QResear.ch

#21755179 at 2024-10-13 03:48:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 75
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 7
>>21520912 Brittany Higgins's lawyer delivers rebuke of senator Linda Reynolds testimony in defamation trial - Senator Linda Reynolds was an unreliable witness who failed to answer questions and whose "gratuitous" and "self-serving" testimony was more like advocacy, court defamation proceedings against her former staffer Brittany Higgins have been told. The defamation case, which has been heard over the past month in the WA Supreme Court, revolves around a handful of social media posts made by Ms Higgins last year that Senator Reynolds took offence to. The posts were made four years after the young woman was raped in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann. While he has always denied raping Ms Higgins, he was found to have done so in civil proceedings in the federal court earlier this year. In a blistering final submission, Ms Higgins's lawyer Rachael Young SC told the court Senator Reynolds did not always believe her former staffer had been raped, contrary to what she had repeatedly claimed. Senator Reynolds expressed ambivalence about the alleged rape to News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden, directly disavowed it in an interview with Channel 7's Spotlight last year, and her lawyer Martin Bennett also cast doubt in his opening address, Ms Young said. This included Mr Bennett's assertion that "the imagination of young people" meant the rape could have happened anywhere in the Senator's office, so she was not to know it happened on her couch, and his description of Ms Higgins "seeking a villain in her fairytale story of political cover-up".
>>21525883 Higgins, Reynolds' lawyers in tug-of-war over 'conspiracy' claim amid shock Credlin connection - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of concocting a plan to weaponise her alleged rape in an "unprovoked attack underpinned by visceral hatred", while revealing Sky News anchor Peta Credlin finessed one of her powerful public addresses. Higgins' barrister, Rachael Young, SC, used the final hour of her closing address on Tuesday to savage the conspiracy arm of Reynolds' Supreme Court defamation claim over several social media posts from July 2023. Young told the court the Reynolds' evidence had failed to support her claim Higgins and the ex-staffer's now-husband David Sharaz had devised a malicious plan to attack her by handpicking journalists, curating the timing of the bombshell story and aiding her political opponents. She downplayed the relevance of a five-hour recording before Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project in 2021 in which Sharaz told journalist Lisa Wilkinson the former staffer's motivation was for Reynolds to lose her job. Heard in its entirety, Young, said the audio showed Higgins' real desire was for cultural change and that had been evidenced by her continued advocacy for reform and to support victims of sexual assault.
>>21530690 Reynolds' lawyer throws spotlight on Higgins, Sharaz texts amid political furore - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of mocking the fact the attack she launched by weaponising her alleged rape had culminated in the former defence minister's hospitalisation. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett used the final day of his closing address on Wednesday to take the WA Supreme Court through a series of text messages between Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz in February 2021. After several days of intense questioning over Higgins' allegation she had been raped by a colleague in Reynolds' ministerial office following a night out on March 23, 2019, Reynolds had a public breakdown in the senate. The message thread tendered as evidence in Reynolds' defamation claim against Higgins over several social media posts showed Sharaz laughing at reports the then-defence minister had delayed her return to work after being hospitalised with a cardiac condition. "Wow," Higgins said. "She's done. You don't take three weeks and come back," Sharaz replied. The court was later shown a second thread from March 28, 2021, which appeared to show Sharaz and Higgins responding to the impact the political fallout was having on Reynolds and then Prime Minister Scott Morrison. "Suck shit Linda, you awful human," Sharaz wrote.

#21755173 at 2024-10-13 03:47:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 74
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 6
>>21459208 David Sharaz told journalist Samantha Maiden a Morrison government payout would make Brittany Higgins look 'bought off' - David Sharaz told a senior journalist that his now wife Brittany Higgins would not feel comfortable accepting a payout from the Morrison government as it would make her look "bought off", as the scale of Mr Sharaz's involvement in taking Ms Higgins' rape allegations public was laid bare. Hundreds of messages between Mr Sharaz and news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden were released by the Western Australian Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, after they were tendered as evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation action against Ms Higgins. The almost 10,000 words exchanged between the pair shed new light on the role of Mr Sharaz in bringing Ms Higgins' plight to public attention. Among the cache was a message from Mr Sharaz in January 2021 before Ms Maiden broke the story - in which he described the Morrison government as being in "panic bribery mode", and a February 2021 message soon after Ms Maiden's story was published in which he said "there is ZERO chance she can accept a government payout without looking bought off". Ms Higgins would later accept a $2.445m settlement payment from the Albanese Labor government in December 2022, and Senator Reynolds who has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of freezing her out of that compensation process - has referred the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Also in February 2021, a week after Maiden was the first to reveal Ms Higgins' story, Mr Sharaz told the reporter that both he and Ms Higgins were "regretting all of this" because "the government seems to have gotten away with it all, and we're both unemployed". Mr Sharaz texted Maiden on February 19: "I can see why PMO hate us. It all looks planned haha".

>>21459213 Psychiatrist's 'vastly different reports' on Brittany Higgins - A psychiatrist prepared "vastly" different reports about the impact of the government's handling of Brittany Higgins' rape claim, just months before she secured a $2.445m commonwealth payout linked to that handling, a court has heard. As it emerged that Linda Reynolds had launched another court action against Ms Higgins – this time over the trust fund the former political staffer established to administer that commonwealth settlement - the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday was told that psychiatrist Dr Julio Clavijo prepared two reports on Ms Higgins in early 2022. Martin Bennett, the lawyer representing Linda Reynolds in both her defamation action against Ms Higgins and her action against Ms Higgins' trust, has made an application to have Dr Clavijo give evidence on Wednesday of next week after receiving documents overnight. Those documents, Mr Bennett said, showed that Dr Clavijo produced two significantly different reports about the causes of the mental harm suffered by Ms Higgins. The first of those reports, Mr Bennett said, "would disclose no cause of action against Senator Reynolds" over her handling of Ms Higgins' rape claim. However, only the subsequent report was used in Ms Higgins' settlement claim against the commonwealth. Mr Bennett said the first of the reports was handed to Ms Higgins' lawyers on January 31, 2022, and the second was given to them on February 9. Both reports were marked with the same date of January 5, 2022. "The purpose of asking Dr Clavijo to come is to simply ask him to explain why there are two reports signed by him in his capacity as an expert witness, acknowledging the code of conduct for expert witnesses, both dated the same day ... It's just hard to find a sensible explanation," Mr Bennett said. Mr Bennett said questions needed to be answered as to why the psychiatric reports exist in such "significantly and materially different terms".

#21755169 at 2024-10-13 03:46:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 73
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 5
>>21422113 Secret medical reports fuel doubts for key witness appearance in Reynolds, Higgins row - The exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' office will take the stand in the pair's defamation row. Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins' alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence minister's office after a night out on March 23, 2019. But on Friday, Brown's barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle. The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter.
>>21439437 Brittany Higgins won't give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation trial - Brittany Higgins has pulled out of giving evidence in the defamation action brought against her by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in a bombshell that could mark an early end to the proceedings. Ms Higgins' barrister Rachael Young SC made the shock announcement in the WA Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, indicating Ms Higgins was suffering from poor health, and saying she does not believe she needs to call Ms Higgins to mount a winning defence. "We don't think we need to call Ms Higgins to satisfy Your Honour to be successful in these proceedings," Ms Young said. The former Liberal staffer had been scheduled to spend a week in the witness box from August 26, and was due to fly to Perth from her home in France. Ms Young submitted three medical reports containing details of the conditions that she argued backed up why Ms Higgins would no longer give testimony. The exact medical reasons for the withdrawal were not specified in open court, and Ms Young applied for an order to protect the details of the reports from being published. Ms Higgins is pregnant, and has also battled issues with her physical and mental health since she went public with her allegation in 2021 that she was raped inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office. She was also been hospitalised in Perth earlier this year amid a court-ordered mediation session aimed at resolving the defamation matter. Senator Reynolds' defamation matter is now due to conclude much earlier than anticipated, and could be finished by the beginning of next week.
>>21453311 'She's drafting a plan for you': Maiden gives evidence on breaking Higgins' story - The recording of an interview between Brittany Higgins and the journalist who would break the story about her alleged rape in former defence minister Linda Reynolds' office has laid bare how the young political staffer felt it had rendered her "toxic". Journalist Samantha Maiden was played portions of the hour-long interview with Higgins after being called to give evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against the former staffer. Flanked by three lawyers, Maiden told the court she recalled hosting Higgins at her home for an interview over dinner on January 21, 2021, where Higgins would detail an incident she said had made her a "problem" for her then-boss. In the recording, the former staffer told Maiden she felt like Reynolds "hated her" and branded a meeting they had alongside chief of staff Fiona Brown in April 2019 a "box ticking" exercise. That would be the sole meeting the trio had regarding a security breach, during which Higgins claims she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds' ministerial suite after a night out on March 23, 2019. Higgins' partner and former press gallery journalist David Sharaz first approached Maiden about the story in January 2021, penning a text message about a "Me Too incident" the Liberal Party had "covered up". "I am letting this be [Higgins'] decision, but she's drafting a plan for you. She wants to do it in an election year," Sharaz wrote. Maiden confirmed Higgins later sent a document referred to as "The Dossier", but rejected that it went by that name at the time and said that was something that "entered the media lexicon" afterwards. The article would be published on news.com.au on February 15, 2021, with Maiden telling the court the timing was dictated by Higgins' desire to have the story drop during a parliamentary sitting week.

#21755164 at 2024-10-13 03:45:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 72
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 4
>>21396390 Brittany Higgins' defamation trial hears evidence of sharp decline in Senator Linda Reynolds' health - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds's partner has testified her cardiologist thought she could die after she collapsed in the senate following intense pressure over her handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation. Robert Reid gave evidence in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday during the defamation trial brought by the Senator against her former staffer Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts. Mr Reid told the court of the significant deterioration in his partner's health after the 2019 rape allegation was made public, in an article by journalist Samantha Maiden and in Ms Higgins' interview with Channel 10's The Project on February 15, 2021. Mr Reid recalled receiving a message to come to parliament on March 23, 2021 after Senator Reynolds had collapsed and gone back to her ministerial suite. He said when he saw her, "she looked white, she looked almost dishevelled, it was very painful". On medical advice, they drove to a nearby hospital to have her heart checked, given she had a pre-existing heart condition. "Linda was still crying," Mr Reid said. They saw a cardiologist. "He said 'we might lose her'", Mr Reid said, breaking down in tears. "He said 'this is very serious'." The doctor though, did not admit Senator Reynolds and instead advised sending her home and monitoring her closely.
>>21404272 'Utterly false': Scott Morrison rubbishes Brittany Higgins cover-up claims in explosive testimony - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has vigorously defended West Australian senator Linda Reynolds' handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation, rubbishing claims of a political cover-up and saying it was parliamentary process that had failed the former staffer. Giving evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against Higgins on Tuesday via videolink from Sydney, Morrison pored over what unfolded in the days after Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project on February 15, 2021, including what he described as "aggressive" and "co-ordinated" questioning in federal parliament and by the media. Morrison revealed the broadcast was the first he knew of the alleged rape in Reynolds' ministerial suite and conceded he was disappointed the then-defence minister had kept him in the dark. But he said he understood Reynolds' predicament in attempting to balance her obligations to the government while maintaining the promise of confidence she had given Higgins. Morrison told Higgins' lawyer, Rachael Young, SC, that the need to ensure workplace safety at parliament was what had motivated him to order an inquiry, not the growing media attention.
>>21415080 Linda Reynolds' friend describes senator's 'state of distress' after Coalition's 2022 election defeat - One of Linda Reynolds' closest friends has described how the senator broke down after she learned she had failed to secure any shadow ministry roles in the wake of the Coalition's 2022 election defeat. Denita Wawn, chief executive of Canberra-based Master Builders Australia, told the West Australian Supreme Court on Thursday about Senator Reynolds' "heightened state of distress" during a weekend away shortly after the 2022 election. Ms Wawn said the senator's state that weekend was the worst she'd seen since Senator Reynolds was hospitalised soon after Brittany Higgins went public with her allegation that she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann inside Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office. Ms Wawn has been friends with Senator Reynolds for more than 20 years and is contact with her at least once a week. She said the only time she had only seen Senator Reynolds in a worse state than during that 2022 getaway was in 2021, soon after Ms Higgins first appeared on The Project. Ms Wawn said she and her friends were incredibly concerned with the senator's wellbeing in the aftermath of that program, telling the court she was worried that the senator could die. Senator Reynolds was hospitalised for weeks after the 2021 revelations after the stress of the situation exacerbated a pre-existing heart condition. "She was a mess, I think is the best way to described her both physically and mentally," Ms Wawn said.

#21755162 at 2024-10-13 03:44:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>21366136 Video: Linda Reynolds shares anger over Brittany Higgins's pre-production tapes for Channel 10's The Project interview - Liberal MP Linda Reynolds has told the West Australian Supreme Court of the moment she realised the extent of what she claims was a "pre-planned" and "pre-meditated" attack to inflict maximum damage on her by Brittany Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz. But the former defence minister said she never doubted Ms Higgins's allegation she was raped in Senator Reynolds' then-ministerial suite at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019. Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett questioned her in court today about the moment she first heard details about the five-hour pre-interview for The Project involving Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and others. Senator Reynolds said she learned about it during the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who had been accused of raping Ms Higgins. Senator Reynolds said the pre-interview, during which the strategy to make public Ms Higgins rape allegations was discussed, made her realise how much thought had gone into the attack against her. "It became clear how premeditated this plan was," Senator Reynolds said. "I had no idea just how well prepared this plan was. They had a package for the media, they had a package for the Me Too movement, they had a package for disaffected Liberals. "It was pre-planned, it was pre-meditated, it was personal against me. "I was angry, I was hurt, and as I said I felt like a fool."
>>21372143 'He was stitching me up': Reynolds lashes attorney-general on the stand over Higgins settlement - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of "stitching her up" during the settlement of former staffer Brittany Higgins' compensation claim, while defending her decision to leak confidential legal letters to the media. During cross-examination in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young, SC, grilled the former defence minister about her decision to forward three legally sensitive letters to The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen in December 2022. The emails came six months after Reynolds had been named a defendant in Higgins' compensation claim over the mishandling of her alleged rape by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's parliamentary suite in 2019. The senator took issue with the Commonwealth's plan to conduct her defence, forwarding Albrechtsen an email laying bare her concerns about the settlement's handling - including that she was being muzzled. The contents of those email were later republished in an article by The Australian. Young put to Reynolds that she had sent the emails from her personal address to avoid them becoming public - a claim the senator denied. And Higgins' solicitor submitted that Reynolds leaked the letters to Albrechtsen about effectively being muzzled and her dissatisfaction with the process to ensure favourable coverage, a claim she again rejected. "Did I want Ms Albrechtsen to know I had not had the ability to defend claims? Yes, I was incredibly angry because I could see the attorney-general of this country was stitching me up on allegations I had not seen and believed had expired," Reynolds told the court. "I had no expectation of how she would write it, I just provided evidence of corruption, and she could report that as she saw fit."
>>21385847 'I carry the guilt': Reynolds breaks down over airing Kitching warning of political firestorm - WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has broken down on the witness stand, describing her guilt over telling Labor senators that late Victorian senator Kimberley Kitching warned her the party intended to "rain hell" on her over Brittany Higgins' alleged rape, and doubling down on claims the saga led to Kitching's death. On Tuesday, the former defence minister told the Western Australian Supreme Court Kitching's decision to hand an anonymous letter about the alleged rape over to the Australian Federal Police, and not her party, had left Kitching ostracised by her colleagues. And she made national headlines when she made the extraordinary claim the saga led to Kitching's death of a heart attack on March 10, 2022, at the age of 52. Reynolds left the court in tears on Friday after telling Higgins' barrister Rachael Young, SC, that her remarks reflected her guilt at revealing to other politicians that Kitching had tipped her off to the impending political firestorm in 2021, rather than reflected a desire to have her claims aired in the press. "It displays my guilt. If I hadn't revealed it was her... that's what led to her being ostracised. I had kept it in confidence, even after everything. It was my guilt. I shouldn't have weakened and told anyone. Everyone can see how angry she was with me. She was losing weight. But I carry the guilt of telling the senators and ... her being bullied to death."

