Anthony Albanese insists Brittany Higgins’ $2.4 million payout was not a ‘political’ decision

Anthony Albanese has angrily rejected former WA senator Linda Reynolds’ call for an apology over discredited claims that Brittany Higgins’ rape was the subject of a political cover-up.

The former defence minister is demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal, claiming she was “fed to the lions” in the Senate and cut out of mediation ahead of a $2.4 million payout to Ms Higgins.

In Perth on Wednesday, Mr Albanese distanced himself from Ms Higgins’ taxpayer-funded settlement, which made no admission of liability but acknowledged potential legal claims “against the Commonwealth, Mr Lehrmann, (her former bosses) senator (Linda) Reynolds, Senator (Michaelia) Cash, the Commonwealth… and the Liberal Party of Australia.”

“Those things are hands off from the Government. I had no role in that,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is not a political decision by me as Prime Minister, and that is entirely appropriate that that be the case.”

Ms Reynolds hit back, calling the Prime Minister’s response a “train-wreck” and appealing again for him to intervene.

“These workplace allegations were conflated by Labor and then ruthlessly weaponised for years under the cover of parliamentary privilege,” she said.

“The Labor Government then ignored the evidence available at the time, gagged me, and paid Ms Higgins $2.4 million of taxpayer money for her lies.

“(The Prime Minister) and the Attorney General can still end this justly and transparently. But his comments today indicate that is unlikely.

“Instead I suspect his government will continue to deflect, distance, deny and await the findings of yet another court.”

In an April civil case ruling, Federal Court judge Michael Lee found that Bruce Lehrmann did, on the balance of probabilities, rape Ms Higgins inside the former defence minister’s office in Parliament in 2019.

But Justice Lee found there was no cover-up and, in August, a WA Supreme Court judge awarded Ms Reynolds $315,000 in a defamation case against Ms Higgins.

Ms Reynolds has now launched bankruptcy proceedings against her former staffer.

Justice Paul Tottle wrote that Ms Higgins’ cover up claim was “sensational” and “assured of attracting media interest but it was untrue.”

Asked whether “mean girls” Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher should apologise, Mr Albanese rejected the “characterisation” that his senior ministers weaponised the cover-up claim against Ms Reynolds.

“Hang on, a rape occurred, a judge found on the balance of probability, in a ministerial office in Parliament House. I think that’s a pretty big issue,” he said.