Higgins seeks apology over ‘lying cow’ comment

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has demanded a public apology from Defence Minister Linda Reynolds for saying she was a ‘‘lying cow’’ in remarks to staff in her ministerial office.

Ms Higgins asked her lawyers to issue the demand yesterday and prepare defamation action if Senator Reynolds – her former boss – did not issue a complete apology for the ‘‘distasteful character assassination’’ in the remarks.

The Australian newspaper reported on Wednesday night that Senator Reynolds referred to Brittany Higgins as a ‘‘lying cow’’ in front of other staff.

Senator Reynolds has not denied she made the remark about Ms Higgins, who alleges she was raped by a colleague in Senator Reynolds’s office in 2019.

The Defence Minister apologised to staff shortly after making the comment, and conceded they were ‘‘inappropriate and wrong’’ in a conversation with Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday.

Ms Higgins’ lawyer, Rebekah Giles of Company Giles, wrote a letter to Senator Reynolds yesterday seeking the apology and saying the request constituted a ‘‘concerns notice’’ under defamation law and warning of further action over the ‘‘lying cow’’ statement if necessary. ‘‘This demeaning and belittling statement ... is highly defamatory of our client’s good character and unblemished reputation,’’ Ms Giles wrote.

‘‘The cavalier manner in which those words were spoken make it plain that they were not spoken privately or in confidence.

‘‘You are also aware that this distasteful character assassination of our client has been republished widely, causing her immense hurt and distress.

‘‘Your comments are particularly malicious in view of the assault on our client that took place in your office, which is now the subject of a police investigation.’’

Earlier, Ms Higgins said the comments made by Senator Reynolds were ‘‘incredibly hurtful’’ and evidence of the ‘‘toxic workplace culture’’ in Parliament House.

Senator Reynolds said the comments were not in reference to Ms Higgins’ claims about being sexually assaulted but separate news reports about her own response to the incident.

‘‘A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins,’’ Senator Reynolds said in a statement. ‘‘I have never questioned Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter.

‘‘I did however comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented. I have consistently respected Ms Higgins’ agency and privacy and said this is her story to tell and no one else’s.’’

Senator Reynolds was admitted to hospital the week after Ms Higgins made her allegation publicly, and has been on medical leave.

Mr Morrison said Senator Reynolds apologised to her staff shortly after making the comments.

‘‘She knows those comments to have been inappropriate and wrong,’’ he said.

‘‘The second point, though, is they were made in her private office in a stressful week. And they weren’t made in a public place, and nor were they intended for that. That doesn’t excuse it, not for a second. And she made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that.’’

Mr Morrison said it was important to point out that Senator Reynolds was not making the comments in relation to the allegation of sexual assault.

‘‘Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided, and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support,’’ he said. ‘‘Clearly, over a period of time there was a very different view about that. And we’ve acknowledged that.’’

Ms Higgins told Senator Reynolds, the then-defence industry minister, about being raped by another Liberal staffer in the Senator’s office in Parliament House in March 2019.