‘Bizarre’: Albo holds ground on Higgins texts

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down in his support for Katy Gallagher, saying he is “absolutely” confident she did not mislead parliament.

Mr Albanese was grilled by Sunrise host David Koch on his last show on Friday over what the now Finance and Women’s Minister knew before Brittany Higgins went public with her rape allegation in 2021.

A leaked audio recording of The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, her producer Angus Llewellyn, Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz in a pre-interview meeting, as well as leaked text messages between Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, have this week cast doubt over whether Senator Gallagher’s emphatic insistence she did not know about the story before it went public was true.

The tape reveals that during the lunch, Wilkinson and Mr Sharaz war-gamed which politicians and media personalities could add weight to Ms Higgins’ allegation and the broader issue of misogyny within the Liberal Party.

In June 2021, Ms Gallagher claimed “no one had any knowledge, how dare you” after then defence minister Linda Reynolds said she had been tipped off by a Labor senator that the issue would be raised in senate estimates.

Texts leaked to The Australian this week show Mr Sharaz told Ms Higgins that Senator Gallagher was “really ­invested’’ in her claims – four days before they were made public.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his deputy Sussan Ley have called for Senator Gallagher to come forward and answer questions, or risk her position in the frontbench becoming untenable.

Mr Albanese has stood firm by Senator Gallagher, denying any accusation she had misled parliament.

“What is being suggested here by Peter Dutton … you had allegations by a Liberal staffer that another Liberal staffer had a sexual assault in a Liberal minister’s office and, somehow, Katy Gallagher has some responsibility for what was going on here? This is bizarre,” he told Channel 7.

Mr Albanese also called for someone in the Coalition to release the Phil Gaetjens inquiry, which then prime minister Scott Morrison commissioned in the wake of the allegations.

“You had a circumstance also where Scott Morrison had an inquiry by Phil Gaetjens, his former chief of staff who was the head of Department and Prime Minister and Cabinet and tell him who knew what in his own office,” Mr Albanese said on Friday.

“We still have never, ever seen that report. I mean, for Peter Dutton to talk about transparency frankly is quite farcical here”

Ms Ley took issue with Mr Albanese’s emphasis on the Liberal Party, saying she was “really disappointed” the Prime Minister was trying to shift the blame.

“Today on Sunrise, we saw a Prime Minister with a tin ear, trying to muddy the water,” she said.

“When asked what he knew and when he knew it, he tried to dismiss the issue as one for the Liberal Party that occurred between Liberal staff. I was really disappointed in how he tried to dismiss this. It’s actually not about the politics of the people involved, it’s not about political parties, it’s not even about personalities.

“The Prime Minister needs to simply answer whether anyone on his frontbench, or in any of their offices, was made aware of this allegation before it became public and give us the details about that timeline.”

Senator lashes Wilkinson

The Liberal Party has also voiced their support for Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who lashed Wilkinson on Friday after leaked audio emerged of her making “racist” comments and struggling to pronounce the senator’s name.

A leaked part of the pre-interview recording shows Wilkinson pointing out the party had “preselected over 20 new and wonderfully diverse and strong female candidates like, and what’s her name, Nam … Nampinjumba? (sic). She’s an Indigenous woman.”

In response, Mr Sharaz laughed and said: “She clearly got in. Clearly it was a safe seat.”

‘That’s the thing, it was – as soon as I looked at it I thought, ‘Oh, you’re joking’,” Wilkinson said.

Mr Sharaz added: “They’ve been preselected in unwinnable seats.”

Mr Llewellyn joined in with a joke about the Coalition preselecting Ms Price, saying: “See, we know brown people.”

Mr Sharaz followed, “It’s like, ‘I’m not racist, I have a black friend’. It’s that argument.”

“I don’t have his number, though,” Mr Llewellyn said.

Wilkinson closed the chat, saying: “And our cleaner’s black.”

Ms Higgins is not heard engaging in this part of the conversation.

On Friday, Senator Price hit back, demanding Wilkinson apologise to her.

Senator Price said Wilkinson was living in an ivory tower and was far removed from real issues pertaining to Indigenous Australians

“There are derogatory and racist comments … what would you expect from individuals who belong to the woke,” she told 2GB.

“The Project has never been interested in the view of a conservative Indigenous woman from outback Australia. Not once has it demonstrated interest in the concerns I’ve raised.”

Senator Price said what had offended her the most was Wilkinson’s suggestion she was some sort of diversity pick.

“I would absolutely expect an apology from the 10 network, from Lisa Wilkinson herself. That would be the decent thing,” she said.

“Unfortunately, this woke culture allows racism to exist in plain sight.”