Updated Bruce Lehrmann Pt2 * Reynolds Defamation Trial Current

[Kurve]

Here is PART 1

Historical Rape Allegation Against Fmr AG Christian Porter
The Alexander Matters matters

Just a reminder, this is the crime board and we need to be aware that there will be victims of crime either watching this thread or engaging in here from time to time. A degree of respect in all discussions is expected.

LINK TO TIMELINE
CJS INQUIRY
FINAL REPORT – BOARD OF INQUIRY – CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Joint media statement – Chief Minister and Attorney-General



FIONA BROWN - AFFIDAVIT

 

[BFew]

There should be a badge.

An I love Figjam badge on BF?
Not sure I want one of those just yet.

 

[Kurve]

This is tamer than I thought it would have been.

https://www.skynews.com.au/business/media/brittany-higgins-audio-interview-with-journalist-samantha-maiden-revealed-as-she-details-inherently-newsworthy-part-of-story/news-story/5e822b1324093b521e79af278adfc1c8

 

[Festerz]

This is tamer than I thought it would have been.

https://www.skynews.com.au/business/media/brittany-higgins-audio-interview-with-journalist-samantha-maiden-revealed-as-she-details-inherently-newsworthy-part-of-story/news-story/5e822b1324093b521e79af278adfc1c8

Wow, really impressive interviewing style from Sam Maiden that allows Higgins to give her perspective of events following the rape and her interactions with her boss from a deep personal perspective.

My reflections:

1. lots of 'I felt like' recollections. If only she had used those three words as a preface to her social media posts then Reynolds' defamation action would have been avoided. Think about that.

2. I've heard that quote, which Ms Higgins states Reynolds uses - 'as women, this is something we go through' previously and it still grates. Did Reynold's really use those words? Is this a hidden truth and horror that all women are expected to accept? Surely not. In any case it's a quote that deserved and still deserves more inquiry.

3. An employer handing someone a an EAP brochure in response to a rape allegation and the alleged victim ringing to find out there was a one month wait to get a counselling booking is shocking and has not been disputed. But thank God for the AFP referral to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

4. The belated and acute awareness of the young but rapidly maturing Ms Higgins that the story of her rape only had currency in the media and with her employer (and the AFP) because of where it happened. That realisation providing the trigger for her to reignite her formal rape allegation via the media.

There's a lot there to be honest.

 

[campbell]

I find it very sad that a rape victim is being subjected to this 5 years after the incident.

People who have never been in a rape victims shoes, are down right nasty to her.

She has a wealth of support from victims of abuse.

I hope she is able to live a peaceful life in France as new mum.

 

[FIGJAM]

It is nothing like working in a 'Fortune 500 company' (lol) or government department but more like a family business I guess.

In what was otherwise a reasonable and relatively calm post from you, why do you have to be a dick here?

I only mentioned it because it provides an immediate reference for the scale of business that I work in.

I'd actually prefer to work for a smaller business FWIW, where bosses door knock me to check on my welfare, but consolidation has steered me into this largely sterile set up. A set up that would be near identical in a Federal Government of our size.

Fortune 500 is up there with the best in this thread

I'll be saying "Hi Figjam" to all my Amazon home delivery drivers, and the customer service reps whenever I call or visit an Apple store.

As above.

 

[FIGJAM]

One photo where she's out to dinner sitting next to Reynolds does not prove they were in each other's pockets the whole time

"In each other's pockets" was just a throw away line, but let's agree that they were working closely on the campaign trail together and presumably engaging robustly whatever it was they were doing.

FYI, some of the first pieces of evidence in this trial were additional photos from the campaign trail.







https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-15-photos-linda-reynolds-is-using-against-brittany-higgins/image-gallery/fb93580bbcfc9a7c5df8da4748fe2ae4?page=2

From Reynolds' parents from the current trial:

Linda Reynolds’ parents lament daughter’s treatment as ‘monster’ and criticise Brittany Higgins’ interview

WA senator is suing her former staffer over social media posts she believes damaged her reputation

www.theguardian.com

Now of course, 'happy snaps' and bubbly interactions with others, aren't 'proof' of anything other than Higgins could 'put on a brave face'.

My twofold points are that Higgins' statement of:

“She just avoided me. Avoided being in photos with me, I was toxic. She hated me,” Higgins told Maiden during the recorded interview.

Brittany Higgins told journalist who broke alleged rape story Linda Reynolds ‘hated’ her, court hears

Journalist Samantha Maiden was called to give evidence in the WA senator’s defamation trial against her former staffer

www.theguardian.com

...is at least substantially false.

