Katy Gallagher once again denies the accusation of misleading parliament regarding her awareness of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, as the Australian Federal Police examines a complaint regarding the unauthorized disclosure of text messages related to the case.
Katy Gallagher denies the accusation of misleading parliament regarding Brittany Higgins’ allegations
Addressing the Senate, the federal finance minister reiterated her previous stance that while she had prior knowledge of Higgins’ rape allegations before they became public, her statement during an estimates committee three years ago, claiming that “no one had any knowledge” of the matter, did not amount to misleading parliament.
Gallagher referenced the Senate estimates session on June 4, 2021, where the former defense minister, Senator Linda Reynolds, stated, “I know where this started.”
Continuing her statement, Gallagher further revealed, “I was informed by one of your senators two weeks prior about your intention to bring forward the story related to my office.” The mention of “two weeks before” highlighted a specific timeframe in which this information was shared.
Expressing her surprise at Senator Reynolds’ assertion, which implied her involvement in making the story public, Gallagher vehemently denied any responsibility or involvement in such actions. She emphasized that the claim was entirely false, reiterating her previous response that “no one had any knowledge” of the matter.
Additionally, Gallagher disclosed that she had previously discussed her awareness of the allegations with Senator Reynolds during a private meeting two years ago, and Reynolds had acknowledged and accepted this explanation.