Document tabled in parliament reveals attorney general approved WA Liberal senator’s application for legal assistance
The Albanese government has agreed to pay Linda Reynolds’ legal costs in her referral of the commonwealth’s multi-million-dollar settlement with Brittany Higgins to the federal anti-corruption body.
As part of Higgins’ claim, she alleged the commonwealth breached its duty of care because Reynolds and her staff mishandled the incident and did not adequately support her. A letter written to Reynolds’ lawyers on behalf of the commonwealth in December 2022 granted taxpayer funding for her legal costs in the matter but noted the Commonwealth’s discretion to “control the conduct of your client’s defence of Ms Higgins’ civil claims against her”.
Reynolds said the claims that she had not given Higgins adequate support after her alleged rape in March 2019 were “utterly defendable”.Reynolds admitted she sent the letters, marked with “confidential” and “legal professional privilege applies”, from her personal email address to Janet Albrechtsen, a columnist at the Australian newspaper.She told the court the letter had made her “very angry” and she considered the federal government was attempting to “lock me down”.
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