A radio host has slammed the $2.3 million compensation payout to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, which was unveiled in Federal Court on Tuesday.
Ms Higgins was awarded the payout after claiming she was raped in a minister's office by fellow political worker Bruce Lehrmann in March 2019.
The criminal trial against Mr Lehrmann – who has always denied the charge – collapsed in October 2022 due to juror misconduct and was subsequently abandoned due to fears for Ms Higgins' mental health.
Speaking 2GB radio, Ben Fordham said Wednesday morning that the payout “has never been properly explained and has never been justified.”
“The former political staffer has confirmed the figure in the Federal Court, and it begs the question as to why that compensation was paid to Brittany,” he asked.
Brittany Higgins (pictured center) leaves after her last day in the witness box at the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney, Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Fordham said he was objecting because Ms Higgins' “shocking claim about that night in Parliament House has never been proven.”
But the shock jock said what Ms Higgins said earlier 'about what happened in the days and weeks after that night at Parliament House, well, that story has been torn to shreds under cross-examination in court'.
“But if we put it aside, he said, he said of the evening in Parliament House, this was also a political issue, because Labor gave it everything it was worth.
“And a senior individual, (Canberra MP) Katy Gallagher, was even briefed on the allegations before they were made public,” Fordham said.
He said Ms Higgin's friend David Sharaz said in a message that then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison was about to be “outed…just wait” and that she had replied: “We have him.” .
Fordham said that after Labor came to power in the May 2022 federal election, “a compensation payment for Brittany was approved. It happened very quickly.”
“Her former bosses, (Senator) Michaelia Cash and (Senator) Linda Reynolds were not allowed to be part of that lawsuit and it happened without any damages claim ever being filed in court.”
He said Mrs Higgins “had claimed she would not be able to work for the next 40 years. The Albanian government paid the 2.3 million without questioning the veracity of that claim…
“Brittany claims that Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash abandoned her and exacerbated a toxic and harmful work environment.”
Fordham said Ms. Cash and Ms. Reynolds deny any wrongdoing, and “in fact, it was Linda Reynolds and her then-chief of staff, Fiona Brown, who encouraged Brittany to go to the police.”
He said legal experts his show spoke to said they had never seen anything settled so quickly. 'Why was the money paid? That remains the $2.3 million question.”
Fordham said: 'The issue of compensation is a political issue because the Labor Party has made it an issue. They were given briefings before the accusation was broadcast on TV.
Bruce Lehrmann (right) arrives at the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney on Wednesday, December 6, 2023
“So from Labor's point of view this was a conflict of interest. Brittany's supporters handed them all the information they needed to plant a bomb under the coalition.
“And when Labor was sworn in, they handed Brittany Higgins $2.3 million.
“That was never properly explained and never justified,” Fordham said.