#21755158 at 2024-10-13 03:43:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21339073 Linda Reynolds v Brittany Higgins: Judge won't be swayed by sideshows - "It took only minutes after Linda Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, produced the memorable line that "every fairytale needs a villain" before the cesspit of social media chewed it up and spat out a revised version. No matter that Bennett had spent most of the morning detailing Reynolds' actual case: that Brittany Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz had concocted a "fictional story of a cover-up" by Reynolds of the young woman's rape allegations. No matter that Bennett reaffirmed Reynolds had never questioned the veracity of Higgins' account of being raped - indeed, had urged that it be immediately reported to police. That would have spoiled the narrative. Instead, "Reynolds' lawyer ?believes that rape is a fairytale!" lit up the twittersphere. Climate 200 founder and teals campaigner Simon Holmes a Court posted that "every day Linda Reynolds pursues Brittany Higgins is another day we're reminded about her government's hostility towards victims of sexual assault". The bid by some of Higgins' supporters to reframe the case as forcing a rape victim to prove her rape will be a recurring theme through the next five weeks of the trial. But inside the courtroom, Higgins' lawyers are confined to a more difficult task: substantiating her claims that Reynolds not only failed to support her after she revealed the assault, but actively ?attempted to cover it up "in the interests of the Liberal Party". Justice Paul Tottle must decide whether Reynolds was defamed, not whether Higgins was raped. He won't be distracted by spurious attempts - inside the court or out - to stray from that task." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>21354159 'This is aggravation': Reynolds' lawyer threatens to add fresh post to Higgins' defamation rap sheet - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of aggravating conduct after she published the cover of a book entitled 'How many more women? how the law silences women' alongside the words "Pertinent reading" as the former defence minister entered the witness box for their defamation trial. Reynolds lawyer Martin Bennett had concluded quizzing the former defence minister on her life and career when he revealed Higgins had posted the image on her Instagram story while his client was on the stand. Bennett told the court he intended to amend the statement of claim in Reynolds' defamation action against Higgins to include the post, arguing its timing and the imputations amounted to aggravation. Reynolds ended her first day of sworn testimony poring over her recollection of a meeting with Higgins in her parliamentary office on April 1, 2019, just over one week after she and colleague Bruce Lehrmann breached security by entering after hours while intoxicated and leaving the suite unlocked.
>>21360269 New Brittany Higgins social media posts prompt defamation trial warning from Linda Reynolds's lawyer - The high-profile defamation trial against Brittany Higgins has taken another twist, with Senator Linda Reynolds's lawyer declaring new social media posts published yesterday were part of a co-ordinated plan to mislead the public into thinking the Senator was trying silence survivors of sexual assault. Lawyer Martin Bennett said the posts, which included an Instagram story from Ms Higgins, had been deliberately timed to coincide with the start of Senator Reynolds's evidence yesterday. In one post, Ms Higgins recommends as "pertinent reading" a book relating to "how the law silences women" and another post is by an advocate for sexual assault survivors, Saxon Mullens, who is fundraising for Ms Higgins' legal costs. Mr Bennett said it was part of a "coordinated plan" to "mischaracterise these proceedings" as an attempt by Senator Reynolds to silence sexual assault survivors, to "mislead the public" about the true nature of the proceedings. Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins, her former staffer, for alleged defamation over social media posts made in 2023 which the Senator says falsely claimed she mishandled Ms Higgins' allegation she was raped in Parliament House in 2019. Mr Bennett has applied for a subpoena to obtain copies of communications between Ms Higgins and Ms Mullens, who was instrumental in changing consent laws in New South Wales.

#21755155 at 2024-10-13 03:43:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 69
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>21281320 'Harassment': Brittany Higgins' defence revealed - Brittany Higgins has doubled down on her attack on former ?defence minister Linda Reynolds, alleging her former boss "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against her, including providing confidential information to the media, newly ?released court documents reveal. Ms Higgins' amended defence to Senator Reynolds' defamation claim, filed in the West Australian Supreme Court, amplifies her allegations that she was the victim of an attempted cover-up, stating she felt under pressure not to make a complaint "in the interests of the Liberal Party" in the lead up to an election. In his judgment in the Lehrmann defamation case this year, judge Michael Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, that Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, but expressly rejected her claims that Senator Reynolds was involved in a cover-up of the assault. Mr Lehrmann has lodged an appeal. Senator Reynolds is now suing Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.
>>21338861 Reynolds v Higgins: Trial begins in Linda Reynolds' pursuit of vindication - Huddled around a table in a luxury hotel in Sydney's inner suburbs, former political staffer Brittany Higgins, now-husband David Sharaz and Network Ten journalist Lisa Wilkinson met to strategise the delivery of a bombshell interview that would spark a cultural reckoning. It was January 27, 2021, and Higgins was preparing to detail her alleged raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the parliamentary office of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds and the political cover-up that followed. The tell-all interview on The Project would be broadcast to more than half-a-million people, triggering a political storm that culminated in multiple inquiries, a cultural overhaul, lucrative book deals and a $2.4 million compensation pay out. Over the next five weeks, Reynolds' legal team will take to the WA Supreme Court to argue that it marked the beginning of a campaign to get what she claims Higgins set out to: the destruction of Reynolds' reputation. Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for defamation over several social media posts accusing her of harassment on July 31, 2023, claiming they damaged her reputation, brought her into public hatred and caused her distress and embarrassment. The former defence minister is expected to spend several days in the witness box outlining the impact of the publications on her reputation and physical health before her high-profile colleagues take the stand, including former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, WA senator Michaelia Cash and Tasmanian senator Wendy Askew. Higgins, who recently revealed she and Sharaz were expecting their first child, will spend up to one week providing evidence.
>>21339036 'Brittany Higgins fairytale needed a villain': Linda Reynolds fights cover-up allegations - Linda Reynolds has used a trove of photographs and text messages to allege Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz deliberately created a plan to falsely portray the Coalition minister as the "villain" who led a cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged Parliament House rape. The first day of the senator's defamation trial against Ms Higgins saw her lawyer Martin Bennett tender multiple photographs showing Ms Higgins smiling and laughing while out on the campaign trail across Perth just months after she was allegedly raped by then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Mr Bennett said the evidence showed how Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz had used falsehoods and lies to create a narrative that Senator Reynolds had led a political cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged rape. "Every fairytale needs a villain, and in 2020 or 2021, Ms Higgins and her then-partner and now husband, Mr Sharaz, cast Senator Reynolds in that role for their fictional story of a cover-up of the rape," Mr Bennett said. "The fact she had been raped was traumatic and terrible but it needed something more to attract the attention, to attract media ?interest, to attract the promotion of Ms Higgins, so she made it a political sex scandal. That's the fiction that needed a villain and she cast Linda Reynolds in that role."

#21530690 at 2024-09-04 10:45:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Reynolds' lawyer throws spotlight on Higgins, Sharaz texts amid political furore

Jesinta Burton - September 4, 2024

1/2

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of mocking the fact the attack she launched by weaponising her alleged rape had culminated in the former defence minister's hospitalisation.

Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett used the final day of his closing address on Wednesday to take the WA Supreme Court through a series of text messages between Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz in February 2021.

After several days of intense questioning over Higgins' allegation she had been raped by a colleague in Reynolds' ministerial office following a night out on March 23, 2019, Reynolds had a public breakdown in the senate.

The message thread tendered as evidence in Reynolds' defamation claim against Higgins over several social media posts showed Sharaz laughing at reports the then-defence minister had delayed her return to work after being hospitalised with a cardiac condition.

"Wow," Higgins said.

"She's done. You don't take three weeks and come back," Sharaz replied.

The court was later shown a second thread from March 28, 2021, which appeared to show Sharaz and Higgins responding to the impact the political fallout was having on Reynolds and then Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"Suck shit Linda, you awful human," Sharaz wrote.

"He's [Morrison] about to be f-cked over. Just wait, we've got him," Higgins replied.

"I still hate the c-nt," Sharaz responded.

The senator sat at the bar table behind Bennett as he lambasted Higgins for claiming she never intended to hurt Reynolds or bring down the Morrison government, claiming the ex-staffer's public and private positions differed.

He pointed to another text message exchange between Higgins and journalist Samantha Maiden on February 19, 2021, as the political furore over Higgins' alleged rape and Reynolds' handling of it took hold.

Bennett said it was telling Higgins wanted her genuine, honest view kept out of the public discourse.

Reynolds claims Higgins and Sharaz, as a co-conspirator, devised a plan to attack her via the media and her political opponents.

Bennett took the court through a list of text messages he claimed Higgins had deleted from her phone as proof the record of events she reproduced had been "heavily curated".

Later, he detailed at length the thousands of people who had viewed and engaged with the social media posts Reynolds is now suing upon, which Bennett accused Higgins of deliberately using as press releases.

Higgins is standing by them on the basis they were true and that the senator mishandled her rape claim, as well as claiming Reynolds has been using the media to harass her.

Bennett narrowed in on an Instagram story the former staffer published on July 4, 2023, in which she accused Reynolds of engaging in "questionable conduct" during the 2022 criminal rape trial of her alleged rapist, harassing her in parliament and suing her then-fiance.

"Reach is one thing, but republication via the media is another. The reach, we would say, is enormous," he said.

"The impressionistic reader draws from that, and what have we got? Senator Reynolds is attacking Ms Higgins in parliament and in the media.

"It's highly defamatory and highly critical of senator Reynolds."

And he accused Higgins of trying to milk Reynolds' private slur in which she called her a "lying cow" during a broadcast of her tell-all interview with The Project, stating it was a "wink in the dark" not intended to harass.

Justice Paul Tottle put to Bennett that it appeared he was saying it was Sharaz who had more animus towards the senator, but Bennett insisted the pair were acting together, and his involvement could not be isolated.

(continued)

#21525883 at 2024-09-03 10:22:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Higgins, Reynolds' lawyers in tug-of-war over 'conspiracy' claim amid shock Credlin connection

Jesinta Burton - September 3, 2024

1/2

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of concocting a plan to weaponise her alleged rape in an "unprovoked attack underpinned by visceral hatred", while revealing Sky News anchor Peta Credlin finessed one of her powerful public addresses.

Higgins' barrister, Rachael Young, SC, used the final hour of her closing address on Tuesday to savage the conspiracy arm of Reynolds' Supreme Court defamation claim over several social media posts from July 2023.

Young told the court the Reynolds' evidence had failed to support her claim Higgins and the ex-staffer's now-husband David Sharaz had devised a malicious plan to attack her by handpicking journalists, curating the timing of the bombshell story and aiding her political opponents.

She downplayed the relevance of a five-hour recording before Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project in 2021 in which Sharaz told journalist Lisa Wilkinson the former staffer's motivation was for Reynolds to lose her job.

Heard in its entirety, Young, said the audio showed Higgins' real desire was for cultural change and that had been evidenced by her continued advocacy for reform and to support victims of sexual assault.

"Ms Higgins wanted to call out the perpetrator and the way she was treated afterwards because she felt she had a moral obligation to do so ... she wanted to generate reform, and that is evidenced by her continued advocacy on such issues," Young said.

"Ms Higgins has talked about her motivation at length, which is corroborated by the evidence ... at no point did Ms Higgins ever state to [journalist Samantha] Maiden that her motive was to injure Senator Reynolds."

Young concluded her final address by telling the court it wasn't until the former staffer's tell-all interview, two years after her alleged rape, that she found the agency she had fought for.

In the spirit of honouring that, the barrister recited portions of an address the former staffer delivered to the press shortly after breaking her silence in February 2021 which she said best articulated her true motive.

"The prime minister has repeatedly said that I should be given agency going forward, but I don't believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years - I seize it now," Young read.

"From the outset, I have been driven by my desire to ensure that no other person would have to go through the trauma that I have experienced during my time in Parliament House.

"That's why she [Higgins] spoke out up, that's what she is being sued about, and that's why we say this action should be wholly dismissed."

But Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, dubbed the recording the strongest proof of a co-ordinated attack by Higgins alongside her now-husband Sharaz - her "co-conspirator" - based on a "litany of lies".

And he 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.

"It needs to be treated with caution. What appears to be Higgins' voice is the voice of people jumping on a bandwagon," Bennett told the court.

(continued)

#21520912 at 2024-09-02 10:45:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins's lawyer delivers rebuke of senator Linda Reynolds testimony in defamation trial

Andrea Mayes - 2 September 2024

1/2

Senator Linda Reynolds was an unreliable witness who failed to answer questions and whose "gratuitous" and "self-serving" testimony was more like advocacy, court defamation proceedings against her former staffer Brittany Higgins have been told.

The defamation case, which has been heard over the past month in the WA Supreme Court, revolves around a handful of social media posts made by Ms Higgins last year that Senator Reynolds took offence to.

The posts were made four years after the young woman was raped in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

While he has always denied raping Ms Higgins, he was found to have done so in civil proceedings in the federal court earlier this year.

In a blistering final submission, Ms Higgins's lawyer Rachael Young SC told the court Senator Reynolds did not always believe her former staffer had been raped, contrary to what she had repeatedly claimed.

Senator Reynolds expressed ambivalence about the alleged rape to News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden, directly disavowed it in an interview with Channel 7's Spotlight last year, and her lawyer Martin Bennett also cast doubt in his opening address, Ms Young said.

This included Mr Bennett's assertion that "the imagination of young people" meant the rape could have happened anywhere in the Senator's office, so she was not to know it happened on her couch, and his description of Ms Higgins "seeking a villain in her fairytale story of political cover-up".

Reynolds accused of 'attempt to smear'

Ms Young said Senator Reynolds had tried to cast doubt on Ms Higgins's credibility by raising the issue of Mr Lehrmann buying her a coffee the day after the sexual assault.

"To say, in effect, Ms Higgins received a coffee and was doing something friendly with Mr Lehrmann after the rape ... [was an] ... attempt to smear Ms Higgins by suggesting the rape did not happen," she said.

She said although the court had heard evidence about how Senator Reynolds had suffered in the wake of the rape allegations, "without question, though, the heaviest burden has and will continue to be carried by Ms Higgins".

She said Ms Higgins was "the survivor of a serious crime which has affected every aspect of her life, including serious impacts on her mental health".

Two years later, she said, Ms Higgins bravely spoke out about her ordeal "for an altruistic purpose" and not in order to harass or defame Senator Reynolds.

By doing so, she had achieved lasting reform, Ms Young said.

"The rape of Ms Higgins in Parliament House in March of 2019 has caused her much suffering, but it has also given rise to a profound and lasting impact on the way in which gendered violence and safety issues are addressed in Australian workplaces," she said.

'We say it's harassment'

Senator Reynolds had harassed Ms Higgins, not the other way around, Ms Young said, and this was evident in her conduct.

She disputed the merit of Ms Higgins's $2.4 million Commonwealth compensation payment, despite claiming to be only concerned about the process of how the settlement was reached, Ms Young said.

She leaked details of that settlement to a journalist at The Australian, despite being told it was confidential information, which amounted to harassment, the lawyer told the court.

She then gave an interview to the journalist and continued to leak information, both sensitive and petty to selected journalists, Ms Young said.

This included an email containing personal information about the support Ms Higgins had been provided with and another email revealing her partner Mr Sharaz had left his job at a radio station.

She also questioned the veracity of Ms Higgins's rape allegation in a Channel Seven interview in which she agreed with the assertion that the compensation payout was made "on the basis of a crime that may not have been committed."

"The senator engaged in a course of conduct to disrupt and undermine the credibility and reliability of her former employee," Ms Young said.

"That's why we say it's harassment."

(continued)

#21459213 at 2024-08-22 10:07:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Psychiatrist's 'vastly different reports' on Brittany Higgins

PAUL GARVEY - 22 August 2024

A psychiatrist prepared "vastly" different reports about the impact of the government's handling of Brittany Higgins' rape claim, just months before she secured a $2.445m commonwealth payout linked to that handling, a court has heard.

As it emerged that Linda Reynolds had launched another court action against Ms Higgins - this time over the trust fund the former political staffer established to administer that commonwealth settlement - the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday was told that psychiatrist Dr Julio Clavijo prepared two reports on Ms Higgins in early 2022.

Martin Bennett, the lawyer representing Linda Reynolds in both her defamation action against Ms Higgins and her action against Ms Higgins' trust, has made an application to have Dr Clavijo give evidence on Wednesday of next week after receiving documents overnight.

Those documents, Mr Bennett said, showed that Dr Clavijo produced two significantly different reports about the causes of the mental harm suffered by Ms Higgins.

The first of those reports, Mr Bennett said, "would disclose no cause of action against Senator Reynolds" over her handling of Ms Higgins' rape claim.

However, only the subsequent report was used in Ms Higgins' settlement claim against the commonwealth.

Mr Bennett said the first of the reports was handed to Ms Higgins' lawyers on January 31, 2022, and the second was given to them on February 9. Both reports were marked with the same date of January 5, 2022.

"The purpose of asking Dr Clavijo to come is to simply ask him to explain why there are two reports signed by him in his capacity as an expert witness, acknowledging the code of conduct for expert witnesses, both dated the same day ... It's just hard to find a sensible explanation," Mr Bennett said.

Ms Higgins' settlement claim related to the handling of her alleged rape inside Parliament House, rather than the alleged rape itself.

Mr Bennett said questions needed to be answered as to why the psychiatric reports exist in such "significantly and materially different terms".

Ms Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young SC told Justice Paul Tottle that she strongly resisted Mr Bennett's application and said it should be dismissed.

She said the matter was irrelevant to the defamation action, noting that Senator Reynolds could not use documents she only just learned of to justify what Ms Higgins said was the senator's harassment of her in late 2022.

"The plaintiff cannot call in aid documents produced yesterday, to contend that those documents now establish that the plaintiff was entitled to question the circumstances of Ms Higgins' personal injury claim against the commonwealth when the conduct that the plaintiff is answering here is her conduct in leaking confidential communications to a journalist back in December 2022," Ms Young said.

"From a temporal perspective, this is entirely irrelevant."

The revelations came as Senator Reynolds lodged a fresh lawsuit against Ms Higgins over the trust she established to administer the commonwealth payout.

In a writ, Senator Reynolds alleged that Ms Higgins transferred the trustee role to a company - Power Blazers Pty Ltd - co-owned by Ms Higgins and her father in an attempt to defeat or delay any potential creditors.

The claim seeks an order voiding the transfer of the settlement funds into Ms Higgins' trust and a return of the trust monies back to Ms Higgins personally. That would put the funds within reach of creditors including Senator Reynolds.

The senator is suing Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz offer social media posts the senator says implied she had mishandled Ms Higgins' rape allegation and had harassed her former staffer.

