Dwell
Former Protection Minister Linda Reynolds has damaged her two-year silence, saying she has “a really completely different story” to inform concerning the Brittany Higgins rape scandal.
The previous Liberal cupboard minister was Ms Higgins’ boss when the political staffer alleged she was raped in Parliament Home in 2019.
In a four-hour interview with The Weekend AustralianSenator Reynolds claimed to be the sufferer of a “political hit job” designed to carry down each her and the previous Morrison authorities.
Senator Reynolds accused Labor of utilizing Ms Higgins’ rape allegation to orchestrate a marketing campaign in opposition to her “to the purpose the place I broke”.
“What occurred needs to be of concern to all Australians, as a result of this was clearly a political hit job on the federal government of the day to carry down the protection minister,” Senator Reynolds advised The Weekend Australian.
“Brittany Higgins, I consider, was used on this scenario in a approach that ought to solely ever have been a problem for the police and the justice system.”
Senator Reynolds stated when Ms Higgins’ story first broke within the media, the details didn’t match her recollection of what had occurred behind the scenes after the alleged incident in Parliament Home.
She stated Ms Higgins had a proper to inform her story, despite the fact that “it did not match with my recollection of occasions and my story”.
“It does not invalidate her proper to inform her story, which she has,” she stated.
The Weekend Australian experiences that an inner e-mail “has forged contemporary doubt” on claims Senator Reynolds did not assist Ms Higgins within the aftermath of the alleged rape, or correctly examine the incident.
The newspaper writes that Senator Reynolds met with Ms Higgins on April 1, 2019 after the incident however her worker “didn’t at any level” point out rape or assault.
Senator Reynolds claims she steered Ms Higgins ought to converse to the police, and her chief of employees Fiona Brown took Ms Higgins to Australian Federal Law enforcement officials stationed within the parliament constructing.
“Brittany did that on Monday (April 1), however she got here again to me and stated that, you recognize, it was useful however ‘I am not gonna pursue it additional’,” Senator Reynolds stated.
“So I stated, okay, effectively, no matter you want.”
The Weekend Australian writes that three days later the AFP suggested her that Ms Higgins would make a grievance.
Senator Reynolds stated she believed the police had been following up on the grievance, and stated she provided Ms Higgins assist and invited her to maintain working for her after the election.
“She declined. She thanked me for being an excellent boss. She gave me flowers, after which she went to Michaelia Money’s workplace, on a promotion,” Senator Reynolds stated.
Two years later
Senator Reynolds stated two years later she turned conscious of one thing that occurred two weeks earlier than the bombshell interview The Venture.
Senator Reynolds stated she was given a heads up about what was about to unfold by a buddy within the Labor occasion, the late senator Kimberley Kitching.
Senator Reynolds stated: “She stated, ‘Linda, I’ve received one thing to let you know. I am so offended. We (Labor) learn about an incident that occurred in your workplace two years in the past. We have it and it is going to be weaponised’.
“And that was the phrase she used: ‘Weaponised’. So she did not use Brittany’s identify however clearly I knew what she was speaking about.
“I stated, ‘What? Why would you do this to a younger girl? Why would you do this?’. Kimberly agreed. She stated, ‘I am so sorry’,” Senator Reynolds claims.
“This was clearly, clearly, a really well-orchestrated political hit to take down the minister of protection of the day, and in addition the federal government,” she stated.
“Brittany’s story was good for the MeToo motion and for these of my colleagues within the Senate who had been attempting to carry down the federal government.”
Labor on assault
Senator Reynolds stated Labor senators “simply saved at me asking me questions day after day, basically saying that I lined up the rape of a younger girl”.
“And that was one of the crucial distressing and confronting issues in your office, having your colleagues not solely in your office, however in entrance of your entire nation, accusing you day after day of masking up the rape of a lady.”
The Weekend Australian quoted a joint assertion from Senators Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher which stated: “The report exhibits that Senator Wong and Senator Gallagher requested affordable questions of the then Morrison authorities about how they responded to these severe allegations.
Many of those questions stay unanswered. These new claims from Senator Reynolds are utterly rejected and reveal a deep lack of respect for the autonomy of her former employees member who made these allegations.”
The Venture interview
Senator Reynolds recounted watching The Venture interview in her workplace together with her employees.
“It was identical to a bomb went off in my head. It was like, what’s, what’s Lisa saying? What is that this dialog about me and about Fiona?” she advised The Australian.
“As a result of virtually every part that was stated didn’t accord with my recollection of what had occurred two years beforehand.
“I really could not consider what I used to be listening to and seeing. It was simply such a shock. Being accused of masking up the rape of a younger girl for political functions. It was like a stake by my coronary heart.
“It hurts.”
Of journalist Lisa Wilkinson’s media interview Senator Reynolds stated: “I checked out (the interview) and thought: ‘Who on Earth would put a clearly distressed younger girl on nationwide TV speaking about a problem earlier than she raised it with the police?’
“However as Brittany Higgins has stated: it turned not about her, however about journalists jockeying for awards and the MeToo motion.
“What was The Venture considering? Placing a lady as distressed as Brittany Higgins was on nationwide TV earlier than she’d even talked to the police once more. Placing her exterior Parliament Home in entrance of hundreds of individuals. I imply, how is that not exploitation?”
‘mendacity cow’
Senator Reynolds stated her “mendacity cow” remark, which was revealed within the media after Ms Higgins went public, had been in reference to claims she had did not assist her employees.
Senator Reynolds was heard making the slur in an open-plan space of her parliamentary workplace
Senator Reynolds stated she paid damages to Ms Higgins out of her personal pocket “for it to go away”.
“I used to be in no state to defend myself.”
Hardest years
“It has been the toughest two years of my life, with out query,” stated Senator Reynolds.
“I have never been in a position to converse and my chief of employees and others have not been in a position to inform their story. And now we have a really completely different story.”
At one level, as her well being was additionally failing, Senator Reynolds stated she collapsed on the lavatory ground, “damaged, sobbing and inconsolable”.
