Labor Bunkers Down As Opposition and Greens Push on Higgins and Housing

Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher during question time in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 14, 2023. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

The Labor government has been forced to bunker down after being buffeted on two fronts (in both the upper and lower house) by the opposition over the Higgins saga and the Australian Greens on housing affordability.

This comes after finance minister, Senator Katy Gallagher, faced claims she had misled parliament over her knowledge of Brittany Higgins’s rape allegations following her admission on June 13 that she had been informed about Higgins’s alleged rape—after denying the accusation—while proclaiming she had done “absolutely nothing” with the information.

The finance minister had little choice but to make the admission after text messages emerged suggesting Gallagher, and other senior Labor MPs, had tried to leverage the alleged assault for political gain.

Questions Continue Over Higgins, Sharaz, Gallagher

During Question Time on June 14, in the lower house, Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese how Gallagher’s actions aligned with his claim that the senator had been transparent.

The prime minister said the question came “on cue,” and the Liberal-National Coalition was attempting to blame Labor for sexual assault allegations that occurred between two Liberal staffers (Higgins and the accused, Bruce Lehrmann, both worked for Coalition Senator Linda Reynolds).

“I am asked about transparency,” the prime minister said.

“Senator Reynolds said this that evening. ‘Senators Wong, Gallagher, and I had a respectful discussion during dinner break and assured me that they were not in that matter becoming public; I accept their assurance, thank you,’” he told parliament.

In the upper house, Gallagher was asked directly by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson to explain her relationship with David Sharaz, the partner of Higgins—after text messages exchanged between Higgins and Sharaz formed the core of revelations that senior Labor figures were involved.

Gallagher said she had been invited to Sharaz’s first wedding in 2019 but did not attend.

“I don’t recall, but the answer is no,” Gallagher responded, denying that Sharaz was a friend.

“I’m not responsible for how people describe their relationship with me.”

Higgins Saga Conflated With Wider Sexual Assault Issue

Labor has tried to deflect and conflate the opposition’s line of questioning over the Higgins saga, claiming it will impact sexual assault survivors.

Senator Penny Wong asked whether further questions were appropriate, while Senator Anne Urquhart claimed it would have a long-term impact on assault survivors.

“That is not what this country is about. This is not what this government is about,” she told the Senate. “We want those women to stand up. We want them to speak out, and we want them to get help.”

“We don’t want women to hide in the corner and not speak out about these issues ... And the actions of what is happening from that side [the opposition] every single day is not going to help that.”

However, the opposition rejected those claims, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton arguing, in the lower house, “that the opposition’s role was to hold the government to account.”

“The questions we’re asking at the moment in relation to whether the government conspired to seek political advantage out of an alleged sexual assault is absolutely reasonable for us to ask in Question Time,” he said.

“It doesn’t demean the allegation of sexual assault, doesn’t seek to second-guess the court process that has taken place in ACT. It doesn’t seek [to prove] innocence or guilt of any party in this matter; it seeks to hold the government to account for their [handling of the matter].”

PM Accuses Greens of Hypocrisy Over Housing

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Albanese was also forced to fend off consistent attacks from the Greens on housing affordability and rent controls.

Greens housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, called on the government to mobilise National Cabinet to implement rent freezes across the country.

“When will he finally act on rent increases and freeze rent increases in the states?” he asked.

Albanese said the Greens were trying to position themselves as advocates for affordable housing, despite Chandler-Mather campaigning against new housing developments in his Brisbane electorate of Griffith.

“He opposes 855 new homes including apartments, townhouses, and detached townhouses on a 20-hectare site for over 2,000 extra residents,” the prime minister said.

“So do not come in here and say you support housing when you will not support any in your own electorate and when you are opposing 30,000 new, additional, social, and audible housing units, including 4,000 designated for women and children escaping domestic violence.”