Federal Court judge Michael Lee found in April that, on the balance of probabilities, Bruce Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and is appealing the decision.

The commonwealth payment has long been a bone of contention for Senator Reynolds, who says she was frozen out of the process and was denied by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus an opportunity to defend the mishandling allegations.

Senator Reynolds has made a complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission over the settlement. The NACC is not believed to have taken any action on the senator's complaint to date.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/psychiatrists-vastly-different-reports-on-brittany-higgins/news-story/98e1a459abe4bde64eeeb4fd778db870

#21459208 at 2024-08-22 10:02:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
>>21453311
David Sharaz told journalist Samantha Maiden a Morrison government payout would make Brittany Higgins look 'bought off'

PAUL GARVEY - August 21, 2024

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David Sharaz told a senior journalist that his now wife Brittany Higgins would not feel comfortable accepting a payout from the Morrison government as it would make her look "bought off", as the scale of Mr Sharaz's involvement in taking Ms Higgins' rape allegations public was laid bare.

Hundreds of messages between Mr Sharaz and news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden were released by the Western Australian Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, after they were tendered as evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation action against Ms Higgins. The almost 10,000 words exchanged between the pair shed new light on the role of Mr Sharaz in bringing Ms Higgins' plight to public attention.

Among the cache was a message from Mr Sharaz in January 2021 - before Ms Maiden broke the story - in which he described the Morrison government as being in "panic bribery mode", and a February 2021 message soon after Ms Maiden's story was published in which he said "there is ZERO chance she can accept a government payout without looking bought off".

Ms Higgins would later accept a $2.445m settlement payment from the Albanese Labor government in December 2022, and Senator Reynolds - who has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of freezing her out of that compensation process - has referred the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Also in February 2021, a week after Maiden was the first to reveal Ms Higgins' story, Mr Sharaz told the reporter that both he and Ms Higgins were "regretting all of this" because "the government seems to have gotten away with it all, and we're both unemployed".

Mr Sharaz texted Maiden on February 19: "I can see why PMO hate us. It all looks planned haha".

The evidence emerged as Maiden, who won the Gold Walkley in 2022 for breaking the story of Ms Higgins' rape allegations, told the WA Supreme Court of an "inappropriate" message she received from Mr Sharaz soon after she first interviewed Ms Higgins.

That message read: "It's a weird story. Journalism hat on, what a f..king scoop ha ha".

Maiden confirmed she had read that message at the time.

"I do recall receiving that message and I thought it was inappropriate," she said.

The messages also spell out Mr Sharaz's frustrations over the Morrison government's response to Ms Higgins' allegations, and in particular the report from John Kunkel, Scott Morrison's chief of staff, into whether the Prime Minister's office briefed against Ms Higgins.

Mr Sharaz said in those messages that Ms Higgins felt belittled by the Kunkel report and that the Morrison government "got away with it". Maiden appeared to push back, describing the final lines of the report as "very pointed" and describing the idea that they got away with it as "a bizarre interpretation of what happened".

Mr Sharaz, who married Ms Higgins earlier this year, is also being sued for defamation by Senator Reynolds but is not ?defending the action.

The court was played parts of the recording of the first meeting between Ms Higgins and Maiden in January 2021, just over a month before she published the first story airing Ms Higgins' allegation that she was raped by a colleague inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office.

In excerpts from the recording, Ms Higgins told Maiden how Senator Reynolds "hated" her and treated her like she was "toxic" after she met with the senator soon after she was allegedly raped by Bruce Lehrmann.

Other correspondence between Ms Higgins and Maiden tendered as evidence documents an enquiry from Maiden asking Ms Higgins if Senator Reynolds should step down.

"If Ms Higgins had said that Linda Reynolds should resign, that would have been a significant story at the time, I wanted to ask her of her opinion," Maiden told the court. "And her opinion was that she didn't think so. She said 'I think she was just following instructions to be honest'."

(continued)

#21453311 at 2024-08-21 09:58:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'She's drafting a plan for you': Maiden gives evidence on breaking Higgins' story

Jesinta Burton - August 21, 2024

1/2

The recording of an interview between Brittany Higgins and the journalist who would break the story about her alleged rape in former defence minister Linda Reynolds' office has laid bare how the young political staffer felt it had rendered her "toxic".

Journalist Samantha Maiden was played portions of the hour-long interview with Higgins after being called to give evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against the former staffer.

Flanked by three lawyers, Maiden told the court she recalled hosting Higgins at her home for an interview over dinner on January 21, 2021, where Higgins would detail an incident she said had made her a "problem" for her then-boss.

In the recording, the former staffer told Maiden she felt like Reynolds "hated her" and branded a meeting they had alongside chief of staff Fiona Brown in April 2019 a "box ticking" exercise.

That would be the sole meeting the trio had regarding a security breach, during which Higgins claims she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds' ministerial suite after a night out on March 23, 2019.

Lehrmann, whose 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, maintains his innocence.

He is appealing against a separate Federal Court judgment that found the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities.

Higgins, who had only been employed for two weeks when the alleged rape occurred, told Maiden she believed the former defence minister kept her at arm's length out of fear the incident may cost her the portfolio she had "worked her entire life for".

"She was actually quite nice, her [Reynolds] and Fiona I mean, but I didn't feel it was a fair conversation on the basis I had been terrified since, and I was very new," Higgins told Maiden in the recording.

"She didn't know me or like me really … I was just a problem for her.

"She avoided being in photos with me. I was toxic to her. She hated me, and she still does to this day."

But Higgins told Maiden the substance of what was said at that meeting was "a blur" she could "barely recall" because she was distracted by being within metres of the couch she was allegedly assaulted on.

Higgins went on to explain how the support she received was limited to receiving a brochure for an employee counselling service with a month-long waiting list and that she was given the option of returning home, staying in Canberra or travelling to Perth to campaign alongside Reynolds ahead of the 2019 election.

Despite having sighted a security report stating Higgins had been found partially undressed in her office, Reynolds testified that there was no allegation a sexual assault had occurred at the time of the meeting and that she would not have hosted it there if she had known.

Higgins' partner and former press gallery journalist David Sharaz first approached Maiden about the story in January 2021, penning a text message about a "Me Too incident" the Liberal Party had "covered up".

"I am letting this be [Higgins'] decision, but she's drafting a plan for you. She wants to do it in an election year," Sharaz wrote.

Maiden confirmed Higgins later sent a document referred to as "The Dossier", but rejected that it went by that name at the time and said that was something that "entered the media lexicon" afterwards.

The article would be published on news.com.au on February 15, 2021, with Maiden telling the court the timing was dictated by Higgins' desire to have the story drop during a parliamentary sitting week.

Higgins' tell-all interview with journalist Lisa Wilkinson for The Project was aired later that evening.

(continued)

#21439437 at 2024-08-19 10:33:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins won't give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation trial

PAUL GARVEY and ELLIE DUDLEY - 19 August 2024

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Brittany Higgins has pulled out of giving evidence in the defamation action brought against her by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in a bombshell that could mark an early end to the proceedings.

Ms Higgins' barrister Rachael Young SC made the shock announcement in the WA Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, indicating Ms Higgins was suffering from poor health, and saying she does not believe she needs to call Ms Higgins to mount a winning defence.

"We don't think we need to call Ms Higgins to satisfy Your Honour to be successful in these proceedings," Ms Young said.

The former Liberal staffer had been scheduled to spend a week in the witness box from August 26, and was due to fly to Perth from her home in France.

Ms Young submitted three medical reports containing details of the conditions that she argued backed up why Ms Higgins would no longer give testimony.

The exact medical reasons for the withdrawal were not specified in open court, and Ms Young applied for an order to protect the details of the reports from being published.

Ms Higgins is pregnant, and has also battled issues with her physical and mental health since she went public with her allegation in 2021 that she was raped inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office. She was also been hospitalised in Perth earlier this year amid a court-ordered mediation session aimed at resolving the defamation matter.

Senator Reynolds' defamation matter is now due to conclude much earlier than anticipated, and could be finished by the beginning of next week.

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told reporters outside court on Monday afternoon he would be closely examining Ms Higgins' medical reports.

He referenced a speech Ms Higgins gave on the steps of the ACT Supreme Court after former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold chose not to re-try Bruce Lehrmann in the wake of his aborted rape trial.

"Ms Higgins came out immediately and said she could face a civil trial," Mr Bennett said. "She gave evidence before Justice Lee for five days. I need to go and look at this."

Mr Bennett said Senator Reynolds simply "wants the truth established/adjudicated by a judge".

"She can't raise it under parliamentary privilege in parliament, because there's no way in which you can test what she says against what Ms Higgins says," he said.

"She was denied the opportunity in the civil (compensation) claim to test what Ms Higgins claims was her treatment. This was to be it. Her word against Higgins'. Now Higgins isn't coming."

Mr Bennett told reporters Ms Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, are still in France. They were last pictured earlier this month in Paris signing affidavits at the Australian embassy.

(continued)

#21422113 at 2024-08-16 13:57:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Secret medical reports fuel doubts for key witness appearance in Reynolds, Higgins row

Jesinta Burton - August 16, 2024

1/2

The exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' office will take the stand in the pair's defamation row.

Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins' alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence minister's office after a night out on March 23, 2019.

But on Friday, Brown's barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle.

The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter.

Higgins went public with her rape allegation and claimed it had been the subject of a political cover-up on February 15, 2021 in interviews with journalist Samantha Maiden and The Project.

Lehrmann denies the claim and his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct. He is appealing a Federal Court judgment that found the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities.

Both Reynolds and Brown found themselves in the firing line over their handling of the allegation, being grilled about what they knew and when as the political furore grew.

On Thursday, the court was told about how Reynolds and Brown were at odds over whether to take the security breach, in which Higgins was found in a state of undress, to police, with Brown adamant they shouldn't without Higgins' permission.

Reynolds has been pursuing Higgins for more than a year over a series of social media posts she claims accused her of mishandling the rape allegation and attempting to silence victims of sexual assault.

The 29-year-old is defending the claim on the basis the substance of the posts is true, and that Reynolds is using the media to harass her.

It comes as Tasmanian Senator Wendy Askew took the stand on Friday to tell of the toll the scandal over Higgins' alleged rape took on Reynolds over the past three years, recalling periods of absence and "great distress".

Askew told the court she sat behind Reynolds in parliamentary chambers in February 2021 when the former defence minister began fielding questions from the Labor Party about the handling of the alleged incident.

"I was very conscious of the questions being asked relentlessly of her, and especially the mannerisms across the chamber … which were just heartless," Askew told the court.

(continued)

#21415080 at 2024-08-15 09:48:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Linda Reynolds' friend describes senator's 'state of distress' after Coalition's 2022 election defeat

PAUL GARVEY - 15 August 2024

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One of Linda Reynolds' closest friends has described how the senator broke down after she learned she had failed to secure any shadow ministry roles in the wake of the Coalition's 2022 election defeat.

Denita Wawn, chief executive of Canberra-based Master Builders Australia, told the West Australian Supreme Court on Thursday about Senator Reynolds' "heightened state of distress" during a weekend away shortly after the 2022 election.

Ms Wawn said the senator's state that weekend was the worst she'd seen since Senator Reynolds was hospitalised soon after Brittany Higgins went public with her allegation that she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann inside Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office.

"My recollection is she was very upset that she had not been made a shadow minister, or even a junior shadow minister, which in effect had stopped her ministerial career," Ms Wawn said.

Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz offer social media posts the senator says implied she had mishandled Ms Higgins' rape allegation and had harassed her former staffer.

Federal Court judge Michael Lee found in April that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and is appealing the decision.

Ms Wawn has been friends with Senator Reynolds for more than 20 years and is contact with her at least once a week.

She said the only time she had only seen Senator Reynolds in a worse state than during that 2022 getaway was in 2021, soon after Ms Higgins first appeared on The Project.

Ms Wawn said she and her friends were incredibly concerned with the senator's wellbeing in the aftermath of that program, telling the court she was worried that the senator could die.

Senator Reynolds was hospitalised for weeks after the 2021 revelations after the stress of the situation exacerbated a pre-existing heart condition.

"She was a mess, I think is the best way to described her both physically and mentally," Ms Wawn said.

"Physically she was shaking, she was pale, she looked weak. Mentally she was at a high state of distress, she was looping and being triggered by any little thing."

Asked what she meant by 'looping', Ms Wawn said Senator Reynolds was "constantly repeating lines" as she tried to rationalise Ms Higgins' allegations that the senator had mishandled her allegations.

Ms Wawn was also closely involved in Senator Reynolds' 2021 settlement with Ms Higgins over the senator's description of her former staffer as a "lying cow". That remark, made by the senator in front of her staff as they watched Ms Higgins' appearance on The Project, was revealed by The Australian and prompted Ms Higgins to threaten Senator Reynolds with a defamation action.

They ended up settling the dispute after Senator Reynolds formally apologised and donated $10,000 to a Canberra women's crisis centre.

(continued)

#21404272 at 2024-08-13 09:45:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'Utterly false': Scott Morrison rubbishes Brittany Higgins cover-up claims in explosive testimony

Jesinta Burton - August 13, 2024

1/2

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has vigorously defended West Australian senator Linda Reynolds' handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation, rubbishing claims of a political cover-up and saying it was parliamentary process that had failed the former staffer.

Giving evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against Higgins on Tuesday via videolink from Sydney, Morrison pored over what unfolded in the days after Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project on February 15, 2021, including what he described as "aggressive" and "co-ordinated" questioning in federal parliament and by the media.

Morrison revealed the broadcast was the first he knew of the alleged rape in Reynolds' ministerial suite and conceded he was disappointed the then-defence minister had kept him in the dark.

But he said he understood Reynolds' predicament in attempting to balance her obligations to the government while maintaining the promise of confidence she had given Higgins.

Morrison told Higgins' lawyer, Rachael Young, SC, that the need to ensure workplace safety at parliament was what had motivated him to order an inquiry, not the growing media attention.

And the former prime minister insisted that that scrutiny did not underpin his decision to replace Reynolds as defence minister after she called Higgins a "lying cow" while watching The Project interview in her office, a comment she said in court this week she did not mean as disbelief in the rape allegation itself.

"It's not appropriate language to be using about a member of staff, it was extremely out of character for Senator Reynolds, and she apologised," Morrison told the court.

"That played no part in her ongoing performance as defence minister. If every member of parliament had their private comments made public, we wouldn't have anyone serving in the parliament.

"She suffered severe injury from the attacks she endured over a long period of time, and that's the sole reason I chose to make a change in ministerial arrangements."

When quizzed about whether he would have launched the same inquiry in 2019 if he had known about the alleged rape before it reached the press, Morrison told the court there was no indication Higgins took issue with its handling at that point.

"Ms Reynolds and [Reynolds' chief of staff] Fiona Brown had supported Higgins to make a complaint to the police, but she didn't wish to do that," he said.

"To my mind, [Higgins] hadn't previously suggested that the process was deficient.

"If [I had been told] there was an inhibitor to someone bringing the complaint to the police, which was always facilitated, or issues with support, I would seek to address it with the importance it deserved."

(continued)

#21396390 at 2024-08-12 11:28:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins' defamation trial hears evidence of sharp decline in Senator Linda Reynolds' health

Nicolas Perpitch - 12 August 2024

Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds's partner has testified her cardiologist thought she could die after she collapsed in the senate following intense pressure over her handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation.

Robert Reid gave evidence in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday during the defamation trial brought by the Senator against her former staffer Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts.

Mr Reid told the court of the significant deterioration in his partner's health after the 2019 rape allegation was made public, in an article by journalist Samantha Maiden and in Ms Higgins' interview with Channel 10's The Project on February 15, 2021.

Senator Reynolds maintains both pieces contained "false allegations" and "lies" by Ms Higgins about her handling of the alleged sexual assault, in Senator Reynolds's ministerial suite at parliament house.

In the days after the news broke, Senator Reynolds faced continuous questioning by Labor senators in question time.

Senator portrayed as 'villain'

Her lawyer Martin Bennett has told the defamation trial she was portrayed nationally as the "villain" in the story.

Mr Reid recalled receiving a message to come to parliament on March 23, 2021 after Senator Reynolds had collapsed and gone back to her ministerial suite.

He said when he saw her, "she looked white, she looked almost dishevelled, it was very painful".

On medical advice, they drove to a nearby hospital to have her heart checked, given she had a pre-existing heart condition.

"Linda was still crying," Mr Reid said.

They saw a cardiologist.

"He said 'we might lose her'", Mr Reid said, breaking down in tears.

"He said 'this is very serious'."

The doctor though, did not admit Senator Reynolds and instead advised sending her home and monitoring her closely.

'Linda felt stupid'

Her speech to the National Press Club the next day was cancelled, and she went on leave for three weeks.

Mr Reid said watching the interview on The Project had been a major shock.

"Linda felt stupid at that point," he said.

"She had been trying to do the right thing by Brittany, not telling anyone … and here was a plan to bring her down, and potentially to bring Scott Morrison and the government down.

"It was a hit on Linda.

"She told me she could not understand why the hatred."

A central plank of Senator Reynolds' argument in the defamation trial is that Ms Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz had formulated a plan to publicly reveal her rape allegation "as a weapon to inflict immediate damage upon (Senator Reynolds) and the then government".

Her legal team claims Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz acted with malice and caused her not only severe reputational damage, but also caused her to suffer distress and embarrassment.

