Lisa Wilkinson breaks silence about Brittany Higgins after Bruce Lehrmann spoke out

Lisa Wilkinson has denied approaching Labor politicians to ask questions about Brittany Higgins’ sexual assault allegations in Parliament.

Bombshell audio revealed that Wilkinson had named both Tanya Plibersek and Anthony Albanese during a meeting with Ms Higgins and her boyfriend David Sharaz before the former staffer brought up her sexual assault allegations on The Project.

She suggested that both could be “friendly MPs” who could “ask questions during question time.”

The day after the interview aired, the duo put five questions together to then Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

But Wilkinson told The Australian she denied speaking to any politician about the Brittany Higgins issue, despite her bold claims in the leaked audio.

“I have also not spoken to other politicians, their supervisors or apparatchiks,” she said.

Ms Plibersek has also denied speaking to Wilkinson or her producer about Ms Higgins prior to Question Time.

Wilkinson conducted an unofficial five-hour ‘pre-interview’ with Ms Higgins before the Channel Ten show aired on 15 February 2021.

Mrs Higgins’ friend, David Sharaz, asked if Wilkinson had “friendly MPs” who could “ask questions during Question Time”.

“Oh, sure Albo,” Wilkinson replied, adding, “Tanya Plibersek, sure.”

Daily Mail Australia released footage on Monday showing Mr Albanese and Ms Plibersek asking five questions about Ms Higgins’ allegations to Mr Morrison during question time the day after The Project aired, on 16 February.

Mr Albanese posed the first question of the session – as is customary for opposition leaders – to ask whether Mr Morrison would launch an external inquiry into culture within the House of Parliament over Ms Higgins’ allegations.

Six minutes later, Mrs. Plibersek made a direct reference to Mrs. Higgins for the first time. She said, “When and how did the Prime Minister first learn of the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins?”

Ms Higgins claims she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House after a night out in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.

Mr. Morrison flipped through his reply, insisting that he was aware of the allegations on the morning of The Project’s report and that his office only knew of the complaint days earlier.

But Ms Plibersek questioned his claims, noting in a second question that he had contradicted Ms Higgins’ version of events, which stated that the Prime Minister’s private secretary had been informed of the alleged attack in 2019.

The Prime Minister claimed in his press conference that Ms Higgins’s statements were confused. Earlier, the prime minister said that victims of sexual assault should be believed. Why doesn’t that apply in this case?’ she asked.

Mr Morrison tried to sidestep the issue by quoting Ms Higgins herself, who earlier in the day had asked that her ‘privacy be respected’ as she ‘began to recover emotionally’.

Ms Higgins’ statement said she would not comment further on the allegations.

The Prime Minister said: “I will comply with that request and we will try to proceed with this matter through the mechanisms I have already announced today and possibly through the other mechanisms that have been proposed.”

In the bombshell audio played by Seven’s Spotlight on Sunday night, Wilkinson told Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and her producer Angus Llewellyn that she is “a big believer in ‘people’s time will come’.”

Mr Sharaz replied, ‘Is it Linda’s time? Please God, let it be Linda’s time.’

Mrs. Wilkinson replied, “Well, you could.”

During Question Time, Mr Albanese questioned Mr Morrison about Ms Reynolds’ role in Parliament and asked whether it was “acceptable for the Defense Secretary to know that a reported serious crime had been committed in her office, but the Prime Minister or his did not notify the office’.

To that Mr. Morrison said, ‘It isn’t, and it shouldn’t happen again.’

Three minutes later, Mr Albanese returned with another question on the matter, asking whether Mr Morrison had ‘confidence in his defense minister’.

Mr Morrison said, ‘Yes, I do. This is a shocking incident, as I said. It’s very serious and we’ve taken it very, very seriously from the moment I became aware of it.

“I don’t think this should be a matter of politics. It should be about keeping people safe in this building.”

Mr Albanese’s last question on this came five minutes later at 2.29 pm.

He said: ‘How can the Defense Secretary retain the Prime Minister’s confidence if the Prime Minister agrees that the Defense Secretary had known for two years about a reported serious crime that took place just down the corridor from his own office? of the Prime Minister, which may carry a prison sentence? and according to his own statements did not inform the Prime Minister or his office?’

The then Prime Minister said he believed Ms Reynolds had acted ‘in good faith’ in ‘supporting Brittany’.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Albanese’s office for comment.

Ms Plibersek was asked if she had been 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 that she had spoken to Ms Higgins to see how she was doing.

Ms Plibersek said it should come as ‘no surprise’ that she went to work for Ms Higgins.

“It’s absolutely no surprise that someone would think I’d follow up on it, a case like this,” she said.

‘For 30 years I have been fighting for better research into and better treatment of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and child sexual assault.

It’s been a constant celebration of my political activism long before anyone heard of Brittany Higgins.

“I’ve been doing this for decades now and it’s no surprise that in a situation like this I would be interested in justice.”

She had nothing further to add when approached by Daily Mail Australia.

Meanwhile, Shadow Employment and Workplace Relations Secretary Michaelia Cash was asked directly by 2GB’s Ben Fordham whether the payment of up to $3 million Brittany Higgins was made in secret should be investigated by the new federal corruption watchdog.

Daily Mail Australia revealed on Saturday that Attorney General Mark Dreyfus signed off on the payment without seeking advice from Ms Higgins’ former employers, Ms Cash and Labor Secretary Linda Reynolds.

Ms Cash said it was up to Albanese and his government to justify the payment.

“Sure, Mr. Dreyfus has some questions to answer,” she said.

Anyone who watched Seven’s Spotlight on Sunday night came away with more questions than answers. Tanya Plibersek struggled to answer questions. Katy Gallacher needs to properly explain her role in this.

“The project must release the five-hour recording that is devastating for everyone involved.

When asked if Brittany Higgins was mistreated while working for herself or Linda Reynolds, Ms Cash said: ‘Absolutely not.

“I have been clear in my position from day one. The first time I heard the word rape was when I got a question from a journalist after Mrs. Higgins left my office,” she said.