AARON PATRICK: Brittany Higgins scandal finally ends, leaving a trail of political devastation, broken lives

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has no regrets, she says, about her role in one of the most destructive scandals of modern politics, the allegation by Brittany Higgins that her claim of being raped on a Parliament House sofa was ignored by the last Coalition government to avoid political embarrassment.

History shows, though, that Ms Gallagher and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong were operating on inaccurate information when they brutally pursued Ms Higgins’ former boss, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and, indirectly, her chief of staff at the time, Fiona Brown, on behalf of the young adviser.

On Thursday morning, Ms Gallagher defended her approach after the scandal was finally closed with a legal settlement between Ms Brown and the federal government, which Ms Brown claimed turned against her as the bombshell claims rocked politics in 2021.

“I think the questions that we asked were reasonable and appropriate considering the seriousness of the issues that had been raised about conduct of particular individuals in this building,” an unrepentant Senator Gallagher told ABC radio.

Those questions, which literally drove Ms Reynolds to tears in the Senate, were among the toughest any female leader could face. They can be summarised as: did you pressure one of your staff not to report a rape to save yourself?

Ms Higgins’ assertion she was sexually assaulted after a night out drinking with colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Canberra on March 23, 2019, was upheld in a civil lawsuit in 2024. But two judges disagreed with her claims against Ms Reynolds and Ms Brown, both of whom were damned in the court of public opinion even though, according to them, they offered Ms Higgins complete support after her assault complaint. (Mr Lehrmann continues to deny he raped her.)

Ms Reynolds famously became so emotional in the Senate on February 18, 2021, after being questioned about her treatment of Ms Higgins that she began crying and asked for permission not to answer a question.

The case had profound consequences. It contributed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s heavy defeat in the 2022 election, led to new procedures to help political staff in distress and made politicians across the country acutely sensitive of the need to carefully manage young men and women thrust into important jobs.

Former advisers involved in the case expressed great sympathy for Ms Brown, who said in 2023 the pressure led her to try to take her life. “I hope she got a lot of money,” one said today.

Ms Brown’s settlement is confidential, but her age and the nature of her complaint probably makes it unlikely she will receive as much as $2.445 million, the sum paid to much-younger Ms Higgins.

To receive what she considered justice, Ms Brown had to turn on her former colleagues. A long-time mid-level political worker, she alleged she was treated as expendable by Mr Morrison when he apologised for Ms Higgins’ treatment in the House of Representatives.

She filed a complaint in the Federal Court asserting her workplace rights were breached, an allegation due to be heard next March. Mr Morrison and several of his senior staff were among the expected witnesses, potentially turning the case into a mini trial of the Morrison Government’s morality.

To prepare for the hearing government lawyers were required to gather evidence defending Mr Morrison and his staff. But they provided little help, according to sources, weakening the government’s defence and helping make a deal more likely because lawyers prefer not to enter court with a weak case.

The affair has inflicted great damage on almost everyone involved, including Mr Morrison, Ms Higgins, Ms Reynolds, Ms Brown, political advisers, police officers and journalists. It is an example of the danger of turning allegations into political weapons, although in this case those questioned had their careers destroyed while their interrogators enjoy the spoils of office.