Ms Higgins claims Senator Reynolds mishandled the rape allegation and failed to properly support her in the aftermath.

Bruce Lehrmann was charged with Ms Higgins's rape, but his criminal trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct and no findings were made against him. He has always maintained his innocence.

He was found to have raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities in a separate civil trial. He is appealing that finding.

The trial is due to continue until early September, with Ms Higgins expected to give evidence in the last week of August.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-12/Linda-Reynolds-brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-defamation-trial/104213042

#21385847 at 2024-08-10 15:21:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'I carry the guilt': Reynolds breaks down over airing Kitching warning of political firestorm

Jesinta Burton - August 9, 2024

1/2

WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has broken down on the witness stand, describing her guilt over telling Labor senators that late Victorian senator Kimberley Kitching warned her the party intended to "rain hell" on her over Brittany Higgins' alleged rape, and doubling down on claims the saga led to Kitching's death.

On Tuesday, the former defence minister told the Western Australian Supreme Court Kitching's decision to hand an anonymous letter about the alleged rape over to the Australian Federal Police, and not her party, had left Kitching ostracised by her colleagues.

And she made national headlines when she made the extraordinary claim the saga led to Kitching's death of a heart attack on March 10, 2022, at the age of 52.

Reynolds left the court in tears on Friday after telling Higgins' barrister Rachael Young, SC, that her remarks reflected her guilt at revealing to other politicians that Kitching had tipped her off to the impending political firestorm in 2021, rather than reflected a desire to have her claims aired in the press.

"You sought to make that comment knowing that remark would be publicly reported, didn't you?" Young asked during cross-examination.

"I'm certainly not the first one to come to that conclusion," Reynolds replied.

"It displays my guilt. If I hadn't revealed it was her... that's what led to her being ostracised.

"I had kept it in confidence, even after everything. It was my guilt. I shouldn't have weakened and told anyone. Everyone can see how angry she was with me. She was losing weight. But I carry the guilt of telling the senators and ... her being bullied to death."

Young had previously taken Reynolds to a news report about a seven-page letter Kitching penned to colleagues in June 2021 in which she rejected Reynolds' account of events.

On the final day of evidence in her defamation trial with Higgins, Reynolds told the court she was aware of allegations Kitching had been bullied and Kitching's denial that the "rain hell" conversation had occurred.

And she pointed to footage that showed her interaction with Kitching in parliament on the day she claimed the first warning was fired.

Young put it to Reynolds that her extreme guilt had impacted her ability to give testimony on those senators objectively.

Reynolds conceded she was correct, before leaving the witness stand and embracing a friend in the public gallery.

(continued)

#21372143 at 2024-08-08 11:37:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'He was stitching me up': Reynolds lashes attorney-general on the stand over Higgins settlement

Jesinta Burton - August 8, 2024

1/2

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of "stitching her up" during the settlement of former staffer Brittany Higgins' compensation claim, while defending her decision to leak confidential legal letters to the media.

During cross-examination in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young, SC, grilled the former defence minister about her decision to forward three legally sensitive letters to The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen in December 2022.

The emails came six months after Reynolds had been named a defendant in Higgins' compensation claim over the mishandling of her alleged rape by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's parliamentary suite in 2019.

Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since his criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct in 2022.

The senator took issue with the Commonwealth's plan to conduct her defence, forwarding Albrechtsen an email laying bare her concerns about the settlement's handling - including that she was being muzzled.

The contents of those email were later republished in an article by The Australian.

Young put to Reynolds that she had sent the emails from her personal address to avoid them becoming public - a claim the senator denied.

And Higgins' solicitor submitted that Reynolds leaked the letters to Albrechtsen about effectively being muzzled and her dissatisfaction with the process to ensure favourable coverage, a claim she again rejected.

"Did I want Ms Albrechtsen to know I had not had the ability to defend claims? Yes, I was incredibly angry because I could see the attorney-general of this country was stitching me up on allegations I had not seen and believed had expired," Reynolds told the court.

"I had no expectation of how she would write it, I just provided evidence of corruption, and she could report that as she saw fit."

When asked whether she believed leaking the emails would be taken as a breach of the confidentiality requirement, Reynolds told the court she had never consented to the government taking over her defence.

"They may well have never wanted it to see the light of day," Reynolds said under oath.

In publicly challenging the process for the settlement with Higgins, Young told the court Reynolds ought to have known it would cast doubt over whether she should have received it.

But Reynolds reiterated she did not take issue with Ms Higgins' pursuit of compensation over the ordeal, but rather how she believed the law had been manipulated to "muzzle her" and "government corruption".

"You wanted it publicly known as to your truth about the handling of the rape allegation. You wanted Higgins to be publicly questioned about her version of events," Young put to Reynolds.

"It wasn't my truth, it was the truth. I wanted to do that at the mediation behind closed doors, but I was not afforded that opportunity. I never wanted to be in the position of having to defend things here," Reynolds responded.

(continued)

#21366136 at 2024-08-07 10:51:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Linda Reynolds shares anger over Brittany Higgins's pre-production tapes for Channel 10's The Project interview

Nicolas Perpitch - 7 August 2024

1/2

Liberal MP Linda Reynolds has told the West Australian Supreme Court of the moment she realised the extent of what she claims was a "pre-planned" and "pre-meditated" attack to inflict maximum damage on her by Brittany Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz.

But the former defence minister said she never doubted Ms Higgins's allegation she was raped in Senator Reynolds' then-ministerial suite at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019.

Ms Higgins had settled with the Commonwealth for $2.445 million in December 2022 over the handling of those allegations.

The settlement came after print stories and a television interview on Channel 10's The Project with Ms Higgins, which Senator Reynolds claims contained false assertions by Ms Higgins that she had seriously mishandled the rape allegation and failed to support her.

Senator Reynolds is now suing her former staffer over social media posts Ms Higgins later made, which she claims have defamed her.

'It was personal'

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett questioned her in court today about the moment she first heard details about the five-hour pre-interview for The Project involving Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and others.

Senator Reynolds said she learned about it during the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who had been accused of raping Ms Higgins.

The trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct and no findings were made against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Lehrmann was later found in a separate civil trial to have raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities. He is appealing that decision.

Senator Reynolds said the pre-interview, during which the strategy to make public Ms Higgins rape allegations was discussed, made her realise how much thought had gone into the attack against her.

"It became clear how premeditated this plan was," Senator Reynolds said.

"I had no idea just how well prepared this plan was. They had a package for the media, they had a package for the Me Too movement, they had a package for disaffected Liberals.

"It was pre-planned, it was pre-meditated, it was personal against me.

"I was angry, I was hurt, and as I said I felt like a fool."

'I believe her'

When asked about her reaction to Ms Higgins' interview which aired on The Project, the MP acknowledged saying the words "lying cow" while watching the program.

The comment was leaked to the media, and Senator Reynolds settled with Ms Higgins out of court on the matter.

Senator Reynolds said she settled not only to try and keep her job as a minister but also for her health, which she said had deteriorated badly as a result of the relentless pressure on her over her handling of the rape allegations.

(continued)

#21360269 at 2024-08-06 11:09:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
>>21354159
New Brittany Higgins social media posts prompt defamation trial warning from Linda Reynolds's lawyer

Nicolas Perpitch - 6 Augist 2024

1/2

The high-profile defamation trial against Brittany Higgins has taken another twist, with Senator Linda Reynolds's lawyer declaring new social media posts published yesterday were part of a co-ordinated plan to mislead the public into thinking the Senator was trying silence survivors of sexual assault.

Lawyer Martin Bennett said the posts, which included an Instagram story from Ms Higgins, had been deliberately timed to coincide with the start of Senator Reynolds's evidence yesterday.

In one post, Ms Higgins recommends as "pertinent reading" a book relating to "how the law silences women" and another post is by an advocate for sexual assault survivors, Saxon Mullens, who is fundraising for Ms Higgins' legal costs.

Mr Bennett said it was part of a "coordinated plan" to "mischaracterise these proceedings" as an attempt by Senator Reynolds to silence sexual assault survivors, to "mislead the public" about the true nature of the proceedings.

Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins, her former staffer, for alleged defamation over social media posts made in 2023 which the Senator says falsely claimed she mishandled Ms Higgins' allegation she was raped in Parliament House in 2019.

Mr Bennett has applied for a subpoena to obtain copies of communications between Ms Higgins and Ms Mullens, who was instrumental in changing consent laws in New South Wales.

From respectable to 'despicable'

Senator Reynolds described being "nationally vilified" after the rape allegations first emerged.

"There are no words to adequately describe what it was like being accused of covering up the rape of a young woman in my office in a way that I knew it was not true," she told the court.

"In the space of a couple of days I had gone from a minister and a senator doing her job and doing it well, to being nationally vilified as someone who would do something so despicable.

She remembered her office being bombarded by media requests over the matter.

"Even people on my own side were keeping their distance," Senator Reynolds said.

'It was devastating."

Her health suffered, the court was told, from the relentless and "brutal" questioning by Labor senators in parliament, which ultimately caused her to leave the defence portfolio.

Senator Reynolds said she was in incredible pain from a heart condition, did not sleep much, and had to leave the Senate chamber at one point, breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably.

She was then hospitalised, taking three weeks off work.

(continued)

#21354159 at 2024-08-05 11:54:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'This is aggravation': Reynolds' lawyer threatens to add fresh post to Higgins' defamation rap sheet

Jesinta Burton - August 5, 2024

1/2

Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of aggravating conduct after she published the cover of a book entitled 'How many more women? how the law silences women' alongside the words "Pertinent reading" as the former defence minister entered the witness box for their defamation trial.

Reynolds lawyer Martin Bennett had concluded quizzing the former defence minister on her life and career when he revealed Higgins had posted the image on her Instagram story while his client was on the stand.

Bennett told the court he intended to amend the statement of claim in Reynolds' defamation action against Higgins to include the post, arguing its timing and the imputations amounted to aggravation.

Reynolds ended her first day of sworn testimony poring over her recollection of a meeting with Higgins in her parliamentary office on April 1, 2019, just over one week after she and colleague Bruce Lehrmann breached security by entering after hours while intoxicated and leaving the suite unlocked.

What transpired during that meeting and in the months that followed now underpins Higgins' claim that her former boss mishandled what was actually a sexual assault - and now her truth defence.

Higgins later revealed she spent that meeting sitting just metres from the couch on which she was allegedly raped by Lehrmann, a claim Lehrmann has long denied.

Reynolds told the court she recalled being frustrated and angry because she had not been advised of the security breach until several days after it occurred.

Despite being told Higgins had been discovered by security guards in a state of undress, Reynolds claimed there was no allegation of sexual assault yet urged Higgins to go to the Australian Federal Police and seek counselling over what she described as "hazy" memories.

"We talked about the security incident, and she was embarrassed and mortified. I told her her job was safe, but to learn from the incident and that it couldn't happen again," Reynolds told the court.

"I told her that if she wanted to go to the AFP, make a complaint or get somebody to help her remember things further, that Fiona and I would be there for her… and she thanked me.

"I think she was grateful she was keeping her job, but she deserved a second chance."

Reynolds also defended herself against criticism about the eight days that lapsed between the alleged rape and her first formal meeting with Higgins, with her diary showing she was interstate for six of them.

The testimony came after Higgins' lawyer cast doubt over the impact of the three social media posts publications Reynolds had spent the past year pursuing damages for, telling the court her reputation was already 'baked in'.

Higgins' counsel Rachael Young SC told the court any damages Higgins should have to pay should consider Reynolds' public standing when the posts were published, two years after the tell-all interview that saw the former minister in the firing line over her handling of the alleged rape.

The lawyer told the court any potential payout should be moderated by the fact such criticism was "part and parcel" of being a politician, and implied any damages would not be "worth the candle" of a five-week defamation trial.

(continued)

#21339073 at 2024-08-02 15:42:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
>>21339036
Linda Reynolds v Brittany Higgins: Judge won't be swayed by sideshows

STEPHEN RICE - 2 August 2024

It took only minutes after Linda Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, produced the memorable line that "every fairytale needs a villain" before the cesspit of social media chewed it up and spat out a revised version.

No matter that Bennett had spent most of the morning detailing Reynolds' actual case: that Brittany Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz had concocted a "fictional story of a cover-up" by Reynolds of the young woman's rape allegations.

No matter that Bennett reaffirmed Reynolds had never questioned the veracity of Higgins' account of being raped - indeed, had urged that it be immediately reported to police. That would have spoiled the narrative.

Instead, "Reynolds' lawyer ?believes that rape is a fairytale!" lit up the twittersphere.

Climate 200 founder and teals campaigner Simon Holmes a Court posted that "every day Linda Reynolds pursues Brittany Higgins is another day we're reminded about her government's hostility towards victims of sexual assault".

The bid by some of Higgins' supporters to reframe the case as forcing a rape victim to prove her rape will be a recurring theme through the next five weeks of the trial.

But inside the courtroom, Higgins' lawyers are confined to a more difficult task: substantiating her claims that Reynolds not only failed to support her after she revealed the assault, but actively ?attempted to cover it up "in the interests of the Liberal Party".

Difficult because in his judgment in the Lehrmann defamation case, Justice Michael Lee, while finding on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins, expressly rejected her claims that Reynolds was involved in a cover-up.

On Friday, Bennett laid out the battleground on which he intends to fight: the "degree of sophistication" in the planning by Higgins and Sharaz to ensure the rape story maximised damage to Reynolds and the Coalition government; and the "bare-faced falsity" of Higgins' claims that led to the commonwealth's lightning-fast $2.4m settlement.

Far from being isolated in Perth after the incident, Bennett said, Higgins sent her former boyfriend text messages saying "it's been pretty fun" and "my day's been awesome, mostly poolside".

Higgins had not been shut in a hotel room alone working seven days a week, as she'd claimed, but was out and about campaigning.

Next week, Higgins' lawyers will spell out their defence in full.

They have already outlined their plan of attack in court documents, alleging that Reynolds "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against Higgins, including providing confidential information to the media.

But Higgins's lawyers did not address dozens of pages of particulars that were provided by Reynolds detailing her claims that senior Labor figures - including Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong - were drip-fed false information by Higgins and Sharaz as part of a larger plan to destroy Senator Reynolds' career, simply stating that she "denies the allegations".

Instead, Higgins' defence contains a series of allegations that Reynolds "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against her by leaking confidential material relating to the mediation of her compensation claim against the federal government and by questioning the claim.

Justice Paul Tottle must decide whether Reynolds was defamed, not whether Higgins was raped.

He won't be distracted by spurious attempts - inside the court or out - to stray from that task.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/Linda-Reynolds-v-brittany-higgins-judge-wont-be-swayed-by-sideshows/news-story/3695106d53b548a28c08ef09bc7610f7

https://x.com/simonahac/status/1818873924308156642

#21339036 at 2024-08-02 15:31:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'Brittany Higgins fairytale needed a villain': Linda Reynolds fights cover-up allegations

PAUL GARVEY - 2 August 2024

1/2

Linda Reynolds has used a trove of photographs and text messages to allege Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz deliberately created a plan to falsely portray the Coalition minister as the "villain" who led a cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged Parliament House rape.

The first day of the senator's defamation trial against Ms Higgins saw her lawyer Martin Bennett tender multiple photographs showing Ms Higgins smiling and laughing while out on the campaign trail across Perth just months after she was allegedly raped by then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Bennett said the evidence showed how Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz had used falsehoods and lies to create a narrative that Senator Reynolds had led a political cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged rape.

"Every fairytale needs a villain, and in 2020 or 2021, Ms Higgins and her then-partner and now husband, Mr Sharaz, cast Senator Reynolds in that role for their fictional story of a cover-up of the rape," Mr Bennett said. "The fact she had been raped was traumatic and terrible but it needed something more to attract the attention, to attract media ?interest, to attract the promotion of Ms Higgins, so she made it a political sex scandal. That's the fiction that needed a villain and she cast Linda Reynolds in that role."

Mr Bennett said the images and text messages showed that the $2.445m settlement secured from the commonwealth by Ms Higgins was built on a falsity that Senator Reynolds had been given no opportunity to correct. He said the outcome of the confidential mediation between Ms Higgins and the federal government - which was leaked to the media "before the ink was dry" - would have caused the public to believe Ms Higgins' claims that the senator had harassed her and isolated her in the wake of her ?alleged rape.

"Any person in Australia reading this would automatically think that the allegations made by Ms Higgins were so true, so damning, so correct in their allegations against Senator Reynolds that the commonwealth paid $2.445m on a single instance of mediation for proceedings not yet filed," Mr Bennett said.

"And because the commonwealth took over the conduct of Senator Reynolds' defence of this claim, but denied her the deed, she was bound by that aspersion."

The settlement was based in part on a claim by Ms Higgins that she had been ostracised by Senator Reynolds in the wake of the alleged rape, with the settlement stating that she was sent to work in Perth on the senator's re-election campaign and "was required to work mostly on her own in a hotel room seven days a week for six weeks". During that time, the claim said, her mental health deteriorated.

But Mr Bennett read out multiple text messages sent by Ms Higgins to her boyfriend at the time, Ben Dillaway, in which she detailed her time working and socialising in and around Perth during the campaign.

The messages described how she spent her time doorknocking and attending campaign events, community forums and dinners during her weeks there.

"Been out and about doing ground level campaigning. It's been pretty fun actually," she wrote in one of several messages to Mr Dillaway read out in court.

"My day has been awesome, mostly spent poolside," read ?another.

