Katy Gallagher has refused to reveal whether she was provided a full transcript of Brittany Higgins' interview with The Project prior to its release after being asked point-blank in the Senate

Katy Gallagher has refused to reveal whether she was provided a full transcript of Brittany Higgins’ interview with The Project prior to its release after being asked point-blank in the Senate.The finance minister argues that doing so would breach the confidence of a vulnerable young woman who confided in her about claims she’d been sexually assaulted in Parliament House.But Senator Gallagher did confirm during Question Time on Tuesday that it was Ms Higgins’ boyfriend David Sharaz who first alerted her to the allegations — asking her to ‘keep the information confidential’. The revelation came during a grilling by Liberal senators, hours after she formally denied misleading parliament in a statement delivered in the Senate. Ms Gallagher was asked about the apparent contradiction between her telling a Senate estimates hearing in 2021 that she had no prior knowledge of the accusations, to her now acknowledging she was aware of them before they became public.’I came into…

the information through the partner of the young woman who was going to raise those allegations,’ Ms Gallagher said on Tuesday. ‘It was asked of me to keep that information confidential, and I did.’Ms Gallagher was hit with four questions about the matter in a fiery session. The president of the Senate was forced to ask for ‘respectful silence’ as senators shouted accusations at each other across the chamber.Ms Gallagher said she did not want to breach Ms Higgins’ confidence by discussing her knowledge of the matter, adding: ‘If you confide in anybody, seek help from anybody…

that information can be placed on the public record.’The issues the Opposition are having is that someone might have actually acted with some decency or integrity in here.’ Katy Gallagher (right) has refused to reveal whether David Sharaz (left) provided her with a full transcript of Brittany Higgins’ interview with The Project prior to its releaseMr Sharaz boasted of informing Ms Gallagher of the circumstances in leaked texts to his now-fiancée on February 11, 2021.Ms Gallagher cannot remember exact dates she had conversations with Mr Sharaz or Ms Higgins, but acknowledged it was in the week prior to the allegations being made public. During Senate Estimates in June 2021, Ms Gallagher was quizzed by then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who said: ‘I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office.

Two weeks before.’In response, Ms Gallagher said: ‘No one had any knowledge. How dare you.’ She has maintained those comments do not constitute misleading parliament, even though she now admits she did have prior knowledge of the allegations.’I was not involved in any way with the story that went to air on the night, or reported online that morning.
I was in no way involved with the timing in which this story was published or aired,’ she said on Tuesday.’Any allegations or assertion that I did is wrong and I reject it in the strongest possible terms.’ Senator Reynolds watched on, stony-faced, during Ms Gallagher’s Senate speech. Ms Gallagher said today women across the nation who had been considering coming forward with any allegations had been sent a clear warning.’I fear the message for this for women who want to come forward is «watch out»,’ she said.

‘I’m not going to stand for that.’She also argued it was not unusual for women to confide in her about injustices, harassment and abuse, insisting she treated Ms Higgins’ allegations no differently to any other. ‘It happens all the time in this job,’ she said.’I can guarantee you, as I have done in absolutely every case of a woman coming to me and saying they had been sexually assaulted, harassed or subjected to violence — as often happens in this country, more than we would like — I have ensured they’ve been made aware of all options available.’  Pictured: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz Senator Linda Reynolds looked stern-faced during Ms Gallagher’s speechSenator Gallagher has faced a barrage of criticism in the weeks since the accused, Bruce Lehrmann, did an interview with Channel Seven earlier this month. In the days that followed, leaked text messages between Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz emerged suggesting the pair strategised how to use their contacts with senior Labor figures to make her experiences a public issue.In an impassioned speech on Tuesday morning, Ms Gallagher said the attention on what she did or didn’t do with the information is a distraction from the key issues.’Those who owed Ms Higgins a direct duty of care had known of this for almost two years, and did nothing to make changes or improve culture and safety in the workplace where this incident had occurred,’ she said.’We must not lose perspective on what matters here. ‘At the heart of this whole story sits the wellbeing or otherwise of a young woman who came forward and made allegations on her own terms, a woman who bravely stood up and spoke out on her own terms.’ Gallagher hit back at her critics over her handling of Higgins’ sexual assault allegations with a fiery message, arguing women across the nation have been sent a clear warning to ‘watch out’ Senator penipu Reynolds was joined by Michaelia Cash in the Senate ahead of Senator Gallagher’s speech Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong listened intently to the statementMs Gallagher said Ms Higgins felt ‘significantly let down’ by her employer — the former Coalition government — in the months after she made a complaint.’At a time when she needed their support the most, she should have been dealt with as a human being, not a problem that needed managing,’ she said.’The response shouldn’t have been calculated by the political needs of the Coalition government; it should have been met with compassion and support, and it wasn’t.’Her comments come after Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Gallagher was invited to Mr Sharaz’ wedding to his ex-wife Alexandra Craig in 2018.She did not attend, but the invitation appeared to stem from a friendship that sparked nine years ago, when Mr Sharaz worked for WIN News Canberra in 2014. On February 11, 2021, four days before Ms Higgins’ allegations became public, Mr Sharaz sent a text to his girlfriend claiming to have met with Ms Gallagher to keep her in the loop about the story which was due to break.’I hope that’s okay,’ Mr Sharaz wrote.

‘She’s not doing anything with it. But I’m also happy to step out and let her talk to you if you want. ‘Basically, I wanted her to get all the context because it’s so complicated. She’s currently reading your interview and has gone silent.’In another text he added: ‘Katy Gallagher messaged me.
She’s angry and wants to help. She’s got the context. She says they knew something was wrong because they fired Bruce and not you. They avoided a scandal.’ The following day, Mr Sharaz passed on Ms Higgins’ mobile number to Ms Gallagher to allow them to talk directly ahead of Ms Higgins’ explosive TV interview.  David Sharaz is pictured with his ex-wife Alexandra Craig.

They got married in 2018 and invited Katy Gallagher to the wedding In the days that followed, leaked text messages between Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz emerged suggesting the pair contemplated strategising with Sen. Gallagher when she was in oppositionPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his minister at every turn, saying today that she had been transparent and any suggestion she misled parliament was ‘absurd’.’It’s a bizarre conspiracy theory that suggests that Labor is somehow at the centre of all of this,’ he told ABC Radio.’And indeed, according to Senator [Linda] Reynolds herself, and the discussion that took place at that time on the Monday night, Katy Gallagher said, «yes, I was made aware in broad terms that there was an incident in the days beforehand».’So this has been known by Senator Reynolds since that time since 2021, and now, in 2023, somehow this is this concocted issue by what is a desperate Liberal opposition.’ Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by former colleague Mr Lehrmann in Parliament House in 2019, a claim he has always denied.A criminal trial was aborted over juror misconduct and prosecutors did not seek a retrial, citing concern for Ms Higgins’ mental health.The ACT is now holding an inquiry into the investigation and prosecution.<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-b8801bb0-0993-11ee-b753-83f48a5ec179" website Gallagher&apos;s coy answer to Project question