Disgust at how Brittany Higgins has been portrayed as a ‘witch’, anger at Lisa Wilkinson’s selfish role, and calls for an investigation into the secret $3 million payout – these are just some of the opinions of ordinary Aussies growing weary of the ‘never-ending’ saga sweeping Australian politics.
Ms Higgins, a former Liberal Party staffer, accused her colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her in March 2019 in a minister’s office at Parliament House.
Mr. Lehrmann has always strongly denied the allegations, and they were never proven in court after a mistrial.
But more than four years, two explosive interviews, a botched trial, a massive compensation payout, ongoing libel lawsuits and a deluge of leaks later, the case still dominates the political agenda.
This week Labor Secretary Katy Gallagher faced repeated questions from Liberal detractors about what she knew about Ms Higgins’ allegations before speaking out publicly in February 2021.
Brittany Higgins (pictured) accused colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her in a minister’s office at Parliament House in March 2019. He has always denied the allegations.
Daily Mail Australia polled Australians from all walks of life on the streets and beaches of Sydney for their views on the ‘never-ending’ saga sweeping Australian politics (stock image)
On Thursday, she appeared to succumb to the attack in the Senate, telling her fellow lawmakers she was “very disappointed” as she wiped tears from her eyes and fought to stop her lower lip from trembling.
That same day, it emerged that Ms. Higgins had been awarded a secret taxpayer-funded payout of up to $3 million after claiming she was no longer “fit to work” and would miss out on 40 years of earnings, according to a draft claim statement.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Australians from all walks of life on the streets and beaches of Sydney for their own take on the ‘never-ending’ saga.
While some were completely blank on the mention of Mrs. Higgins’ name, the vast majority refused to share their views, with many claiming the whole saga was “too complicated” or “poisonous.”
Most of those who did comment said their sympathy was entirely with Ms. Higgins and that they are disgusted by how the story of her alleged experience had turned into political football.
Garth Patrick (pictured) said: ‘My view is that the only reason the damages are such a significant amount is because of the public attention the case has attracted. It’s a political issue’
Jan Lingard (pictured) said: ‘It seems like there’s a new version every day. I am not a judge or a jury, but I find it difficult to find elements of truth in the story’
Friends Anastasia, 24, and Caitlin, 23, who work in Sydney’s CBD, both said they were happy Ms Higgins had received the taxpayer-funded compensation.
“I wish her all the best and hope she gets the help she needs to recover and move on with her life,” Anastasia said.
“Slandering her is really sad.”
Caitlin said no amount of money could reverse any of the alleged wrongdoings.
“I think a lot of people would care more about justice than money,” she said.
“If I were in that situation, you could throw as much money at me as you want, but it’s not going to matter as much as getting justice.”
Jan Lingard, 86, from Glebe in Sydney, spoke for many when she said it looked like it was going to be a ‘never-ending story’.
“I think there are so many loose ends — so many alternative versions of what could have happened. I don’t think any of us really know the truth of the whole thing,’ she said.
“There’s a new version every day, it seems. I’m not a judge or a jury, but I find it difficult to find elements of truth in the story.’
She added, “Something stinks. There’s something rotten in Denmark’s house, I think Shakespeare said.’
A Brisbane woman laid the blame at the doorstep of TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) for supposedly ‘politicizing’ Ms Higgins’ story
A new twist in the case emerged earlier this month when Mr Lehrmann broke his two-year media silence during a grilling by 7News Spotlight’s Liam Bartlett, where he flatly denied the allegations.
The network also aired never-before-seen security footage from Parliament House on the night of the alleged rape, as well as a recording of a five-hour meeting Ms Higgins had with Lisa Wilkinson and two others before filming her Project interview.
Wilkinson, who claimed she was driven by ‘people who deserve to be heard, not to be heard’, could be heard playing war games in which Labor MPs would challenge Ms Higgins’ case in Parliament.
Two Brisbane women, aged 39 and 46, said their view of the matter had been completely changed by Mr Lehrmann’s interview and the Spotlight revelations.
“Frankly, I think whoever should be blamed for this is fucking Lisa Wilkinson. She rode it big,” said the 39-year-old.
Brittany Higgins is photographed with her boyfriend David Sharaz in Canberra in February 2022
Bruce Lehrmann is pictured on the left with his lawyer Steven Whybrow
“It’s so politicized and Wilkinson is the one who drove that because she wanted to get credit for the story. I think she should apologize or at least acknowledge her part in it.’
She added, “You don’t mean to say you don’t believe her [Higgins] because as a woman you are supposed to believe another woman who says something like this happened. But the facts just don’t add up.
“She’s now the victim of the political game.”
The 46-year-old said: ‘I’m the last person to be blamed for the victim, but from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard it all seems very disingenuous.
Garth Patrick, 51, said he had empathy for Ms Higgins but criticized the politicization of the matter.
“My view is that the only reason why the damages are such a significant amount is because of the public attention the case has attracted. It’s a political issue,” he said.
“If this alleged attack had taken place anywhere other than in parliament, it would not have received nearly as much attention.”
“It has not been proven in court. It didn’t get that far. In terms of victim compensation, if it were proven in court, victims would get much less.
“How come they suddenly deliberated in such a short time to arrive at that figure?”
Mr. Patrick, who works in city finance, supported an inquiry into the payment.
“It’s public money and it’s in the public interest to know about it,” he said.
Another woman, who declined to be named, admitted the reported payout was “a lot of money.”
“But that said, a $3 million payout isn’t much if you’ve worked in big companies,” she said.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Katy Gallagher faced tough questions this week from Liberal detractors about what she knew about Ms Higgins’ allegations before speaking out publicly in February 2021
Lucia, 72, from Sydney, said she was tired of the way the matter had been politicised.
“Why does the media seem to contradict her now?” she asked.
‘Now it is as he is [Lehrmann] the hero and she is the witch. It is more about politics than about the actual situation. I don’t want to hear anything more.’
But Lucia said the compensation payment was none of her business.
“I don’t think the fee matters,” she said.
‘It [the alleged rape] happened – money won’t cover the trauma for the rest of her life.”
A 91-year-old man sitting on the promenade at Bondi Beach said the compensation payment was a ‘disgrace’.
“I find it hard to believe that the government would spend three million dollars on her for something he did [Lehrmann] says it didn’t happen… He wasn’t convicted,’ he said.
He continued, “It’s such a complicated story. A he-said-she-said kind of situation. The government shouldn’t have paid her $3 million for something that may never have happened.”
Mr Lehrmann’s trial was dropped in October last year due to jurors’ misconduct and all charges were later dropped in December due to concerns over Ms Higgins’ mental health.
He is now suing Channel Ten and the ABC for libel.