Mr Bennett also tendered a ?series of photos showing a smiling Ms Higgins with politicians including Senator Reynolds and then-prime minister Scott Morrison during the campaign.

Ms Higgins also attended a birthday dinner thrown by Senator Reynolds just before the election, as well as a post-election debrief with champagne at the senator's home the day after the poll.

"There is event after event after event," Mr Bennett said, saying it was "palpably false" to suggest that Senator Reynolds had cast her out and isolated her.

(continued)

#21338861 at 2024-08-02 15:03:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21281320
Reynolds v Higgins: Trial begins in Linda Reynolds' pursuit of vindication

Jesinta Burton - August 2, 2024

1/2

Huddled around a table in a luxury hotel in Sydney's inner suburbs, former political staffer Brittany Higgins, now-husband David Sharaz and Network Ten journalist Lisa Wilkinson met to strategise the delivery of a bombshell interview that would spark a cultural reckoning.

It was January 27, 2021, and Higgins was preparing to detail her alleged raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the parliamentary office of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds and the political cover-up that followed.

"I asked Britt 'ultimately, what do you want out of this?'," Sharaz says.

"And she goes 'well, I want Bruce to forever have it difficult getting a job, like it's going to be difficult for me'.

"And then you [Higgins] said, best-case scenario, Linda Reynolds."

The tell-all interview on The Project would be broadcast to more than half-a-million people, triggering a political storm that culminated in multiple inquiries, a cultural overhaul, lucrative book deals and a $2.4 million compensation pay out.

The criminal trial against Lehrmann - who has long maintained his innocence - would be aborted in 2022 due to juror misconduct and a string of high-profile defamation actions would ensue, one of which would find the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities (a judgment Lehrmann is appealing).

As the pair's former boss, Reynolds would find herself in the firing line over the then-government's handling of Higgins' rape allegation, grilled about what she knew and when and her conduct.

And over the next five weeks, Reynolds' legal team will take to the WA Supreme Court to argue that it marked the beginning of a campaign to get what she claims Higgins set out to: the destruction of Reynolds' reputation.

Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for defamation over several social media posts accusing her of harassment on July 31, 2023, claiming they damaged her reputation, brought her into public hatred and caused her distress and embarrassment.

The former defence minister was already locked in an almost identical defamation row with Sharaz, who bowed out after declaring he did not have the financial means to take it to trial and imploring Reynolds to "let Brittany heal".

According to court documents filed by Reynolds' legal team, the posts implied the former minister had engaged in misconduct, inadequately supported Higgins and wanted to silence victims of sexual assault.

Higgins has fiercely defended the action on the basis her posts were substantially true, insisting Reynolds mishandled her rape complaint and weaponised the media to pursue a campaign against her, including by leaking confidential government emails to journalists.

Reynolds has defended her right to deal with the media and rejected the harassment allegation.

(continued)

#21281320 at 2024-07-24 10:21:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>20895231 (pb)
'Harassment': Brittany Higgins' defence revealed

STEPHEN RICE - 23 July 2024

Brittany Higgins has doubled down on her attack on former ?defence minister Linda Reynolds, alleging her former boss "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against her, including providing confidential information to the media, newly ?released court documents reveal.

Ms Higgins' amended defence to Senator Reynolds' defamation claim, filed in the West Australian Supreme Court, amplifies her allegations that she was the victim of an attempted cover-up, stating she felt under pressure not to make a complaint "in the interests of the Liberal Party" in the lead up to an election.

In his judgment in the Lehrmann defamation case this year, judge Michael Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, that Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, but expressly rejected her claims that Senator Reynolds was involved in a cover-up of the assault. Mr Lehrmann has lodged an appeal.

Senator Reynolds is now suing Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.

In her statement of claim Senator Reynolds said the posts were published to further a plan by Ms Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz to use the allegations that Senator Reynolds had been involved in a political cover-up as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage on her.

Senator Reynolds has added a new pleading of tortious conspiracy to her defamation claim. Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz as part of a larger plan to destroy Senator Reynolds' career and take down the Morrison government, the senator alleged.

Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor MPs to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

However, Ms Higgins does not address dozens of pages of particulars provided by Senator Reynolds, simply stating that she "denies the allegations". Ms Higgins claims in her amended defence that Senator Reynolds "mishandled the aftermath of the incident" and failed to support her.

She claims Senator Reynolds sought to dissuade her from speaking further with her about the ?alleged assault "by telling her she was not the right person to be talking to about it"; had minimised the incident by telling her "that this is something women go through"; and had then referred to the upcoming election.

Senator Reynolds had "placed pressure" on her, Ms Higgins said, by asking her whether she was going to report the matter to police, and saying if she was, she should let the minister know.

In a seemingly contradictory claim, Ms Higgins points out that Senator Reynolds had also asked her chief of staff Fiona Brown to report the incident to the Australian Federal Police without asking Ms Higgins if she wanted to.

(continued)

#21252129 at 2024-07-20 14:28:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Linda Reynolds Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21042324 Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July. The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health. The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases. Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.
>>21171764 The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House - Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege. Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd. The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her. Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support. The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.
>>21171776 'The Plan' Brittany Higgins' lawyers didn't want us to see - "This is the statement of claim that lawyers for Brittany Higgins didn't want us at The Australian to see. They didn't want us to report it, to analyse what Linda Reynolds set out in her defamation claim against Higgins in the West Australian Supreme Court. Fear not. We're fighting objections by the Higgins team to us ?accessing all the documents filed in this litigation. I filed further submissions with the WA Supreme Court on Monday. The wheels of justice move slowly - court orders are currently not due until the end of this month. In the meantime, my intrepid colleague Ellie Dudley got hold of a copy of the statement of claim current as at June 4. No wonder the Higgins team tried to block us from seeing it. It is an extraordinary read. For the first time in one document are allegations of what Reynolds calls "the Plan" - a carefully orchestrated, pre-meditated political hit job where Higgins and Sharaz used allegations of a rape and a political cover-up "as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage" on Reynolds and the then government of the day." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au

#21252120 at 2024-07-20 14:22:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20895231 'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down - Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019. Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz. She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023. In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan". A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours. Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."
>>20945301 Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict - Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict. Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021. The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues. He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings. The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.
>>20959181 The four reasons Bruce Lehrmann thinks his appeal should succeed - Bruce Lehrmann has urged an appeal court to overturn a finding that he raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, arguing that the evidence before the court did not support that conclusion. In a notice of appeal, filed in the Federal Court on Friday, Lehrmann sets out four grounds of appeal against the landmark decision of Justice Michael Lee on April 15 to dismiss his defamation suit against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann has asked the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Lee's decision and enter judgment in his favour. The former federal Liberal staffer claims he was denied procedural fairness during his defamation case. He alleges Lee made findings in relation to Ten and Wilkinson's successful truth defence that were not put to him when he gave evidence in the Federal Court last year. The judge's finding that the truth defence was established was "contrary to evidence" and did not meet the standard of proof, Lehrmann claims.

#21251536 at 2024-07-20 13:01:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Linda Reynolds Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21042324 Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July. The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health. The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases. Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.
>>21171764 The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House - Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege. Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd. The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her. Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support. The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.
>>21171776 'The Plan' Brittany Higgins' lawyers didn't want us to see - "This is the statement of claim that lawyers for Brittany Higgins didn't want us at The Australian to see. They didn't want us to report it, to analyse what Linda Reynolds set out in her defamation claim against Higgins in the West Australian Supreme Court. Fear not. We're fighting objections by the Higgins team to us ?accessing all the documents filed in this litigation. I filed further submissions with the WA Supreme Court on Monday. The wheels of justice move slowly court orders are currently not due until the end of this month. In the meantime, my intrepid colleague Ellie Dudley got hold of a copy of the statement of claim current as at June 4. No wonder the Higgins team tried to block us from seeing it. It is an extraordinary read. For the first time in one document are allegations of what Reynolds calls "the Plan" a carefully orchestrated, pre-meditated political hit job where Higgins and Sharaz used allegations of a rape and a political cover-up "as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage" on Reynolds and the then government of the day." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au

#21251533 at 2024-07-20 13:01:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20895231 'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down - Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019. Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz. She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023. In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan". A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours. Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."
>>20945301 Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict - Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict. Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021. The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues. He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings. The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.
>>20959181 The four reasons Bruce Lehrmann thinks his appeal should succeed - Bruce Lehrmann has urged an appeal court to overturn a finding that he raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, arguing that the evidence before the court did not support that conclusion. In a notice of appeal, filed in the Federal Court on Friday, Lehrmann sets out four grounds of appeal against the landmark decision of Justice Michael Lee on April 15 to dismiss his defamation suit against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann has asked the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Lee's decision and enter judgment in his favour. The former federal Liberal staffer claims he was denied procedural fairness during his defamation case. He alleges Lee made findings in relation to Ten and Wilkinson's successful truth defence that were not put to him when he gave evidence in the Federal Court last year. The judge's finding that the truth defence was established was "contrary to evidence" and did not meet the standard of proof, Lehrmann claims.

#21171776 at 2024-07-10 06:23:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21171764
'The Plan' Brittany Higgins' lawyers didn't want us to see

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - 8 July 2024

1/2

This is the statement of claim that lawyers for Brittany Higgins didn't want us at The Australian to see. They didn't want us to report it, to analyse what Linda Reynolds set out in her defamation claim against Higgins in the West Australian Supreme Court.

Fear not. We're fighting objections by the Higgins team to us ?accessing all the documents filed in this litigation. I filed further submissions with the WA Supreme Court on Monday. The wheels of justice move slowly - court orders are currently not due until the end of this month.

In the meantime, my intrepid colleague Ellie Dudley got hold of a copy of the statement of claim current as at June 4.

No wonder the Higgins team tried to block us from seeing it.

It is an extraordinary read. For the first time in one document are allegations of what Reynolds calls "the Plan" - a carefully orchestrated, pre-meditated political hit job where Higgins and Sharaz used allegations of a rape and a political cover-up "as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage" on Reynolds and the then government of the day.

The Plan, says the statement of claim, started long before Lisa Wilkinson's infamous Project interview in February 2021. Shortly after meeting Sharaz in May 2020 - some 14 months after the alleged rape - Higgins crafted a note about an "anatomy of a political sex scandal".

According to Reynolds' claims in the proceeding, the Plan continues to this day, with Higgins refusing to apologise to Reynolds or retract allegedly defamatory and disparaging ?material.

The overriding impression from Reynolds' claim is clear: Reynolds believes that Higgins and Sharaz left little to chance in furtherance of their Plan. Higgins would later boast in her draft book outline sent to Penguin Random House, "We had become quite a twosome when it came to game planning. My experience as a media adviser, David's experience as a producer; together we understood how the gallery media sphere operated."

That much is true. Curated in remarkable detail, the statement takes 20 pages to set out their game planning of various kinds.

Higgins and Sharaz lined up favoured journalists, priming them, drip-feeding them material. Higgins taped private conversations with people she worked with in parliament, and shared the secret recordings with select journalists and former Labor advisers.

The Plan, says the statement of claim, covered other pre-Project conduct including Higgins and Sharaz meeting ACT Labor Party Operations Manager Sandra Fisk in August 2020 to disclose the allegations and later to discuss implications of going to the media; in January 2021, Higgins creating a timeline or "dossier" to be distributed to the media, Sharaz making arrangements around the same time to meet with Wilkinson and news.com journalist Samantha Maiden; Sharaz providing the ?dossier to Wilkinson "on behalf of Brit"; Sharaz emailing Wilkinson about Higgins' allegations under the heading "MeToo Liberal Party Project Pitch"; Sharaz and Higgins settling on a parliamentary sitting week to drop the allegations in the media; Sharaz telling Wilkinson during a five-hour interview that you can only prosecute the Liberal Party "in the court of public opinion"; Sharaz telling Wilkinson that "the reason we've chosen the timeline ... is because it's a sitting week when we want the story to come out"; Sharaz telling Wilkinson "I've got a friend in Labor, Katy Gallagher on the Labor side, who will probe and continue it going"; Wilkinson telling Higgins and Sharaz that "I'm a great believer in people's time will come" to which Sharaz responded "Linda's time, please god, let it be Linda's time" with Wilkinson adding "Well, I think it might be" before reading out text messages with Reynolds to "ridicule" her.

(continued)

#21171767 at 2024-07-10 06:20:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21171764

2/3

On February 17, 2021, Senator Gallagher, Senator Wong and Labor senator Kristina Keneally levelled more questions at Senator Reynolds in question time.

"Just for the information of the chamber, Ms Higgins has given permission for us to ask questions about this incident," Senator Gallagher said. "Just for your information - I don't think you should hide behind Ms Higgins by refusing to answer these questions."

And later: "By withholding information, what she is continuing is the cover-up that has been under way for two years, which has been the cause of much trauma to Ms Higgins. It's the cover-up, often, that is as traumatic as other elements of a serious crime like this because it compounds the trauma. It means that people she worked for, people she looked up to, who she expected to treat her properly, haven't."

Senator Reynolds said in her pleading she was hospitalised as a result of The Project broadcast and "aggressive questioning" of Labor frontbenchers throughout late February 2021.

In March 2021, Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz exchanged a series of messages Senator Reynolds claims indicates their larger plans to damage the Liberal government. "He's (Scott Morrison) about to be f.cked over. Just wait. We've got him," Ms Higgins wrote to Mr Sharaz on March 26, 2021.

On March 28, 2021, Mr Sharaz wrote: "Suck shit Linda ... You awful human."

Between May 11 and 13, 2021, Senator Reynolds was asked further questions in the Senate.

"Senator Wong stated 'We are asking questions Ms Higgins wanted asked' and 'Well, Ms Higgins wanted these questions asked'," the statement of claim reads. "It can be inferred that the defendant was communicating with Senator Wong either directly or indirectly."

The statement of claim refers to a five-hour pre-interview meeting between Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz, Project host Lisa Wilkinson and producer Angus Llewellyn, discussing when the story should be aired.

During the pre-interview, Mr Sharaz said: "The 21st of Feb you could do that story, that's ahead of that sitting week. And then March is when estimates is."

Ms Higgins said: "I think it's two weeks in, and I think it's mid-March is when Senate estimates is back", and "It'd be good to get a question time in, I think".

"Mr Sharaz stated 'I asked Britt, ultimately, what do you want out of this? And she goes 'well, I want Bruce t forever have it difficult getting a job, like it's going to be difficult for me'," the statement of claim reads. "Apparently addressing the defendant directly, Mr Sharaz then said, 'and then you said, best-case scenario, Linda Reynolds' and the group erupted with laughter."

The court documents refer to notes made by AFP officers during Ms Higgins' meeting at Belconnen Police Station on February 5, 2021, "during which (Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz) appeared more concerned with the media campaign than the criminal investigation process".

Ms Higgins knowingly signed a statutory declaration for The Project that included false information relating to the handling of her rape allegations, Senator Reynolds alleges.

"(Chief of staff) Fiona Brown never told the defendant that she had viewed the CCTV footage of 22-23 March 2019. Fiona Brown did not rebuff the defendant's request to view the CCTV footage from 22-23 March 2019," the document claims. "The plaintiff did not keep the defendant at arm's length during the election period or refuse to have the defendant involved in any of the plaintiff's events. The plaintiff did offer the defendant a job after the election."

(continued)

#21171764 at 2024-07-10 06:19:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20895231
The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House

ELLIE DUDLEY - 8 July 2024

1/3

Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege.

Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.

Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support.

The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.

Senator Gallagher came under intense scrutiny last year over when she was first made aware of Ms Higgins' rape claim, but denied allegations she misled parliament in refuting any advance knowledge of the assault allegations.

The Australian understands amended documents have been filed to the court since the statement of claim was uploaded on June 4. While the substance of Senator Reynolds' allegations have not changed, her case has been updated to include a claim of tortious conspiracy.

It is understood Ms Higgins is defending the claims.

In a statement of claim, obtained by The Australian, Senator Reynolds alleges Ms Higgins "acted maliciously" in creating the social media posts, as part of a larger plan orchestrated by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz to harm the Coalition.

"They were published in furtherance of a plan by the defendant and Mr Sharaz to use the defendant's allegations of a rape and the political cover-up ... as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage upon the plaintiff and the then government," the statement of claim reads.

Part of that plan, Senator Reynolds alleges, included "aggressive questions" asked by Senator Gallagher and Senator Wong in question time in early 2021, which were centred on false information provided by Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins.

On February 11, 2021, Mr Sharaz provided Senator Gallagher with a dossier detailing the events surrounding the rape claim and an advance copy of Ms Higgins' interview with The Project, and "facilitated the provision of questions and answers between Ms Higgins and Senator Gallagher".

"Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for ... she's really invested now," a text message sent from Mr Sharaz to Ms Higgins reads.

On February 15, 2021, Senator Gallagher and Senator Wong grilled Senator Reynolds in Senate question time about Ms Higgins' story, which had appeared in news.com.au that morning.

"Can the minister assure the Senate that neither she, her staff nor any of the prime minister's staff said or did anything which may have implicitly encouraged her former staff member not to pursue the incident with police?" Senator Gallagher asked, according to the statement of claim.

And the statement of claim says Senator Wong asked: "What steps did this minister take to ensure that Ms Higgins was confident that her career with the Liberal Party would not be negatively impacted by a decision to make a complaint to the police?"

"In the circumstances it can be inferred that the defendant provided senators Wong and Gallagher with the information forming the basis of those questions referred to above in circumstances where the defendant knew this information was false," the statement of claim reads.

