In the closing days of Linda Reynolds’ defamation fight against former staffer Brittany Higgins, the Liberal Senator’s lawyer revealed Sky News anchor Peta Credlin finessed one of Higgins’ powerful public addresses.
In her final address to court, Higgins’ barrister recited portions of an address she delivered to the press shortly after breaking her silence in February 2021 which she said best articulated her true motive.
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But Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett cautioned the court against relying on the excerpts of Higgins’ media statement, revealing it was actually penned by Higgins and edited by Sharaz and Sky News host Peta Credlin.
The court was shown correspondence in which Sharaz sent Credlin the statement and invited the anchor to edit it as she saw fit.
Credlin returned the statement with a series of recommended changes for Higgins.
Speaking on her Sky News show on Tuesday night, Credlin confirmed her role in drafting the statement, stating that she did so with the “full support” of former prime minister Scott Morrison and her manager at Sky News Australia.
Credlin said Higgins came to her in her capacity as a “former Liberal chief of staff and a woman”.
Here’s some of what Credlin had to say:
I was asked if I would take a call from Brittany Higgins, which I did and in it, she asked me if I would help her draft the terms of reference for a review into the treatment of female staff in federal politics.
I said I would, I said after 16 years as a staffer myself, I believed reform was needed…
I also told Higgins she must make a full statement to the Federal Police, rather than continue to run this issue through the media. I admit I was shocked that this had not been done in the many months since her alleged rape.
In helping to bring this about I gave her advice on her draft statement for the media following that police interview.”
Credlin concluded that she had later become uncomfortable with how the alleged rape has been “used politically as a weapon”.
She said that after a couple of months, she didn’t have further contact with Higgins or Sharaz, and noted that she had never met Higgins in person.
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