The other is that, whilst others will be different, were I a boss within this sized employ and working closely with them, I would assume that they are soldiering on if they seemed to be in good spirits and would not feel it my place to "check in".
Bearing in mind that Higgins most likely wasn't even Reynolds' direct report and given that they have an Employee Assistance Program coupled with the fact that the AFP have what they call a "wraparound referral" for rape victims and that Higgins was put in contact with a psychologist at the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, I would have (naively or otherwise!) trust that they were getting the support required.

 

[Kurve]

"In each other's pockets" was just a throw away line, but let's agree that they were working closely on the campaign trail together and presumably engaging robustly whatever it was they were doing.

FYI, some of the first pieces of evidence in this trial were additional photos from the campaign trail.

View attachment 2089074

View attachment 2089076

View attachment 2089081

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-15-photos-linda-reynolds-is-using-against-brittany-higgins/image-gallery/fb93580bbcfc9a7c5df8da4748fe2ae4?page=2

From Reynolds' parents from the current trial:

Linda Reynolds’ parents lament daughter’s treatment as ‘monster’ and criticise Brittany Higgins’ interview

WA senator is suing her former staffer over social media posts she believes damaged her reputation

www.theguardian.com

Now of course, 'happy snaps' and bubbly interactions with others, aren't 'proof' of anything other than Higgins could 'put on a brave face'.

My twofold points are that Higgins' statement of:

Brittany Higgins told journalist who broke alleged rape story Linda Reynolds ‘hated’ her, court hears

Journalist Samantha Maiden was called to give evidence in the WA senator’s defamation trial against her former staffer

www.theguardian.com

...is at least substantially false.

The other is that, whilst others will be different, were I a boss within this sized employ and working closely with them, I would assume that they are soldiering on if they seemed to be in good spirits and would not feel it my place to "check in".
Bearing in mind that Higgins most likely wasn't even Reynolds' direct report and given that they have an Employee Assistance Program coupled with the fact that the AFP have what they call a "wraparound referral" for rape victims and that Higgins was put in contact with a psychologist at the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, I would have (naively or otherwise!) trust that they were getting the support required.

Where did you pull those from?

 

[Mick F]

So we don't know who issued the directive for the second clean or why it was directed? Might this have been the clean which was “standard after moving offices”, as advised by MinWing Support?

If you aren’t willing to read and digest …….

 

[FIGJAM]

...when she had sick days over the time she was there and expressed anger and disappointment to trusted friends.

Do you have links to this evdience, as her interactions with Ben Dillaway suggest that she was having a pretty good time (all things considered):

https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/116276/Exhibit-R99-Text-messages-between-Brittany-Higgins-and-Ben-Dillaway-Extract-from-CB15.pdf

Again, not suggesting that she was not just putting on a brave face, even to Dillaway.

Here's the kicker on this Perth stuff though; the trip happened after Higgins withdrew the complaint, so the maltreatment (which didn't happen) is largely irrelevant to anything.

Higgins at the time of withdrawing her interest in pursuing any charge gave two-reasons as to why she stopped:

“...pursuing it through the legal system usually takes around two years start to finish and is pretty involved” and that she “[h]onestly would rather just move on. Seems way too taxing” - Ben Dillaway and Major Irvine testimony in Lee trial.

"She had concerns about becoming known as the girl who was r*ped in parliament." - Ben Dillaway testimony in Lee trial.

 

[FIGJAM]

Where did you pull those from?

Everything is referenced in the link below each quote.

 

[Kurve]

"In each other's pockets" was just a throw away line, but let's agree that they were working closely on the campaign trail together and presumably engaging robustly whatever it was they were doing.

FYI, some of the first pieces of evidence in this trial were additional photos from the campaign trail.

View attachment 2089074

View attachment 2089076

View attachment 2089081

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-15-photos-linda-reynolds-is-using-against-brittany-higgins/image-gallery/fb93580bbcfc9a7c5df8da4748fe2ae4?page=2

From Reynolds' parents from the current trial:

Linda Reynolds’ parents lament daughter’s treatment as ‘monster’ and criticise Brittany Higgins’ interview

WA senator is suing her former staffer over social media posts she believes damaged her reputation

www.theguardian.com

Now of course, 'happy snaps' and bubbly interactions with others, aren't 'proof' of anything other than Higgins could 'put on a brave face'.

My twofold points are that Higgins' statement of:

Brittany Higgins told journalist who broke alleged rape story Linda Reynolds ‘hated’ her, court hears

Journalist Samantha Maiden was called to give evidence in the WA senator’s defamation trial against her former staffer

www.theguardian.com

...is at least substantially false.

The other is that, whilst others will be different, were I a boss within this sized employ and working closely with them, I would assume that they are soldiering on if they seemed to be in good spirits and would not feel it my place to "check in".
Bearing in mind that Higgins most likely wasn't even Reynolds' direct report and given that they have an Employee Assistance Program coupled with the fact that the AFP have what they call a "wraparound referral" for rape victims and that Higgins was put in contact with a psychologist at the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, I would have (naively or otherwise!) trust that they were getting the support required.