(continued)

#21054526 at 2024-06-20 12:00:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21015578
>>20903732
US Navy admiral highlights WA's strategic role in AUKUS deal, alongside warning about power-hungry China

Rebecca Trigger and Daryna Zadvirna - 20 June 2024

A US Navy chief has accused China of planning to dominate the Asia-Pacific during a speech in Perth, one day after the Chinese premier's visit to the city.

Commander of the US Pacific fleet, Admiral Stephen Koehler, emphasised Western Australia's strategic importance to the AUKUS partnership in his address at the Perth USAsia Centre Wednesday evening.

Western Australia is set to be the base for Australia's nuclear-powered submarines under the plan, with HMAS Stirling hosting rotations of US and UK submarines from 2027.

"That starts here in Perth," Admiral Koehler said.

"[The rotating submarine force] employs Perth's unique combination of positional advantage and strategic depth to maximize a key allied capability."

In the same breath, he condemned what he described as confrontational and illegal actions by China towards other nations in the strategically important South China Sea.

Admiral Koehler said China's Pacific strategy was "fixated on power" and sought to undermine a rules-based international order.

"From my vantage point, the PRC's intentions are clear," he said.

"In 2010, then-PRC Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed Beijing's view on the primacy of power in its relationships with its neighbours when he said at an ASEAN meeting that 'China is a big country and you are small countries, and that is a fact'.

"Fourteen years later this attitude persists."

Economic ties a deterrent: Koehler

The powerful US admiral appeared in Perth just one day after Chinese Premier Li Qiang who, accompanied by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, visited the WA capital to meet with business leaders.

Admiral Koehler said he viewed Australia's economic ties with China - particularly the export of iron ore - as a deterrent to any potential conflict.

"The economic peace that you have enjoyed with China, I consider that an opportunity of leverage," he said.

"They want the iron ore. There is an opportunity, as an instrument of power economically, to use that as deterrence value."

Premier Li took part in a series of soft diplomacy activities such as banquets and mining facility tours, but there were no opportunities for Western media to ask him questions during his visit.

This was despite an incident the day before in Canberra when Chinese officials appeared to try to block Australian journalist Cheng Lei from view of the cameras.

Premier Li's visit was the first since relations between the two nations soured, leading to punishing trade sanctions on Australia's agricultural products to China.

'I don't think we should be bullied'

It has been hailed as a thawing of relations but led to questions over WA's position, caught between economic reliance on sales of iron ore to China and its strategic role in the AUKUS alliance.

"That game back and forth in the economic sphere, I think, is one of competition, and we're going to have to continue to work through it," Admiral Koehler said on Wednesday.

"And so - personal opinion now - I don't think we should be bullied economically.

"Which means you have to be able to, if you're going to use anything economic as a deterrent, show the will to use that."

The admiral paid a visit to the Henderson marine precinct, which is set to play a pivotal role is the AUKUS alliance, and said he was impressed with its "huge capacity and capability."

But responding to a question from Senator Linda Reynolds about Australia's preparedness for AUKUS, Admiral Koehler acknowledged there was work to do.

"There are some specific decisions of exactly how is this going to look and I know that those decisions are pending," he said.

"I know that the right people are talking."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-20/us-navy-chief-warns-of-china-power-play-in-wa-visit/103998738

#21042324 at 2024-06-18 11:45:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20895231
Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row

Jesinta Burton - June 18, 2024

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins.

Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July.

The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health.

But Cash's attendance in-person will hinge on parliamentary sitting dates, with Higgins' lawyers continuing a push to delay the slated July 24 start date until at least July 29 to accommodate new WA-based counsel Rachael Young.

The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases.

Bennett also sought leave to amend the statement of claim to attach another allegation of defamation, after evidence surfaced during disclosure that he argued demonstrated Higgins collaborated on another publication he claims was defamatory of the senator.

Higgins' lawyer Teresa Ward told the court her client had already handed over the first tranche of documents expected to form evidence in the case, including dozens of personal messages, and was preparing to send the remaining files within the next 48 hours.

Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann - a claim Lehrmann has long denied, but was found to be true to the civil standard by Justice Michael Lee.

Lehrmann is appealing a decision handed down by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee in Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten earlier this year that found, on the balance of probabilities, he did rape Higgins.

A rape charge against him was withdrawn in after his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

As the pair's former boss, Reynolds has found herself in the firing line over the then-government's handling of Higgins' rape allegation.

The senator alleges Higgins in 2023 made several social media posts she claims were false and defamatory of her, and is suing for damages, as well as aggravated damages.

Reynolds also launched an almost identical action against Higgins' husband David Sharaz, who bowed out several weeks ago after declaring he did not have the financial means to take the matter to trial.

Higgins has fiercely defended the action.

Reynolds, who made a surprise appearance at court, mentioned Morrison by name while sharing her gratitude to her former parliamentary colleagues for their support throughout the past three years.

The senator said the ongoing fallout had a significant impact on her and others, and continued to call upon those involved to accept Lee's judgment, which dispelled long-held claims of a political cover-up.

"This is not just about clearing my name, but also to get justice for the many people whose lives have been destroyed," she said.

"It's absolutely essential that all parties accept Justice Lee's findings, all of his findings, so that the many people who have been damaged by this whole saga can get justice and get peace.

"Justice Lee was very clear in terms of the fact that there was never any political conspiracy and that Ms Higgins was looked after, by myself and my chief of staff Fiona Brown, and it is time that those people who have perpetuated that agree they were wrong, apologise."

The matter is expected to return to court for a second directions hearing next week.

Reynolds is also still working to establish who controls a trust in Brittany Higgins' name, which she claims was established to safeguard Higgins' $2.4 million federal government pay-out for lost earnings and hurt, distress and humiliation.

The WA senator wants to have the trust set aside amid fears it may prevent her from getting damages if she wins the defamation case, which she has mortgaged her own home to pursue.

https://www.smh .com.au /national/ western- australia/ former-pm- prepared-to- take- witness -stand-in- Reynolds- higgins- row- 20240618- p5jmvv. html

#20945301 at 2024-05-31 14:15:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20726614 (pb)
>>20726638 (pb)
Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict

ELLIE DUDLEY - MAY 31, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict.

Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021.

The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues.

He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings.

The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds.

However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.

Mr Lehrmann had until Friday to file the appeal, after Justice Lee extended the usual 28-day window until May 31.

Mr Lehrmann will claim Justice Lee's ultimate findings were never put to him in cross-examination, and he was therefore denied procedural fairness.

He will also argue there were serious credibility issues with Ms Higgins' evidence, specifically in relation to an image of a bruise she shared with The Project team in the lead up to her interview.

During Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial, Ms Higgins claimed the bruise was caused during the rape. However, she later admitted the bruise could have occurred earlier in the night when she fell over at Canberra's 88mph nightclub.

In delivering judgment, Justice Lee found Mr Lehrmann would have only received $20,000 had he won his defamation fight "because he is only entitled to be compensated for the reputation he deserves".

But in his appeal, Mr Lehrmann will argue that because Justice Lee agreed Wilkinson's Logies speech - which delayed Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial by three months - had impinged in the administration of justice, he is entitled to greater damages.

The Australian understands while Mr Lehrmann had been provided expert advice from top silk Guy Reynolds SC, he ultimately filed the appeal himself and will self-represent in any subsequent hearings.

Mr Lehrmann also sought assistance from former crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, who has extensive experience with rape trials. Ms Cunneen, now a criminal barrister, most recently won a sexual assault case for ex-Wallaby Kurtley Beale.

Justice Lee earlier this month ordered Mr Lehrmann to pay the rumoured $6 million legal bills of both Ten and Wilkinson, criticising the former Liberal staffer for bringing the defamation matter based on a "fanciful and knowingly false premise".

He ruled the broadcaster could recover costs from Mr Lehrmann on an indemnity basis - covering about 90 per cent of its legal bill - in relation to its truth defence, and on an ordinary or party-party basis - about 70 per cent of its legal bill - in relation to its qualified privilege defence.

Mr Lehrmann is currently unemployed, and it is unlikely Ten will be able to recover costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bruce-lehrmann-lodges-appeal-against-network-ten-lisa-wilkinson-verdict/news-story/d297c5f223e7c311387f6253742c2a4a

#20895231 at 2024-05-21 11:23:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20676399 (pb)
>>20736640 (pb)
>>20808182 (pb)
'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down

PAIGE TAYLOR - MAY 21, 2024

Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.

Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz.

She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023.

In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan".

A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours.

Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."

Tuesday's mediation was the first attempt at a settlement since Network Ten successfully defended itself in a defamation case brought by Mr Lehrmann over a story on The Project.

That story featured Ms Higgins' rape allegation and claims of a political cover-up in which Ms Higgins was forced to choose between her career and justice.

In a lengthy judgment in that case in April, Justice Michael Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in the ministerial suite of Senator Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019. At the time, Senator Reynolds was the defence industry minister.

Ten won the case because Ms Higgins' rape allegation was found to be true. However Justice Lee said "the cover-up allegation was objectively short on facts, but long on speculation and internal inconsistencies - trying to particularise it during the evidence was like trying to grab a column of smoke".

On her way in and out of the mediation on Tuesday, Senator Reynolds said all of Justice Lee's findings must be accepted by all parties. She said this included the Finance Minister, the Attorney-General and his department.

"It's time for them to admit they got it wrong," she said before the mediation began.

Senator Reynolds later confirmed she was talking about Ms Higgins' payout, which - according to documents made public in court - included $400,000 for the way she was treated at work.

"Justice Lee made some very comprehensive findings in his judgment and it is time for all parties to accept all of his comments and I think that will help us all move forward," she said.

When Senator Reynolds was asked which findings, her lawyer Mr Bennett referred to six paragraphs about the Commonwealth deed that underpinned Ms Higgins' payout.

Justice Lee said it was evident several things being alleged were untrue and gave examples, including that "minister Reynolds did not engage with [Ms Higgins] at all during the election campaign. She avoided [Ms Higgins] and made clear that she did not want the claimant attending events with her".

Standing outside court with Senator Reynolds after the failed mediation, Mr Bennett said the relevant paragraphs of the judgment were "where Justice Lee identified that the warranties given by Ms Higgins in the deed of settlement were false".

A reporter then asked Senator Reynolds: "But in saying that the Attorney-General was wrong ... is that in terms of awarding her the payout?" Senator Reynolds replied: "Yes".

Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins were not present for the mediation in Perth. Ms Higgins' and her lawyer may have participated by video link, The Australian has been told.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/admit-you-got-it-wrong-Reynolds-fronts-court-ahead-of-higgins-mediation-talks/news-story/543d2487783b56448e0374090ca20a59

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PP4sN9duys

#20886332 at 2024-05-19 08:33:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 58
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 4
>>20826937 Linda Reynolds seeks to overturn Brittany Higgins trust - Linda Reynolds is preparing new legal action to set aside a trust established by Brittany Higgins that the former Liberal minister asserts may have been set up by Ms Higgins to protect the money she received in a $2.4m commonwealth compensation payout. Senator Reynolds' move is designed to ensure that in the event she wins her upcoming defamation case against Ms Higgins, she is able to access any assets still held by her former staffer. In a draft of an application to be filed in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday Senator Reynolds demands a copy of the Brittany Higgins Protective Trust deed, set up in February last year, to ascertain who is the trustee -- and who to sue in the event Ms Higgins claims not to be able to meet any costs or damages awarded. If the court grants the order, Senator Reynolds would then be able to bring an action under section 89 of the WA Property Act - or other similar provision in the relevant jurisdiction where the trust was established - to have the trust set aside.

#20886331 at 2024-05-19 08:33:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 57
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>20726638 'Bruce Lehrmann made the mistake of coming back for his hat' - Justice Michael Lee's defamation judgement was a masterstroke. Here are some of his sharpest observations. 'I'm convinced ... that sexual intercourse did take place, and that took place with Mr Lehrmann on top of Ms Higgins on the couch in the minister's office' - 'Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins. I hasten to stress this is a finding on the balance of probabilities' On Lehrmann pursuing damages after his aborted criminal trial: 'Having escaped the lion's den Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of coming back for his hat'
>>20736640 Reynolds breaks silence over Lehrmann judgment, vows to pursue Higgins - Former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds has broken her silence following Bruce Lehrmann's defamation defeat, vowing to proceed with her own civil case against Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz while declaring accusations of a political cover-up had been dispelled. Hours after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said his Liberal colleague had been vindicated by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee's findings into the "sordid affair", the West Australian senator became the first MP embroiled in the saga to speak out. Dutton also suggested Higgins and Sharaz should apologise to her. "For three years I have endured intense public scrutiny, vilification, vile trolling and have been demonised as the villain in a story of a political cover-up I have always known to be untrue," Reynolds said. She said both her and her former chief-of-staff Fiona Brown had lost their careers, "had our reputations destroyed and have had our health seriously and irreparably compromised".

>>20798809 David Sharaz waves white flag in Linda Reynolds defamation case - Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz has declared he will no longer defend himself against the defamation claim lodged against him by Linda Reynolds, in the latest twist in the long-running legal saga. Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz at the same time over the social media posts in 2022 and 2023. Senator Reynolds is expected to argue that her reputation was destroyed by a false allegation that she was part of an attempt to cover-up the rape of Ms Higgins by her then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann and the social media posts by the pair that pushed that false allegation. In a directions hearing in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Tuesday, Mr Sharaz's lawyer described the impending six week trial, scheduled to start in late July, as horrendously expensive and a disaster for everyone. He said Mr Sharaz could not afford to participate in it. Earlier, Mr Sharaz had posted a statement on social media saying he had informed the court that he would not fight the legal action against him any more. "I will now appeal for Senator Reynolds to settle her litigation against Brittany, a rape victim, by agreeing to disagree and putting all of this behind them. It's time to move on," he wrote. "It's time to let Brittany heal."
>>20808182 Sharaz could be bankrupt if he loses: Reynolds' lawyer - Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz could "go bankrupt" if he loses the defamation claim lodged against him by former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds, following his declaration he was abandoning his defence of the case. In the midst of a directions hearing in the West Australian Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mr Sharaz posted a statement on social media saying he could not afford to pay the costs of a six-week trial fighting Senator Reynolds' legal action. Senator Reynolds has made it clear through her lawyer, Martin Bennett, that she has no intention of abandoning her case against Mr Sharaz or Ms Higgins without an apology over their allegations she was involved in a cover-up of Ms Higgins' rape by Bruce Lehrmann. Senator Reynolds says the cover-up allegations, found by Justice Michael Lee to be false, destroyed her reputation. Mr Bennett ridiculed Mr Sharaz's claim that he could not afford his defence, observing he now lived with Ms Higgins in a five-bedroom country house in the south of France. "He lives in a chateau. He hasn't got a job and he's got a QC and a junior solicitor, two solicitors representing him," he said. "If he's impecunious as he asserts in France, he'll go bankrupt."

#20886330 at 2024-05-19 08:33:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 56
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>20676399 Court told Brittany Higgins colluded with Lisa Wilkinson to 'attack' Linda Reynolds, as defamation case heads for trial - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds intends to claim that Brittany Higgins and her now fiance David Sharaz colluded with Lisa Wilkinson and a Channel Ten producer to politically attack her, if her defamation cases against the couple go to trial. The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing both her former political staffer and Sharaz over a series of social media posts that she says damaged her reputation. Lawyers for the parties appeared in the Western Australian supreme court on Wednesday, after a closed-door mediation hearing failed last month as the matters edged closer to trial. They wrangled over how the prospective trials should be run, with Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett saying they were so "intertwined" they should be partially merged to prevent duplication and save the parties money.
>>20700884 Brittany Higgins questions whether she 'may have been drugged' on night Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped her - Brittany Higgins has questioned whether she may have been drugged on the night she was allegedly raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House, and that she wishes the Federal Court had explored this possibility during Mr Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson, new court documents have revealed. The former Liberal staffer also claims the circumstances in which her $2.4m commonwealth payment was "prepared, agreed and executed" had not been explored "in any meaningful way" during proceedings, saying there is "no proper basis" to make adverse findings against her in relation to the compensation package. Mr Lehrmann's lawyers had argued that Ms Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her settlement that were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case.

>>20700895 Judgment day finally announced for epic Bruce Lehrmann, Ten, Lisa Wilkinson defamation saga - Bruce Lehrmann will learn on Monday next week whether judge Michael Lee has found he was defamed by Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson when they aired an interview with alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins. On Tuesday, the Federal Court advised that Justice Lee would deliver his verdict at 10.15am next Monday, with the judge expected to read an abbreviated version of his judgment, live-streamed on the Federal Court's YouTube channel, with longer reasons to be published in full on the court's website at the conclusion. The judgment had been delayed by an 11th-hour intervention last week by disaffected former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach, who provided Ten with affidavits about Mr Lehrmann's involvement with the Seven network. Mr Lehrmann sued Ten and Wilkinson over her interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021, detailing accu?sations that Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins but not naming him as the alleged attacker. Ten and Wilkinson have relied on a defence of truth, in an attempt to prove Mr Lehrmann sexually assaulted Ms Higgins on the couch of senator Linda Reynolds in Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019. Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.
>>20726614 Bruce Lehrmann 'raped Brittany Higgins', Ten wins defamation case - Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson have won their landmark defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann after Justice Michael Lee found the former Liberal staffer raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. In delivering his long-awaited judgement, Justice Lee found Mr Lehrmann was "hellbent" on having sex with Ms Higgins after passionately kissing her in a Canberra night club, and was "so intent upon gratification" that he "did not care one way or the other whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on." Mr Lehrmann will receive no damages from the media outlet, and a debate regarding costs will be heard in coming weeks. Justice Lee also rejected suggestions aired by The Project that there was a political conspiracy to cover up Ms Higgins' rape allegations, saying the accusations caused a "broom of confusion" and did much "collateral damage, including to the fair and orderly progress of the underlying allegation of sexual assault through the criminal justice system".

