Senator Linda Reynolds has told the WA Supreme Court former staffer Brittany Higgins' claim against the government, which netted her a $2.4 settlement payout, was 'utterly defendable'. Ms Reynolds is giving evidence as part of her defamation proceedings against Ms Higgins. She told the trial, despite widespread publicity about her comment that Ms Higgins was a ‘lying cow’, she believes Ms Higgins was raped.
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00:00Midway through her evidence, and the strain is showing, the focus turning to a multi-million
00:11dollar payout to former Parliament House staffer Brittany Higgins, and suggestions Labor tried
00:16to silence Senator Reynolds from speaking out against it.
00:20Senator Reynolds telling the court she was utterly outraged after being shut out of Ms
00:24Higgins' mediation with the government, maintaining the claims were utterly defendable.
00:29Senator Reynolds has also testified about the extent of what she says was a premeditated
00:34plan to damage her.
00:35She says the realisation set in as she was reading a transcript of the interview with
00:39Brittany Higgins before her bombshell revelations on the project.
00:44She told the court, it was pre-planned, it was premeditated, it was personal, against
00:49me.
00:50After three days on the stand, Senator Reynolds faced cross-examination from Ms Higgins' lawyer.
00:55Releasing on comments reported in national media that she called Ms Higgins a lying cow
00:59when the story first aired.
01:01The Senator denying that comment would have had an adverse impact on Ms Higgins' allegation
01:06of rape by calling into question Ms Higgins' credibility.
01:10She says instead it was about Ms Higgins' portrayal of how the Senator and her staff
01:14handled the allegation, and suggestions she tried to cover it up.
01:18The Senator has repeatedly told the trial she believes Ms Higgins was raped.
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