September 3rd 2024.
During a recent defamation trial, it was revealed that Sky News political commentator Peta Credlin had assisted former staffer Brittany Higgins in drafting a statement outlining her plan to reform the way parliament handles sexual harassment. This statement was intended to fight against Senator Linda Reynolds, who believed that a series of social media posts from 2023 had damaged her reputation.
According to Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett, a statement that was purported to be from Higgins herself was actually not written by her. During his closing submissions, Bennett stated that the statement, which was read by Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young, did not sound like Higgins at all. He also mentioned that the statement was drafted by a person named Sharaz and was edited by Credlin, who used to be former prime minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff.
Bennett then proceeded to read out a series of messages between Sharaz and Credlin, in which Sharaz thanked Credlin for her help and even gave her permission to completely rework the initial draft. According to Bennett, Credlin provided suggestions to rework certain paragraphs and even asked Sharaz to call her so she could explain the changes further. He also mentioned that Sharaz had sent the edited document to journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Bennett went on to caution that statements made by Higgins after her interview on The Project and the Maiden article should be treated with caution, as they may not truly reflect her motives. He believed that these statements were made in the midst of a bandwagon effect, where others were jumping on board to support Higgins' cause.
Young, on the other hand, concluded her closing argument for Higgins' defense by stating that Senator Reynolds had repeatedly stated she was protecting Higgins' agency in her handling of the alleged rape. However, Young argued that Higgins had no agency when she was raped in March 2019 on the couch in Senator Reynolds' private office. In an extract from Higgins' statement, read by Young, Higgins mentioned that she had re-engaged with the Australian Federal Police and would be proceeding with a formal complaint over her alleged rape.
Higgins also stated in her statement that the prime minister had repeatedly told the parliament that she should be given agency going forward. However, she personally did not feel like she had been given agency over the past two years. But now, she had her voice and she was determined to use it to ensure that no other member of staff would have to go through the same trauma that she experienced during her time in parliament house.
Higgins' ultimate goal was to prevent this from happening to anyone else and she believed that she now had the power to do so. She stated that she had advised the Prime Minister's Office that she expected a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff. She concluded her statement by saying that she was driven by her desire to make a difference and ensure that no one else would have to go through what she did.
The trial is set to continue today, with Bennett scheduled to complete his closing remarks.
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