation of rape claims, Gallagher has trashed any presumption of innocence.

While the prospect of any new prosecution of Higgins’ alleged attacker, Bruce Lehrman, is remote after the abandonment of his inconclusive trial, it is still wrong for Gallagher to act as judge and jury.

Gallagher has been at the centre of days of Parliamentary questioning about when she knew about the Higgins allegations and what she did with the information about the claims given to her by Higgins and her boyfriend David Sharaz.

CCTV shows Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins being signed in at Parliament House on the night of the alleged incident. Pictures: Seven Picture - Seven News Spotlight

Labor as a tight-knit team has denied she misled parliament by claiming “nobody knew” about details of the rape claim and declared she did nothing with the information she had been given.

Amid the dismissal of Liberal Senator David Van from the Liberal Party room in Canberra after complaints of sexual harassment from Senator Lidia Thorpe under Parliamentary privilege and further complaints of harassment from Liberals there has been a febrile atmosphere in Parliament all week.

But Gallagher’s declaration of belief in Higgins’ claims adds a layer of seriousness to the political incursion into the realms of justice.

There has been so much media and political focus on the Higgins’ allegations for years that it may seem to be just another grubby fingerprint on the administration of justice but for Gallagher to declare her belief that Lehrman is guilty of rape.

Even in this febrile atmosphere this is a step too far.