#20545598 at 2024-03-10 08:51:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 35
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>20514473 ACT pays price for Drumgold's trial slur against Reynolds - The ACT government has apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold during Bruce Lehrmann's rape case that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation. Senator Reynolds launched defamation action in December in the wake of findings by the ?Sofronoff board of inquiry that Mr Drumgold's allegations against her were baseless and "grossly unethical".
>>20514482 Walter Sofronoff displayed 'apprehension of bias' while probing Shane Drumgold: judge - Former judge Walter Sofronoff's conduct during an inquiry into the behaviour of former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias", a judge has found. Acting Justice Stephen Kaye on Monday said Mr Sofronoff may have been "influenced" by the views of The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen through his communications with her while conducting the inquiry that ended Mr Drumgold's career. However, he upheld almost all the findings in Mr Sofronoff's report of serious misconduct by Mr Drumgold that the former prosecutor had claimed were unsound.
>>20519996 Linda Reynolds' defamation action could 'bankrupt' Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz - Brittany Higgins and Senator Reynolds' legal teams will come face-to-face in Perth in a court-ordered mediation over the former Defence Minister's defamation case amid judicial warnings over the "human cost" of the legal battle. Senator Reynolds' legal team has argued she has been left highly distressed by online trolling, and alleged that Mr Sharaz had been "a constant participant" in that trolling. Legal sources say the costs associated with the proceedings had the potential to bankrupt Mr Sharaz, who has not been in full-time work since he suddenly left his role at Southern Cross Austereo a fortnight after defamation action was taken against him by Senator Reynolds last year.

>>20529679 Brittany Higgins taken to Perth hospital after marathon court hearing - Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was taken to hospital on Tuesday night following a marathon defamation hearing in a Perth court with senator Linda Reynolds. It is understood the 29-year-old attended Royal Perth Hospital, but a spokesperson from the hospital said there was no record of her being admitted. Higgins' fianc? David Sharaz declined to comment. Higgins and Sharaz had been forced to travel to Western Australia from their new home in the south of France for in-person peace talks with her former boss at the recommendation of Justice Marcus Solomon.
>>20529697 Police officers sue over Shane Drumgold claims that 'destroyed lives' - Five Australian Federal Police ?officers have begun defamation action against the ACT government over allegations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold that they engaged in "a very clear campaign to pressure" him not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. Lawyers for the five officers have sent a concerns notice to the government and to Mr Drumgold over his allegations against them, which included that they had ?engaged in "consistent and inappropriate interference" in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann. The allegations were made in a letter Mr Drumgold sent to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan on ?November 1, 2022, expressing concern over "some quite clear ?investigator interference in the criminal justice process".
>>20535301 Shane Drumgold lands new job teaching law to Canberra students - Students at Canberra University have been startled to discover the identity of their new lecturer in the law of evidence: disgraced former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Mr Drumgold, who resigned as DPP last year following the damning findings of misconduct by the Sofronoff ?inquiry, began teaching a unit of the online law of evidence course at the university on January 15 and will teach another from October 21. Academics at the university have expressed astonishment that Mr Drumgold will be teaching students, particularly in an area of law which he was found by the ?Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately flouted. "Being appointed in the middle of this godforsaken mess to teach evidence law is just - wow, you can't make it up," one faculty member told The Australian.

#20545596 at 2024-03-10 08:50:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 33
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20092945 Video: Brittany Higgins's former chief of staff Fiona Brown allowed to give evidence in closed court session.
>>20098432 Lip-reader spent three days analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Higgins, court told.
>>20098441 Who said conspiracy? Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC abandons cover-up claim.
>>20103761 Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown says Brittany Higgins 'didn't tell me she had been raped'.
>>20103774 Linda Reynolds to seek freeze on Brittany Higgins' assets as her former staffer leaves for new life in France.
>>20108466 Federal Court Justice Michael Lee says parts of Higgins, Lehrmann evidence 'simply can't be accepted.'
>>20108473 Bienvenue: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz have arrived in Paris to start their new life in France.
>>20114415 'Lies, damned lies and CCTV': Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow SC delivers blistering closing address.
>>20119265 David Sharaz: the witness who never appeared - Where was Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life in court? The evidence of the man dubbed 'puppet master' by Bruce Lehrmann would have been relevant.

>>20147701 YouTuber who allegedly uploaded unlawful videos of the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial has been ordered to face court over alleged contempt
>>20187793 Lehrmann lawyers call for 'substantial damages' even if court finds he lied about sex - Bruce Lehrmann should still receive "substantial damages" in his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson even if the Federal Court finds he lied when he said he did not have sex with Brittany Higgins, his barristers have told the court.
>>20266894 Reynolds recruits French counsel as Higgins, Sharaz lawsuit escalates - WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has taken her defamation row with Brittany Higgins to her former staffer's new home country, engaging a French lawyer in her pursuit of a freezing order over Higgins' European assets.
>>20334205 Shane Drumgold claims 'bias' in Walter Sofronoff inquiry - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold will attempt to prove his allegation that Walter Sofronoff KC engaged in an "unreasonable" relationship with columnist Janet Albrechtsen and The Australian newspaper while he was conducting an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct in prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial.
>>20334220 Judge urges Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz, Linda Reynolds to settle defamation suit - WA Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon has again called on Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, to do everything they can to settle their defamation dispute ahead of its upcoming mediation hearing, having previously spoken to the "human cost of this litigation".
>>20359645 Lisa Wilkinson only had a 'limited role' in Brittany Higgins broadcast: court documents - Lisa Wilkinson's "limited role" in producing the final broadcast of Brittany Higgins' interview with The Project was simply to "read the pre-prepared script", new Federal Court documents from the veteran television presenter's lawyers show.
>>20365347 Shane Drumgold fails in bid to scrap 'irrelevant' evidence of Walter Sofronoff - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has failed in a bid to strike out evidence from Walter Sofronoff KC explaining why he engaged with the media throughout an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape case, with a Supreme Court judge ruling that the evidence could go some way to clarifying how contact with the press could have been "necessary or convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry."
>>20405635 Ten 'intentionally cruel': explosive Lisa Wilkinson claims - Lisa Wilkinson has set out for the first time, in exacting detail, her claims of betrayal by Ten and her "devastation and humiliation" at being removed from The Project, in previously secret documents now released by the Federal Court.
>>20405643 Sofronoff, Drumgold showdown to kick off in court - The first day of a legal throwdown brought by former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a battle the disgraced prosecutor hopes will reinstate his reputation and possibly catapult him back into his old job. Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the ACT government and the inquiry, chaired by Walter Sofronoff KC, last year, challenging findings in the final report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

#20545562 at 2024-03-10 08:37:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 18
Australian Politics and Society - Part 11
>>20400702 WA Liberal senator and former defence minister Linda Reynolds to quit politics - Former defence minister and WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has announced she'll stand down from politics at the next election. In a statement posted to Facebook, Ms Reynolds said she would not seek Liberal Party pre-selection for another term beyond June 2025.
>>20400714 Defence in Boxer war with Marles as budget fight escalates - The army's $5.7bn Boxer armoured vehicle program has become the latest bargaining chip in ?Defence's escalating war with Richard Marles, with the department warning the government's demands for savings are threatening the long-awaited capability.
>>20400740 UK activist Kellie-Jay Keen accuses ABC, Pesutto of defamation over Moira Deeming matter - UK women's rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen has issued defamation concerns notices against both the ABC and Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto, as she prepares to lodge a case in the Federal Court, which could run concurrently with expelled Liberal Moira Deeming's.
>>20405583 Labor under fire for failing to seek orders to lock up freed foreign murderers and rapists - Anthony Albanese has been accused of putting the public at risk amid revelations his government is yet to seek orders to lock up any of the dozens of ?foreign murderers, rapists or ?violent thugs freed into the community following a High Court ruling last year. It was revealed on Monday that seven murderers and 37 sex offenders, including pedophiles, were among the 149 immigration detainees who were released. Twenty-four of those freed have since reoffended, while 36 have been exempted from wearing ankle bracelets. The government's failure to use its legislation to secure preventive detention orders for any of the released criminals comes despite the formation of a taskforce of 20 home affairs lawyers more than two months ago to prepare the applications.

>>20405592 Video: Murderers among detainees released after the High Court ruled their detention was unlawful - 7 murderers and 37 sex offenders were among detainees released after the High Court ruled their detention was unlawful. Tonight the Albanese government is accused of putting the public at risk by failing to get high-risk offenders off our streets. - 7NEWS Australia
>>20405608 Revealed: state by state breakdown of dangerous detainees - A breakdown of the 149 immigration detainees released under the Albanese government's botched response to a High Court ruling last year has revealed that 60 live in NSW and 40 in Victoria, while a further 20 have been released in WA and 20 in Queensland. The Australian has obtained documents, ordered to be released by the Department of Home Affairs to the Senate on Monday night, containing the figures revealing how many and in which states the former detainees are now living in the community. The documents suggested there were less than five in the ACT and less than 10 in South Australia. There were none in Tasmania.
>>20405625 Video: ABC Indigenous Affairs editor Bridget Brennan is under investigation after controversial comments on Australia Day - The ABC ombudsman is investigating controversial comments made by Indigenous Affairs editor Bridget Brennan in an Australia Day news report where she declared to viewers the country "always was and always will be Aboriginal land."
>>20405666 ASIO concerned about 'spontaneous violence' at home, not Hamas, says spy chief - The ongoing war in the Middle East and allegations an Australian was fighting for a designated terrorist organisation have not heightened the risk of terrorism at home. The national terrorism threat remained probable, with intelligence agency ASIO concerned about spontaneous violence, ASIO head Mike Burgess said.
>>20405672 Government apologises to ASIO director-general for 'pressure release' briefing disclosure - The federal government has apologised to ASIO director-general Mike Burgess after a confidential briefing to a Labor MP where he purportedly described pro-Palestine rallies as a "pressure release" on domestic terror was relayed to a voter. Speaking during a budget estimates hearing on Monday night, the director-general said any and all briefings were confidential, and should not have been disclosed by the member. In December, The Australian revealed how Higgins Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah wrote to a Jewish constituent who had raised concerns about the location of Melbourne's weekly pro-Palestine rallies. "On the matter of protests, the DG of ASIO, Mike Burgess, ?advised me that these (pro-Palestine rallies) serve as a pressure release, which is valuable given the real risk of a domestic terror attack," the MP wrote to the voter.

#20529697 at 2024-03-07 08:46:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20514482
Police officers sue over Shane Drumgold claims that 'destroyed lives'

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - MARCH 7, 2024

1/2

Five Australian Federal Police ?officers have begun defamation action against the ACT government over allegations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold that they engaged in "a very clear campaign to pressure" him not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.

Lawyers for the five officers have sent a concerns notice to the government and to Mr Drumgold over his allegations against them, which included that they had ?engaged in "consistent and inappropriate interference" in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

The allegations were made in a letter Mr Drumgold sent to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan on ?November 1, 2022, expressing concern over "some quite clear ?investigator interference in the criminal justice process".

The letter sparked the Sofronoff inquiry into police and prosecution conduct in the Lehrmann case, which largely exonerated police and found that Mr Drumgold's assertions were baseless.

One of the AFP officers told The Australian the letter had ?"destroyed careers and destroyed people's lives". "When you're in a profession where integrity is ?pivotal, if you lose your integrity, if it's suggested that you are corrupt or you've trying to pervert the course of justice or influence something, it just goes against the grain," the officer said.

"I don't think people appreciate the impact that this whole ?debacle over the four years has had on individual police officers. We did nothing wrong, and we are paying the price."

The concerns notice - a precursor to defamation proceedings - comes just days after the ACT government apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by Mr Drumgold in the same letter that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation.

Mr Drumgold authorised the release of the unredacted letter after talking to a journalist from The Guardian, who then lodged a Freedom of Information request.

The letter, containing the DPP's suspicions of impropriety against the named police officers and Senator Reynolds, was ?released without any of the ?consultations or redactions ?required by law. The FOI application was determined and executed within four hours of being considered for the first time.

(continued)

#20529679 at 2024-03-07 08:38:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20334220
>>20519996
Brittany Higgins taken to Perth hospital after marathon court hearing

Jesinta Burton - March 6, 2024

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was taken to hospital on Tuesday night following a marathon defamation hearing in a Perth court with senator Linda Reynolds.

It is understood the 29-year-old attended Royal Perth Hospital, but a spokesperson from the hospital said there was no record of her being admitted.

Higgins' fianc? David Sharaz declined to comment.

Higgins and Sharaz had been forced to travel to Western Australia from their new home in the south of France for in-person peace talks with her former boss at the recommendation of Justice Marcus Solomon.

The former staffer had voiced mixed feelings about returning to Perth for the first time since 2019, when she visited ahead of the federal election just months after her alleged rape.

"It's a difficult place to come back to," she said.

"It's beautiful, but just personally it's hard being back in Perth.

"I think everyone is acting in good faith trying to get an outcome."

The behind-closed-doors mediation hearing went for nine hours.

A follow-up status conference hearing, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, was cancelled without explanation just hours before it was set to begin.

Reynolds told this masthead she had proposed the two-week postponement to the hearing after becoming aware of the development and wished Higgins a swift recovery.

"I had been confidentially made aware of this very unfortunate development and am very concerned for Ms Higgins' well-being," she said.

"Legal negotiations are unfortunately sometimes difficult and testing for all participants and yesterday was a tiring and difficult day for all of us.

"I attempted to minimise stress by avoiding any direct contact that may have been confronting and relying on a very experienced Judge to interact with Ms Higgins.

"I proposed today through my solicitor a two-week pause in the case to enable Miss Higgins and all parties to recover and get past the stress of the court attendance and significant media attention."

The legal row involving Higgins and Reynolds began in January 2023, when Reynolds launched legal action against Sharaz, claiming the former press gallery journalist published five social media posts that were falsely defamatory of her.

The former defence minister has sought damages, as well as aggravated damages, and a court order preventing the material from being published again.

Reynolds' defamation suit against Higgins centres around two social media posts made to Instagram and Twitter in July 2023 in which Higgins accused Reynolds of using the press to harass her.

Reynolds wants damages for defamation and claims the posts constituted a breach of a non-disparagement clause buried in the deed of settlement and release the pair signed in March 2021.

Both Higgins and Sharaz are defending their respective cases, which are being heard together due to their significant overlap.

Dates have been set aside for a six-week trial beginning on July 24 in the event mediation was unsuccessful.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/brittany-higgins-taken-to-perth-hospital-after-marathon-court-hearing-20240306-p5fafz.html

#20519996 at 2024-03-05 09:00:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20334220
Linda Reynolds' defamation action could 'bankrupt' Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz

Samantha Maiden - March 5, 2024

1/2

Brittany Higgins has arrived at a Perth court for a marathon two-day mediation with her former boss Linda Reynolds.

The arrival sparked a media scrum as Ms Higgins walked behind her fianc?e David Sharaz who is also being sued for defamation by the Liberal Senator.

Ms Higgins and Senator Reynolds' legal teams will come face-to-face in Perth in a court-ordered mediation over the former Defence Minister's defamation case amid judicial warnings over the "human cost" of the legal battle.

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz flew into Perth on Monday night, their first return visit to Australia since they moved to France before Christmas.

For almost a year, the former defence minister has been pursuing legal action against Ms Higgins and her fiance, for damages, as well as aggravated damages.

Senator Reynolds' legal team has argued she has been left highly distressed by online trolling, and alleged that Mr Sharaz had been "a constant participant" in that trolling.

Her legal team has argued that his social media posts falsely suggested that Senator Reynolds pressured Ms Higgins not to proceed with a genuine complaint to police; has bullied her in public including over her compensation payout, "is a hypocrite in her advocacy for women's interests and empowerment"; and interfered in Bruce Lehrmann's trial.

Legal sources say the costs associated with the proceedings had the potential to bankrupt Mr Sharaz, who has not been in full-time work since he suddenly left his role at Southern Cross Austereo a fortnight after defamation action was taken against him by Senator Reynolds last year.

His resignation was conducted on mutual terms with SCA in February, 2023.

It's expected both women - the former defence minister and her former staffer - will remain in separate rooms while the legal teams negotiate.

The former defence minister is suing her former junior staffer, who alleges she was raped on Senator Reynolds' ministerial couch, for defamation over social media posts regarding the alleged rape and her workplace treatment.

Mr Lehrmann was charged but never convicted over the allegations before the trial collapsed and the charge withdrawn by the former Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann maintains his innocence.

Judge Marcus Solomon has urged all parties to settle the matter to avoid the "crippling" or even "insurmountable human cost".

Ms Higgins has continued to comment on social media about her alleged mistreatment in the office of her former boss, who has sought French legal advice over freezing the former staffer's assets.

"I'm not the same naive 25-year-old girl from Parliament House," Ms Higgins wrote in response. "You don't scare me anymore and I won't be bullied."

