Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison said claims that his government had covered up the allegations made by Brittany Higgins were “completely and utterly false”, as he was called to give evidence in Linda Reynolds’ defamation case against the former staffer.
Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.
As part of that case, Mr Morrison was called to give evidence in WA’s Supreme Court via video link, despite being in WA over the weekend.
As he began his evidence, the former Prime Minister paid tribute to his former defence minister, describing her as a “good friend and a trustworthy colleague”.
He was then taken to 2021 and Ms Higgins’ interview with The Project when she detailed the allegation that she had been raped in the office of Ms Reynolds while she was working for her as a junior media officer.
He said the first he heard of those allegations was on February 15, the day that the interview aired.
And in the days following, he said he experienced the political firestorm which erupted – and saw the effect that had on his then defence minister – which included a near collapse on the floor of the Senate.
“She was sitting in the Whip’s office and was in a very distressed state,” he said.
“I provided her comfort as a friend, but also as her prime minister and leader, and expressed my strong support for her.
“Both the mental anguish and the physical evidence of that was very distressing to see in such a good friend.
“She was quite visibly, physically stressed and in a highly fragile emotional state at that point, when I went to see her.
“I was unaware of her, her cardiac condition. This was brought to my attention with her permission sometime later, and that only deepened my concern.
“And I remember for a period there, we were very fearful that … this could be a fatal outcome for her.”
Mr Morrison said he viewed the scrutiny on Ms Reynolds as “quite aggressive and co-ordinated”.
“It was the weaponising of this issue for political purposes to discredit both Senator Reynolds and minister Reynolds at the time — and the government and by extension, myself,” Mr Morrison said.
Asked about what the former PM understood was being levelled against him, he said the allegation was “the government was involved in the cover-up of this issue.”
“Which was completely and utterly false, and without any foundation,” he said.
Mr Morrison’s evidence followed that of Senator Reynolds’s partner Robert Reid on Monday.
Mr Reid told the trial the “whole saga has had an immeasurable impact on Linda, on myself”.
“It has affected every part of our life,” he told the Western Australian Supreme Court.
“I hope that one day we can get that relationship back.”
Mr Reid said the senator and his love was based on travel, politics, humour, family and spending time at the senator’s Bali home.
That all changed in 2021 when Ms Higgins went public with accusations about the senator covering up her alleged rape in 2019.
It led to Senator Reynolds having a public breakdown and being diagnosed with serious cardiac issues, the trial has been told.
“It has changed our lives utterly,” he said.
He said the senator’s medical issues had impacted her ability to travel.
“Linda now will have to take blood pressure monitors … the medication she has to take,” he said.
Mr Reid said the couple’s relationship with his children from his first marriage was also impacted.
He said his daughter didn’t initially believe the senator’s version of events.
“When this first erupted, in 2021, I know who she believed and it wasn’t Linda to start with,” he said.
“There was reticence from my daughter to engage with Linda.”
Mr Reid also said Ms Higgins’ allegations and the political firestorm that followed also impacted the senator’s social life.
“Linda’s invitation list has shrunk. Just the other day, there was an event where the leader of the opposition had to ask somebody to represent him in a function,” he said.
“Now I know the people he asked, one of them accepted. I actually suggested Linda as an option and his office said ‘wish her well’.”
Senator Reynolds’ interaction with the public has also changed, Mr Reid told the court.
“It has affected how people come up to her, some to sneer, the great majority of people to say ‘well done, keep it going’,” he said.
with AAP