I see now, you got them from The Australian?

Case closed then. Reynolds and Morrison should withdraw their apologies, throw out the Jenkins Report and repeal any law that sprang from it, take Brittany's money off her and find her a nice park bench to sleep on somewhere, who cares where.

It's incredible, a junior staffer in her twenties brought down the government and put a big ding in the budget. Seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up ... oh hang on.

 

[jason_recliner]

The same NACC that refused to take any action on the multiple referrals from the RoboDebt Royal Commission?

You're getting sucked in by the headline seeking showboating of Reynolds' dodgy lawyer, mate.

Well somebody needs to investigate and, if not NACC, I don't know who.

 

[jason_recliner]

This is tamer than I thought it would have been.

https://www.skynews.com.au/business/media/brittany-higgins-audio-interview-with-journalist-samantha-maiden-revealed-as-she-details-inherently-newsworthy-part-of-story/news-story/5e822b1324093b521e79af278adfc1c8

This is where it all falls apart:

She “felt forced to choose between reporting it to the police or keeping her job"... "Everyone else started, kind of going, 'alright well you can go to Gold Coast, you can go home, you can take a payout and go home, or you can come with us to WA,"

Vague recollections of "everyone" giving her options, so there was a conspiracy forcing her to report or stay in the role. That's the core of the lies right there, IMO.

 

[jason_recliner]

If you aren’t willing to read and digest …….

Throw me a bone here!

 

[FIGJAM]

I see now, you got them from The Australian?

Case closed then.

It's photographic evidence from the current trial. Why does it matter where they were sourced?

My other two sources of information are from The Guardian. Is that acceptable?

 

[Kurve]

This is where it all falls apart:

She “felt forced to choose between reporting it to the police or keeping her job"... "Everyone else started, kind of going, 'alright well you can go to Gold Coast, you can go home, you can take a payout and go home, or you can come with us to WA,"

Vague recollections of "everyone" giving her options, so there was a conspiracy forcing her to report or stay in the role. That's the core of the lies right there, IMO.

There's a few things that seem to contradict or fall apart, not confined to Higgins recollections or perceptions.

The narrative that Higgins only claimed rape when she thought she might lose her job is one of them.

We can forget too, that she was admitted to hospital more than once and was found wandering around the streets at one stage and we can forget what prompted her to do the interviews with Maiden and Wilkinson. That didn't come out of nowhere, it was in response to Reynolds office ringing the COS in Cash's suites and telling him Higgins alleged a rape and that there'd been a media inquiry on it.

That alone sent her in to a spin then the AFP advised they were going to get Home Affairs to quash the story. I believe her when she says she was terrified of Dutton and I can understand why, in that environment, she might have even been a bit paranoid.

 

[FIGJAM]

Well somebody needs to investigate and, if not NACC, I don't know who.

Is this the same NACC that Albo hounded ScoMo on for years to set up as a panacea for handling corruption, yet seemingly has the all the teeth of a first-grader's pair of scissors?

I'm very much in favour of the NACC for what it's worth, but it's off to a very limp start...

 

[jason_recliner]

Is this the same NACC that Albo hounded ScoMo on for years to set up as a panacea for handling corruption, yet seemingly has the all the teeth of a first-grader's pair of scissors?

I'm very much in favour of the NACC for what it's worth, but it's off to a very limp start...

Time for them to get a run on the board.

 

[Underarrest_]

"In each other's pockets" was just a throw away line, but let's agree that they were working closely on the campaign trail together and presumably engaging robustly whatever it was they were doing.

FYI, some of the first pieces of evidence in this trial were additional photos from the campaign trail.

View attachment 2089074

View attachment 2089076

View attachment 2089081

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-15-photos-linda-reynolds-is-using-against-brittany-higgins/image-gallery/fb93580bbcfc9a7c5df8da4748fe2ae4?page=2

From Reynolds' parents from the current trial:

Linda Reynolds’ parents lament daughter’s treatment as ‘monster’ and criticise Brittany Higgins’ interview

WA senator is suing her former staffer over social media posts she believes damaged her reputation

www.theguardian.com

Now of course, 'happy snaps' and bubbly interactions with others, aren't 'proof' of anything other than Higgins could 'put on a brave face'.

My twofold points are that Higgins' statement of:

Brittany Higgins told journalist who broke alleged rape story Linda Reynolds ‘hated’ her, court hears

Journalist Samantha Maiden was called to give evidence in the WA senator’s defamation trial against her former staffer

www.theguardian.com

...is at least substantially false.

