Tanya Plibersek and Anthony Albanese raised five questions about Brittany Higgins in Question Time just one day Lisa Wilkinson aired her allegations of sexual abuse in Parliament House aired.
It has been revealed that Wilkinson name dropped both politicians during an unofficial, five-hour ‘pre interview’ with Ms Higgins before the Channel Ten show aired the political staffer’s bombshell allegations on The Project on February 15, 2021.
Ms Higgins boyfriend David Sharaz asked if Ms Wilkinson had any ‘friendly MPs’ who ‘could fire questions at Question Time’.
‘Oh, certainly Albo,’ Ms Wilkinson said in response, adding: ‘Tanya Plibersek, definitely.’
Now, footage can be revealed which shows Mr Albanese and Ms Plibersek directing five questions about Ms Higgins’ allegations at then-prime minister Scott Morrison during Question Time the day after The Project aired, on February 16.
Ms Higgins boyfriend David Sharaz asked if Ms Wilkinson had any ‘friendly MPs’ who ‘could fire questions at Question Time’
Mr Albanese asked the first question of the session – as is customary for Opposition Leader – to ask if Mr Morrison would establish an external review into the culture within Parliament House in the wake of Ms Higgins’ claims.
Six minutes later, Ms Plibersek made the first direct reference to Ms Higgins. She said: ‘When and how did the Prime Minister first become aware of the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins?’
Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House after a night out in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.
Mr Morrison fumbled his way through his answer, insisting he became aware of the allegations the morning of The Project’s report, and that his office knew of the complaint just days earlier.
But Ms Plibersek doubted his claims, noting in a second question that he had contradicted Ms Higgins’ version of events, which stated the PM’s private secretary was told of the alleged assault in 2019.
‘The Prime Minister claimed in his press conference that Ms Higgins’s statements were confused. Previously the Prime Minister has said victims of sexual assault should be believed. Why doesn’t that apply in this case?’ she asked.
Lisa Wilkinson name dropped both politicians during an unofficial, five-hour ‘pre interview’ with Ms Higgins prior to airing the bombshell allegations on The Project on February 15, 2021
Mr Morrison attempted to skirt around the issue by quoting Ms Higgins herself, who had earlier in the day asked for her ‘privacy to be respected’ as she ‘began to emotionally recover’.
Ms Higgins’ statement said she wished to make no further comment on the allegations.
The PM said: ‘I will be complying with that request, and we will be seeking to pursue this matter through the mechanisms that I’ve already announced today and also potentially through the other mechanisms that have been suggested.’
In the bombshell audio played by Seven’s Spotlight on Sunday night, Wilkinson told Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and her producer Angus Llewellyn she is ‘a great believer in ”people’s time will come”’.
Mr Sharaz said in response: ‘Is it Linda’s time? Please God, let it be Linda’s time.’
Ms Wilkinson answered: ‘Well, it might be.’
During Question Time, Mr Albanese probed Mr Morrison on Ms Reynolds’ role in parliament, asking if it was ‘acceptable that the defence minister was aware that a reported serious crime had been committed in her office but did not inform the Prime Minister or his office’.
To that, Mr Morrison said: ‘It is not, and it shouldn’t happen again.’
Mr Albanese asked the first question of the session – as is customary for Opposition Leader – to determine if Mr Morrison would establish an external review into the culture within Parliament House
Three minutes later, Mr Albanese was back with another question on the matter, asking if Mr Morrison had ‘confidence in his defence minister’.
Mr Morrison said: ‘Yes, I do. This is a shattering incident, as I’ve said. It is very serious and we have been taking it very, very seriously, from the moment I became aware.
‘I don’t think this should be a matter of politics. It should be a matter of keeping people safe in this building.’
Mr Albanese’s final question on the matter came five minutes later, at 2.29pm. He said: ‘How can the defence minister maintain the Prime Minister’s confidence when the Prime Minister agrees that the defence minister was aware for two years of a reported serious offence occurring just down the corridor from the Prime Minister’s own office which potentially attracts a custodial sentence and did not inform the Prime Minister or his office, according to his own statements?’
The then-prime minister said he believed Ms Reynolds had ‘acted in good faith’ by ‘supporting Brittany’.
Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House after a night out in 2019
Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office for comment.
Ms Plibersek was asked whether she was approached by Wilkinson or her producer ahead of Question Time on the Seven Network on Monday morning.
She denied speaking to the journalists about the matter, but noted she had spoken with Ms Higgins to see how she was coping.
Ms Plibersek said that it should come as ‘no surprise’ that she went to bat for Ms Higgins.
‘It is absolutely no surprise that anybody would think that I would follow up on it, an instance like this,’ she said.
‘For 30 years I have been campaigning for better investigation and better treatment of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and child sexual assault.
‘It’s been a constant party of my political activism, long before anybody heard of Brittany Higgins.
‘I’ve been doing this for decades now, and it is no surprise that I would be interested in justice being served in a situation like this.’
She had nothing further to add when approached by Daily Mail Australia.
Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) has broken his silence in a TV interview two years after Brittany Higgins accused him of raping her in Parliament House
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