Disgust at how Brittany Higgins has been portrayed as a ‘witch’, fury at Lisa Wilkinson‘s self-serving function, and requires an investigation into the key $3million payout – these are simply a number of the views expressed by atypical Aussies who’re rising bored with the ‘unending’ saga engulfing Australian politics.
Ms Higgins, a former Liberal occasion staffer, accused her colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her inside a minister’s workplace in Parliament Home in March 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has all the time strenuously denied the allegations, they usually had been by no means confirmed in courtroom after a mistrial.
However over 4 years, two explosive interviews, a collapsed trial, an enormous compensation payout, ongoing defamation fits and a torrent of leaks later, the case continues to be dominating the political agenda.
This week, Labor Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confronted repeated questions from Liberal opponents about what she knew about Ms Higgins’ allegations earlier than she spoke out publicly in February 2021.
Brittany Higgins (pictured) accused colleague Bruce Lehrmann of raping her inside a minister’s workplace in Parliament Home in March 2019. He has all the time denied the allegations
Each day Mail Australia canvassed Australians from all walks of life on Sydney’s streets and seashores for his or her views on the ‘unending’ saga engulfing Australian politics (inventory picture)
That very same day it emerged Ms Higgins was given a secret taxpayer-funded payout of as much as $3million after she claimed she was now not ‘match to work’ and would lose out on 40 years of earnings, according to a draft statement of claim.
Each day Mail Australia has canvassed Australians from all walks of life on Sydney’s streets and seashores for their very own views on the ‘unending’ saga.
Whereas some drew an entire clean on the point out of Ms Higgins’ title, the overwhelming majority refused to share their ideas, with many claiming the entire saga was ‘too sophisticated’ or ‘poisonous’.
Most of those that did remark mentioned their sympathies lay solely with Ms Higgins they usually had been disgusted at how the story of her alleged expertise had develop into a political soccer.
Garth Patrick (pictured) mentioned: ‘My view is the one cause the compensation cost is such a major quantity is due to the general public consideration the case has drawn. It’s a political subject’
Jan Lingard (pictured) mentioned: ‘There’s a brand new model on a regular basis it appears. I’m no decide or a jury however I discover it tough to search out parts of reality within the story’
Buddies Anastasia, 24, and Caitlin, 23, who work in Sydney’s CBD, each mentioned they had been glad Ms Higgins had acquired the taxpayer-funded compensation payout.
‘I simply want her all the very best and hope she will get the assistance that she wants as a way to recuperate and transfer ahead along with her life,’ mentioned Anastasia.
‘The slandering of her has been actually unhappy.’
Caitlin mentioned that no sum of money may undo any of the alleged wrongdoings.
‘I feel lots of people would care extra about justice than cash,’ she mentioned.
‘If I used to be in that state of affairs, you might throw as a lot cash at me as you need however it isn’t going to matter as a lot as getting justice.’
Jan Lingard, 86, from Glebe in Sydney, spoke for a lot of when she mentioned it appeared to be a ‘unending story’.
‘I feel there are such a lot of unfastened ends – so many different variations of what may have occurred. I don’t assume any of us actually know the reality of the entire matter,’ she mentioned.
‘There’s a brand new model each day, it appears. I’m no decide or a jury, however I discover it tough to search out parts of reality within the story.’
She added: ‘One thing stinks. There’s one thing rotten in the home of Denmark, I feel Shakespeare mentioned that.’
One Brisbane girl laid the blame at TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson’s (pictured) door for allegedly ‘politicising’ Ms Higgins’ story
A contemporary twist within the case emerged earlier this month when Mr Lehrmann broke his two-year media silence in a grilling by 7News Highlight’s Liam Bartlett the place he point-blank denied the allegations.
The community additionally aired never-before-seen safety footage from Parliament Home on the night time of the alleged rape, in addition to a recording of a five-hour assembly Ms Higgins had with Lisa Wilkinson and two others earlier than she filmed her Challenge interview.
Wilkinson, who claimed she was pushed by ‘individuals who need to be heard, not being heard’, could possibly be heard war-gaming which Labor MPs would battle Ms Higgins’ case in parliament.
Two ladies from Brisbane, aged 39 and 46, mentioned their view on the case had been utterly modified by Mr Lehrmann’s interview and the Highlight revelations.
‘Truthfully, I feel the one who must be blamed for it’s bloody Lisa Wilkinson. She drove it in a giant method,’ the 39-year-old mentioned.
Brittany Higgins is pictured along with her boyfriend David Sharaz in Canberra in February 2022
Bruce Lehrmann is pictured left together with his defence barrister Steven Whybrow
‘It’s been so politicised and Wilkinson is the one who drove that as a result of she wished to get the credit score for the story. I feel she must apologise or a minimum of acknowledge her half in it.’
She added: ‘You don’t need to say you don’t imagine her [Higgins] as a result of, as a girl, you are supposed to imagine one other girl who says one thing like this occurred. However the information simply aren’t lining up.
‘She’s now a sufferer of the political recreation.’
The 46-year-old mentioned: ‘I’m the final individual to sufferer blame, however from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard all of it appears very disingenuous.
Garth Patrick, 51, mentioned he had empathy for Ms Higgins however criticised the politicisation of the case.
‘My view is that the one cause the compensation cost is such a major quantity is due to the general public consideration the case has drawn. It’s a political subject,’ he mentioned.
‘Had this alleged assault occurred wherever else however parliament it could not have gotten nowhere close to as a lot consideration.’
‘It wasn’t confirmed in courtroom. It didn’t get that far. By way of sufferer compensation, had been it to be confirmed in courtroom, victims would get far lower than that.
‘Why is it that, unexpectedly, they’ve deliberated over such a brief time period to provide you with that determine?’
Mr Patrick, who works in finance within the metropolis, backed an investigation into the cost.
‘It’s public cash and it’s within the public curiosity to learn about it,’ he mentioned.
One other girl, who didn’t need to be named, conceded that the reported payout was ‘some huge cash’.
‘However, having mentioned that, a $3 million payout shouldn’t be so much once you’ve labored in corporates,’ she mentioned.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher this week confronted powerful questions from Liberal opponents about what she knew of Ms Higgins’ allegations earlier than she spoke out publicly in February 2021
Lucia, 72, from Sydney, mentioned she was sick of how the case had been politicised.
‘Why does the media now appear to be going in opposition to her?’ she requested.
‘Now it’s like he’s [Lehrmann] the hero and she or he’s the witch. It’s extra about politics than the precise case. I don’t need to hear anymore.’
However Lucia mentioned the compensation cost didn’t concern her.
‘I feel the compensation doesn’t matter,’ she mentioned.
‘It [the alleged rape] has occurred – cash shouldn’t be going to cowl the trauma for the remainder of her life.’
A 91-year-old man sitting on Bondi Seaside’s promenade mentioned the compensation payout was a ‘shame’.
‘I discover it exhausting to imagine the federal government would fork out $3 million to her for one thing that he [Lehrmann] says didn’t occur… He’s not convicted,’ he mentioned.
He continued: ‘It’s such a convoluted story. A he-said-she-said-type state of affairs. The federal government shouldn’t have paid her $3million for one thing that maybe by no means occurred.’
Mr Lehrmann’s trial was deserted in October final 12 months over juror misconduct and all fees had been later dropped in December due to considerations for Ms Higgins’ psychological well being.
He’s now suing Channel Ten and the ABC for defamation.
Supply: | This text initially belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