The other is that, whilst others will be different, were I a boss within this sized employ and working closely with them, I would assume that they are soldiering on if they seemed to be in good spirits and would not feel it my place to "check in".
Bearing in mind that Higgins most likely wasn't even Reynolds' direct report and given that they have an Employee Assistance Program coupled with the fact that the AFP have what they call a "wraparound referral" for rape victims and that Higgins was put in contact with a psychologist at the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, I would have (naively or otherwise!) trust that they were getting the support required.

Was there a response from B’s side about the photos?

 

[Kurve]

It's photographic evidence from the current trial. Why does it matter where they were sourced?

My other two sources of information are from The Guardian. Is that acceptable?

They can be framed one way or another and don't really tell the whole story. Are there photos of Reynolds with other members of the staff on their own?

On the face of them, it looks like Higgins lied or exaggerated but I can't see Reynolds overtly trying to push her out of group photos.

 

[FIGJAM]

Was there a response from B’s side about the photos?

Not that I know of. Might be something that her lawyers address in closing if they want to persist with the claims that she was maltreated in Perth.

 

[FIGJAM]

They can be framed one way or another and don't really tell the whole story.

I agree and I inferred the same in the post.

Are there photos of Reynolds with other members of the staff on their own?

Always with other staff members, but claims of avoiding being in photos with her seems incorrect, unless she's talking about a denial of selfies?!

Higgins was certainly an enthusiastic campaigner (actual word...not the BigFooty replacement one!!) front and centre in the photos (there are more without Reynolds).

 

[Festerz]

There's a few things that seem to contradict or fall apart, not confined to Higgins recollections or perceptions.

Yeah it's funny that Higgins' is continually crucified in here and in certain commercial media publications for single line responses in an interview, a social media post or a carefully laid trap in a cross examination. A forensic examination, without proper regard for bigger temporal or context issues, resulting in any apparent inconsistencies or inaccuracies seeing her being labelled a 'liar'.

And now she is being harshly judged on how she smiles for the camera in a staged political pre-election publicity shot arranged by her employer? Really?

Those posters and commentators seemingly unaware of the hypocrisy when it comes to their (and of our) own behaviours whenever one of their/our comments or lines in a social media post (such as in this very thread) or a story in a publication is misconstrued, misquoted or misrepresented. That it's acceptable for them/us to respond by coming back with an explanation or a modification in another post or a story to set the record straight and provide the right context - but apparently this is not acceptable for a rape victim. She is the 'liar'. They/we are just 'setting the record straight'.

Higgins', a victim of rape in her workplace, is being judged on a behavioural standard that is not just unreasonable given the circumstances, but a standard that the same people continually criticising her are, by their own posting history in this very thread, themselves unable to meet.

Yet again the hypocrisy, double standards and complete lack of self awareness is mind numbing.

 

[Kurve]

Higgins was certainly an enthusiastic campaigner (actual word...not the BigFooty replacement one!!) front and centre in the photos (there are more without Reynolds).

Higgins was part of the staff, of course she'd be expected to put on a good front. We all know how to smile for the camera.

 

[jason_recliner]

Cheers.

Done some piece work contract stuff for Ministers but have never been employed as a Ministerial staffer or a pay administrator so I can't speak from experience other than to say that (apart from a few exceptions) Ministerial staff are paid out of consolidated revenue just like permanent public servants. As are the salaries and expenses of Ministers.

The employment and pay details are normally handled out of the Dept of Finance, again just like public servants, albeit according to separate statutes and EB agreements applicable to them. It's not something that Ministers or even their CoS get involved with. The workplaces are Commonwealth workplaces just like the buildings where public servants work.

Tightening up some of these workplace agreements and giving better HR support to Ministerial and Parliamentary workplaces is one of the things covered in the Jenkins' Report I linked earlier.

This document is basic but sets out the general operating conditions pretty clearly with links to more detailed stuff.

https://www.apsc.gov.au/publication/operating-environment-ministerial-office#:~:text=Ministerial%20staff%20are%20employed%20under,of%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives.

(Edit: I could tell some stories of appalling work place bullying I observed first hand by Ministers and their senior staff of younger employees but for self preservation reasons I won't. .).

Thanks again. It looks to be a potentially complex structure with regards to WHS (I'm no WHS specialist) compared to most private organisations. Regarding liability rising from unsafe workplace management/policy, the MPs employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 are responsible for legislating the Act, links to the Statement of Standards for Ministerial Staff don't work (!), and when you do find it, it has a different title, looks to be the responsibility of Montgomery Burns, and is nothing more than a webpage which does not once mention alcohol, drugs, or "under the influence".


View attachment 7e517ac4-d893-4b65-ac53-6fcd83ab56ba.mp4