Eric Abetz denies claims of highly offensive comments about Brittany Higgins

Tasmanian Liberal MP Eric Abetz has categorically denied allegations that he made highly offensive comments about the former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

In a statement made under parliamentary privilege, the Speaker of the Tasmanian parliament, Sue Hickey, accused Abetz of “slut shaming” Higgins, who has alleged she was raped by a former colleague in Parliament House in Canberra in 2019.

Hickey, who was a Liberal MP up until Sunday, recounted what she said was a conversation with Abetz at the beginning of March, a couple of days before the attorney general publicly identified himself, in which she also asked him whether Christian Porter was the minister accused of a rape alleged to have occurred in 1988. Porter firmly denies the allegations.

Abetz is alleged to have replied in the affirmative but added “not to worry, the woman is dead and the law will protect him”.

According to Hickey, Abetz then allegedly said: “As for that Higgins girl – anybody who is so disgustingly drunk, who would sleep with anybody, could have slept with one of our spies and put the security of our nation at risk”.

Hickey told the parliament: “I say to the senator on this matter, Ms Higgins did not choose to sleep with this man, she was raped.”

The alleged sexual assault of Higgins in March 2019 is the subject of a criminal investigation.

Abetz, the veteran Tasmanian Liberal senator, was chairing a Senate estimates committee in Canberra when Hickey’s statement about the conversation was reported. He made a statement in the committee categorically denying Hickey’s version of the conversation.

Abetz noted he had helped set up a women’s shelter before he entered parliament “and to suggest that I would make light of a rape allegation is horrendous [and] categorically denied by myself”.

Abetz then suggested Hickey’s statement was politically motivated. “On Sunday, the premier informed her, she was no longer welcome or wanted in the Liberal party, and one can imagine what has occasioned these outbursts by her.”

Hickey has had a fractious relationship with the Liberal party dating back to her election to parliament in 2018, and the tensions culminated this week when the premier, Peter Gutwein, told her she would not be re-endorsed as a Liberal candidate for the state election due next year.

The minister at the table in the Senate estimates committee, Marise Payne, the women’s minister, said she would not add to Abetz’s statement. Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong, also in the committee, invited Payne to make it clear the comments attributed to Abetz were not the view of the government.

Payne responded: “The assertions made by the Speaker of the Tasmanian parliament, do not constitute in any way, shape, or form, the view of the government”.

Wong said she would leave Abetz to respond to the allegation, but: “I think we, across the parliament, whenever confronted with the sorts of views, whether they’re accurately reported or not, should be reasserting that every woman has a right to be safe, and victims are not to be blamed for the assaults which are perpetrated on them.”

Abetz replied: “I have no issue with that at all, Senator Wong, and as somebody who devoted a fair bit of his professional time on a voluntary basis to assist victims, I can assure you that, that which has been asserted by the speaker is categorically and utterly rejected by me.”

The fresh controversy comes as the government this week was forced to sack an adviser after footage emerged reportedly of a Liberal staffer allegedly masturbating on the desk of a female parliamentarian, and Scott Morrison had to backtrack on a public statement that News Corp was battling a workplace harassment claim.

On Wednesday morning, Morrison told Sydney radio station 2GB he intended to “take responsibility for dealing with things in this House here, and I will, but we also have to take actions – all of us – to make sure women both are safe and feel safe”.

Of his month of missteps, the prime minister said: “You know, blokes don’t get it right all the time, we all know that, and that what matters is that we’re desperately trying to and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

“And we will get this right, and we need to focus on that.”

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.