Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins admitted to hospital over mental health concerns

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been admitted to a Brisbane hospital over concerns for her mental health.

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Picture: Damian Shaw

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who alleges she was raped in parliament, has been admitted to a Brisbane hospital over concerns for her mental health after months in the political spotlight.

Ms Higgins sparked a major reckoning over the treatment of women in Australian politics when she came forward in February. The news of her hospitalisation came as a review into parliament’s responses to cases of sexual assault recommended a clamp down on after-hours ­access to Capital Hill.

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet deputy secretary Stephanie Foster has urged parliamentary security to log anyone who comes into the building after working hours and inform their managers, after Ms Higgins alleged she was raped in the ­office of cabinet minister Linda Reynolds late at night after drinking with colleagues in March 2019.

Ms Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz, confirmed on Friday that she had gone to hospital and said she was seeking support after “months of sustained political pressure”.

Labor has focused much of budget estimates and question time in the past sitting weeks to probing the government’s ­response to Ms Higgins’ allegations.

Scott Morrison’s chief of staff, John Kunkel, last month concluded a review of allegations that advisers in the Prime Minister’s office were responsible for leaking negative information about Mr Sharaz and found no evidence for the claims.

“The evidence before me falls well short of the standard that would be needed to arrive at such a finding in conformity with due process,” his report reads. “While I am not in a position to make a finding that the alleged activity took place, the fact that those ­allegations have been made serves as an important reminder of the need for (Mr Morrison’s) staff to hold themselves to the highest standard.”

Mr Sharaz said on Twitter at the time that Mr Kunkel’s findings were an example of government staffers “protecting themselves”.

Since making the rape allegation, Ms Higgins has signed a book deal with Penguin Random House and delivered a major speech to a women’s rights rally outside Parliament House in March.

Senator Reynolds, who is now Government Services Minister, had to make a financial settlement with Ms Higgins after she called her former staffer a “lying cow” in front of staff.

The review into parliamentary workplace responses to sexual assault has called for an independent complaints mechanism for staff, and for standards for ministers and their staff to be amended to clearly state sexual misconduct is unacceptable.

It also calls for after-hours ­access to parliament to be discouraged unless it is clearly for work purposes. “As a first step, all after-hours access should be logged and reported promptly to office managers to deter non-work related access, and areas accessed after hours should be subject to additional patrols,” the report states.

“These measures should be underpinned by a clear expectation from parliamentarians to their staff that after-hours access must be work related or for a legitimate purpose.”

Scott Morrison and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham will put out the review for consultation across parliament before a final report later this year.

If you or someone you know may need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.