An explosive new tranche of leaked texts suggests Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was tipped off about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation before the story broke and raises questions over previous statements she made about the extent of her knowledge.
The texts, obtained by The Australian, were provided by Ms Higgins to police during the criminal investigation.
They were subsequently shared with police, the DPP and Bruce Lehrmann’s defence team.
They were leaked to the media by an unknown source without Ms Higgins’ consent.
The texts suggest Ms Higgins’ boyfriend David Sharaz, a former journalist, was in contact with now-Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.
On February 11, 2021, four days before the story broke Mr Sharaz messaged Ms Higgins to say: “Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for … She’s really invested now ha ha.”
Later Mr Sharaz wrote: “She’s an old friend. We opened a chair together! So you can trust her.”
Ms Higgins replied, “going forward pass my details onto Katy. I’m happy to talk to her.”
Mr Sharaz replied “No, no. That’s really okay … I don’t mind talking to Katy.
“But we can both speak to her if that’s easier.”
Ms Higgins then said to Mr Sharaz, “please just send people my way going forward.”
The Australian reports that Mr Sharaz later told Ms Higgins: “Katy Gallagher messaged me. “She’s angry and wants to help.
“She’s got the context. Says they knew something was wrong because they fired Bruce and not you. They avoided a scandal.”
Ms Higgins: “Can I see her message?”
Mr Sharaz: “Yep! I gave her [The Project] interview for context. I hope that’s okay? She’s not doing anything with it. But I’m also happy to step out and let her talk to you if you want. Basically, I wanted her to get all the context because it’s so complicated.”
Ms Higgins: “That’s fine. It’ll all be public pretty soon anyway haha.”
‘How dare you’
Senator Gallagher was previously quizzed in Parliament about the state of her knowledge before the story broke.
In response to a claim a Labor senator had tipped off Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, Senator Gallagher was indignant in June, 2021.
“No-one had any knowledge. How dare you,’’ Senator Gallagher said.
The heated clash was caught on video before the three women – then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, now Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and the Labor leader Penny Wong went into a private meeting about Senator Reynolds’ shock claim.
During the trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who was accused of raping Ms Higgins before charges were dropped, the ACT Supreme court was played an excerpt of a six-hour recording in 2021 involving staff at Channel 10’s The Project and Mr Sharaz, with Ms Higgins present.
During the discussion, Mr Sharaz is heard saying they wanted the story to break at the start of a sitting week and said he had a “friend” on the Labor side, the now finance minister Katy Gallagher, who would “probe and continue it going”.
“So sitting week, the story comes out, they have to answer questions in Question Time, it’s a mess for them,” he said.
“I know where this started” – Linda Reynolds’ warning to Katy Gallagher
In the June 2021 video Senator Linda Reynolds accuses Labor senators of being secretly briefed on the rape allegation before the story broke telling them, “I know how this started.”
“I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office. Two weeks before,’’ Senator Reynolds said.
“I did answer your questions, to the point that you ground me to the ground and I ended up in hospital but I am back here, I am answering questions and I am assisting the AFP with their inquiries,’’ Senator Reynolds told Senate estimates in June, 2021.
It prompted a furious reaction from Labor senators Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong in Senate estimates that day.
Wong said: “I beg your pardon? Chair, she’s just made an imputation on the Hansard.
“We’d like to understand what she’s just asserted.”
Both Wong and Gallagher questioned Reynolds over what she meant when she said “I know where this started”.
Reynolds replied: “I really don’t think we should be doing this here, but if you want me to do that …” to which Wong replied “Yes”.
‘Feed everything to Katy’
When Ms Higgins suspected someone from the Prime Minister’s office had been “backgrounding” against them, there was a discussion about involving Senator Gallagher again.
“You may as well feed everything you have to Katy,” she said. “The sooner we can nip it in the bud the better. Especially if we can call them out by name.”
Mr Sharaz responded: “I’ve texted katy and SHY (Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young).”
David Sharaz’ fury over Scott Morrison
The texts reveal Mr Sharaz’s fury towards former prime minister Scott Morrison, at one point admitting “I still hate the c…”.
Ms Higgins says: “He’s about to be f..ked over. Just wait. We’ve got him”.
Albo rejects claims he was approached
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejects claims that he was enlisted by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz as a “friendly MP”.
Asked whether he had been contacted by Channel 10’s Lisa Wilkinson or anyone else associated with Ms Higgins to publicise the case in question time he responded “No.”
However, the text messages obtained by The Australian suggest Mr Sharaz was in contact with Mr Albanese, although not until April, 2021.
On April 16, 2021 Mr Sharaz texted Ms Higgins: “So Albo gave me his number – he just came in to do the breakfast show – and says if you meet with ScoMo to let him know and he’ll fly to Canberra to be there if you want to meet with him too.”
Ms Higgins responded: “For sure. I have no qualms meeting with Albo.”