Ms Higgins told reporters that Perth was a beautiful, but difficult place to come back to and she believed that "everyone's acting in good faith".

A smiling Senator Reynolds arrived with her partner, former journalist Robert Reid, who watched the trial of Bruce Lehrmann in Canberra.

His presence in the courtroom later prompted former Director of Public Prosecutions Shan Drumgold to cross examine her over the matter and a subsequent separate defamation claim.

Senator Reynolds declined to comment, telling reporters she would save any response for after the mediation.

On Monday, the ACT Government confirmed it paid $90,000 to Senator Reynolds following a claim for defamation, which was split between $20,000 for legal costs and $70,000 for damages.

It followed the former DPP's claim that she engaged in "disturbing conduct" in a letter to the ACT police commissioner that was later released under freedom of information laws.

In the letter, Mr Drumgold said Senator Reynolds' partner was regularly seen conferencing with Lehrmann's defence "during the course of the entire trial".

"During the conduct of the trial, a number of disturbing events have occurred, including prosecution witness [redacted] firstly giving evidence directly contradictory to her chief of staff, then directly soliciting transcripts of other evidence to tailor her evidence direct from the defence barrister Steven Whybrow," he said.

Mr Whybrow did not provide the texts to Senator Reynolds and she told the court during the cross examination that her partner was in the courtroom but denied they had discussed the evidence, saying it had been made "very clear" to her that was not acceptable.

(continued)

#20514482 at 2024-03-04 08:04:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
Walter Sofronoff displayed 'apprehension of bias' while probing Shane Drumgold: judge

ELLIE DUDLEY - MARCH 4, 2024

1/2

Former judge Walter Sofronoff's conduct during an inquiry into the behaviour of former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias", a judge has found.

Acting Justice Stephen Kaye on Monday said Mr Sofronoff may have been "influenced" by the views of The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen through his communications with her while conducting the inquiry that ended Mr Drumgold's career.

However, he upheld almost all the findings in Mr Sofronoff's report of serious misconduct by Mr Drumgold that the former prosecutor had claimed were unsound.

The findings Justice Kaye upheld included: that Mr Drumgold betrayed the trust of his junior staff members, directed a junior lawyer to make a misleading affidavit, lied to ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum and failed in his duty to advise TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson against giving a Logies speech that would consequently delay the trial.

He also upheld Mr Sofronoff's findings that Mr Drumgold "deliberately advanced a false claim of legal professional privilege" and "tried to use dishonest means to prevent a person he was prosecuting from lawfully obtaining material".

Justice Kaye ruled Mr Sofronoff's finding that Mr Drumgold displayed "grossly unethical" conduct in his cross-examination of Senator Linda Reynolds was "legally unreasonable" and upheld Mr Drumgold's claim.

Mr Drumgold launched legal action in the ACT Supreme Court against the ACT government and Mr Sofronoff's inquiry last year, challenging findings in the inquiry's final report that he was in breach of his duties while prosecuting allegations that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins on a couch in Parliament House.

Mr Sofronoff's report found Mr Drumgold intentionally directed a junior lawyer in his office to make a misleading affidavit and, in doing so, "egregiously abused his authority and betrayed the trust of his young staff member".

Mr Sofronoff said he was "deeply disturbed" by Mr Drumgold's ignorance of ethical principles and accused him of a "Pilate-like detachment", finding Mr Drumgold treated criminal litigation as "a poker game" in which the prosecutor "can hide the cards".

His report vindicated police involved in investigating Ms Higgins's claims as having "performed their duties in absolute good faith".

On Monday Justice Kaye agreed that Mr Sofronoff had afforded Mr Drumgold natural justice when finding that Mr Drumgold had breached his duty as a prosecutor when he read Ms Higgins' counselling notes; and that Mr Drumgold had "shamefully" tried to falsely blame an employee for the release of a letter under a freedom of information (FOI) application to The Guardian.

However, Mr Sofronoff had failed to afford Mr Drumgold natural justice when finding he made "false" statements to the chief police officer about the release of the letter, Justice Kaye said.

"It is appropriate to grant declaratory relief reflecting the conclusions that I have just stated," Justice Kaye told the court.

The ACT government was instructed to pay Mr Drumgold's costs.

(continued)

#20514473 at 2024-03-04 07:58:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
ACT pays price for Drumgold's trial slur against Reynolds

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - March 3, 2024

1/2

The ACT government has apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold during Bruce Lehrmann's rape case that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation.

Senator Reynolds launched defamation action in December in the wake of findings by the ?Sofronoff board of inquiry that Mr Drumgold's allegations against her were baseless and "grossly unethical".

The settlement is believed to be the fifth successful legal action by the former defence minister over allegations against her, with a further case against Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, over comments they made on social media to be resolved.

Senator Reynolds will come face to face with her former employee on Tuesday with two days of mediation talks scheduled in Perth to try to avert a possible six-week trial in July.

She is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz in separate defamation proceedings, with both being dealt with concurrently. It is the first visit back to Australia for Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz since they left for a new life in France last year.

Senator Reynolds told The Australian that since the conclusion of Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial and Ms Higgins' $2.4m compensation settlement with the commonwealth, she had "set about vindicating my reputation, which I consider has been wrongly damaged".

"The ACT has accepted the findings of the board of inquiry, specifically that allegations made about my conduct during the criminal trial were defamatory."

The ACT government "unreservedly retracts those allegations ... (and) sincerely apologises for the damage, distress and embarrassment it has caused to Senator Reynolds", the ACT Director-General of the Justice and Community Safety said in a statement.

The ACT paid her $70,000 in damages and $20,000 in legal costs over the defamatory comments by the former DPP.

The defamation claim focused on a letter Mr Drumgold wrote to ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan in November 2022 making allegations about political interference in the investigation and trial of Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold also claimed Senator Reynolds had coached Mr Lehrmann's defence team and attempted to solicit transcripts of the trial.

The then-ACT director of public prosecutions gave the letter to The Guardian newspaper, a move that helped spark the Sofronoff inquiry and ultimately brought Mr Drumgold's own career to an end.

At the trial, Mr Drumgold told the jury that "political forces" explained the delay in Ms Higgins's complaint to the police, and that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and ?actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor".

Mr Sofronoff found that "there was not a single piece of evidence that anyone had applied pressure upon Ms Higgins that could legitimately be described as 'strong political forces'".

(continued)

#20498547 at 2024-03-01 11:13:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Higgins' claims in $2.4m payout contradicted by her own evidence: lawyers

STEPHEN RICE - MARCH 1, 2024

1/2

Brittany Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her $2.4m settlement with the commonwealth which were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann, his lawyers have claimed.

In newly released submissions by the parties to the case, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers set out a detailed comparison of the claims Ms Higgins made in the Commonwealth deed, signed in December 2022, with her evidence in the still-to-be-decided defamation case.

The Albanese government paid Ms Higgins $2.445m in a settlement that relied entirely on her version of events, after a single-day ?mediation that excluded evidence from her former boss, then ?defence industry minister Linda Reynolds.

Earlier this year, The Australian revealed that the National Anti-Corruption Commission was examining a complaint by Senator Reynolds against Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over his handling of the Higgins settlement, to determine if an investigation should be launched.

Among the claims made by Ms Higgins in the settlement deed, but disputed in a submission by Mr Lehrmann's legal team, led by Steven Whybrow SC:

- that Mr Lehrmann got into Ms Higgins' taxi on the night of the alleged rape without her agreement (she testified she had agreed);

- that he directed the cab to stop at Parliament House without her agreement (she gave evidence that she "just went along with it");

- that he directed her to get out of the cab (she testified that "I don't know why, but when it stopped I got out too");

- that they didn't speak on the Monday afterwards (they had coffee and exchanged emails).

Mr Lehrmann's lawyers also point to claims made in the deed which have been strongly disputed in evidence, including that Ms Higgins told Senator Reynolds' then chief of staff Fiona Brown that he had sexually assaulted her, an allegation always vehemently denied by Ms Brown.

They also pointed to a claim by Ms Higgins that on 11 April 2019, Ms Brown said it was Ms Higgins' problem to deal with the issue of sick leave for her mental health and also needing time off work to assist the AFP in its investigation.

By that date Ms Brown was no longer an active Chief of Staff, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers noted, "let alone the unbelievable aspect of the supposed response to such a request for help with sick leave due to mental health issues".

Ms Higgins' evidence in the defamation case was that by 3 April 2019, Ms Brown "just disappeared ...she left" and that by 5 April 2019 she had "stopped being our acting chief of staff".

In the Deed, Ms Higgins claimed that: "Ms Brown made it clear by her words and demeanour that the events of 22/23 March 2019 must be put to one side; that (Ms Higgins) ought remain silent about the sexual assault, in order to keep her job/career".

In the defamation case, Ms Higgins struggled to answer questions from Justice Michael Lee about anything Ms Brown had said, as opposed to what Ms Higgins "felt", that indicated she should be silent about the alleged rape.

(continued)

#20400702 at 2024-02-12 08:45:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
WA Liberal senator and former defence minister Linda Reynolds to quit politics

Keane Bourke - 12 February 2024

Former defence minister and WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has announced she'll stand down from politics at the next election.

Ms Reynolds was elected to the Senate in 2014, before being re-elected in 2016 and 2019.

She was first appointed to cabinet under the Morrison government as Minister for Defence Industry in 2019, before serving in several other portfolios.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Ms Reynolds said she would not seek Liberal Party pre-selection for another term beyond June 2025.

"For forty years I have proudly served my nation in the army, in the Liberal Party, in defence industry, in parliament and in government," she said.

"It is rare in politics to have the opportunity to choose the time and circumstances of your departure, and my decision has been made after considerable reflection of what is behind me and the opportunities that are now ahead of me."

Ms Reynolds went on to say the health of democracy and political parties could not be taken for granted.

"Both must be constantly renewed and strengthened," she wrote.

"I will of course keep working with my party to assist it to diversify and strengthen and do all I can to support the election of Peter Dutton as our next Prime Minister and Libby Mettam as WA's next Premier.

Higgins defamation case continues

Ms Reynolds is currently suing the ACT government, the territory's former top prosecutor and Brittany Higgins for defamation.

Ms Higgins claimed she was raped by a colleague in Senator Reynolds's ministerial office in 2019 and criticised her and her staff for failing to provide adequate support to her in the aftermath.

Ms Reynolds was hospitalised during the saga as a "precautionary measure" and took an extended absence from her role as then-Defence Minister.

She later apologised for and retracted a comment that Ms Higgins was a "lying cow", which she made on the day her former staffer went public with her allegation.

The legal action against Ms Higgins centres around two social media posts in which Ms Reynolds claims she was defamed.

The case against the ACT relates to a letter its former director of public prosecutions wrote to the Australian Federal Police during Bruce Lehrmann's now-abandoned rape trial.

No findings have been made against Mr Lehrmann who denied the accusations against him.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Simon Birmingham was the first high-profile Liberal to pay tribute to Ms Reynolds in the wake of her announcement.

In a statement, he paid tribute to Ms Reynolds's "dedicated service, leadership and advocacy".

"I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Linda for the remainder of her term and extend my deepest gratitude for her service to our country," he wrote.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/Linda-Reynolds-quitting-politics/103456906

https://www.facebook.com/LindaReynoldsWA/posts/921067286315720

#20334220 at 2024-01-31 08:40:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20266894
Judge urges Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz, Linda Reynolds to settle defamation suit

ELLIE DUDLEY - JANUARY 31, 2024

A judge has again called on Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, to do everything they can to settle their defamation dispute ahead of its upcoming mediation hearing.

The WA Liberal senator is suing the couple for defamation over comments made about her on social media, some of which, she says, imply she put pressure on Ms Higgins not to proceed with a police complaint regarding her alleged sexual assault and that she interfered with the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

One of the comments in question is a reply by Mr Sharaz on Facebook that questioned how Senator Reynolds was still in politics after she "destroyed" Ms Higgins. The commenter said: "You're a monster who deserves to be in jail." Mr Sharaz replied: "Thanks for reminding her. I hope she hears this every day until she dies."

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz are defending themselves against the defamation claims.

In a WA Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, Justice Marcus Solomon reiterated a plea to the parties to settle the matter in mediation in early March, having previously spoken to the "human cost of this litigation".

"I just wanted to take the opportunity to say, again, how important it is that the parties invest whatever they can to resolve this matter," he told the court.

Parties on Tuesday lined up a plan for a six-week trial in July, should the two-day mediation beginning on March 5 fail.

Senator Reynolds' legal team has issued subpoenas to related people including former The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, prominent journalist Samantha Maiden, Network Ten TV producer Angus Llewellyn and Labor senator Katy Gallagher.

Senator Gallagher came under fire last year after it emerged she had been invited to Mr Sharaz's first wedding and had learned of Ms Higgins' allegations before they were reported. She has denied doing anything with that information.

Senator Reynolds has also threatened to seek freeze orders against Ms Higgins, after she flew out of the country last month to start a new life in France with Mr Sharaz. A spokesperson from Senator Reynolds' office told The Australian she was "considering her position and awaiting advice from French counsel on her right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France".

Ms Higgins reportedly bought a home in a village in the south of France after her $2.4m compensation settlement with the commonwealth.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/judge-urges-brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-Linda-Reynolds-to-settle-defamation-suit/news-story/76f0ac8f87d10cbb6740dc8a10e5e1d0

#20266894 at 2024-01-19 14:22:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20103774
Reynolds recruits French counsel as Higgins, Sharaz lawsuit escalates

Jesinta Burton - January 19, 2024

WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has taken her defamation row with Brittany Higgins to her former staffer's new home country, engaging a French lawyer in her pursuit of a freezing order over Higgins' European assets.

For almost a year, the former defence minister has been pursuing Higgins and her partner, former press gallery journalist David Sharaz, for damages, as well as aggravated damages, over several social media posts she claims were defamatory of her.

Both Higgins and Sharaz are defending the defamation case.

The trio is due to come face-to-face in Western Australia's Supreme Court in May after Justice Marcus Solomon implored them to attempt to settle their rows out of court.

But the pair's move to the south of France to start a new life four weeks ago has seen the case take a turn, with Reynolds eager to safeguard her ability to obtain a financial remedy.

Higgins received $2.4 million under a settlement deal struck with the federal government, the details of which were laid bare in documents tendered as part of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten.

In December, Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett penned to Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier a letter, obtained by this masthead, foreshadowing plans to issue freezing orders over the pair's assets and requesting urgent confirmation of their relocation.

Such an order, if granted by the court, would prevent the pair from parting with or shifting any of their assets until the case has been finalised.

Court documents show Reynolds' lawyers have not yet lodged an application for such orders.

But the pursuit is still very much afoot, with Reynolds' confirmation on Friday of her new recruits.

"I am considering my position and awaiting advice from French counsel on my right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France," she told WAtoday.

Higgins' lawyers at Arnold Bloch Leibler have been contacted for comment.

Reynolds wants damages and an injunction against Sharaz over five social media posts and is pursuing damages against Higgins over two social media posts in which she accused her former boss of using the media to harass her.

The Liberal Senator wants the court to issue two injunctions stopping Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from breaching a settlement deed the pair inked.

Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher are among those to have been hit with subpoenas which may provide evidence for both cases.

A six-week trial has been listed for July in the event the mediation is not fruitful.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

A criminal trial against Lehrmann, who has vehemently denied the allegations, was aborted last year due to juror misconduct before the charge was dropped, and a retrial was abandoned over fears for Higgins' mental health.

Higgins provided a glimpse into her new life in the Dordogne in an Instagram post on Wednesday captioned "Nous sommes nos choix", a quote by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre that translates as "We are our choices".

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/Reynolds-recruits-french-counsel-as-higgins-sharaz-lawsuit-escalates-20240119-p5eyma.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true

#20187793 at 2024-01-05 16:42:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lehrmann lawyers call for 'substantial damages' even if court finds he lied about sex

Michaela Whitbourn - January 5, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann should still receive "substantial damages" in his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson even if the Federal Court finds he lied when he said he did not have sex with Brittany Higgins, his barristers have told the court.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee reserved his decision in the high-stakes defamation case on December 22 after a month-long trial. He will deliver his decision at a later date.

On Friday, the court released written submissions filed in December by barristers for Lehrmann, Ten and Wilkinson, which supplement the oral submissions delivered by the parties that month.

Lehrmann's lawyers said their client should receive damages if Lee found Lehrmann did have sex with Higgins in Parliament House but was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that it was rape.

Truth defence

Lehrmann is suing Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins, aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges defamed him by suggesting he was guilty of raping Higgins in March 2019 in the office of Liberal senator and then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, for whom the pair worked as advisers. One of the media parties' defences is truth.

Under the truth defence, Ten and Wilkinson must prove on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins. This is lower than the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.

'Substantial' damages warranted

In written submissions dated December 25, Lehrmann's barristers said their client should receive substantial damages if the court concluded that "intercourse probably happened ... and that Ms Higgins was not capable of consenting to it because of her state of intoxication, but that Mr Lehrmann did not have knowledge of her inability to consent", resulting in a finding that sex occurred but without a conclusion that Lehrmann raped Higgins.

"Even findings that extensive should not lead to an award of damages which is less than substantial," Lehrmann's barristers, including silks Steven Whybrow and Matthew Richardson, said.

"The distinction between findings of that kind and a finding that rape occurred … is real and significant."

Lehrmann has maintained he had no sexual contact with Higgins at all on the night in question, including during his ACT Supreme Court criminal trial, which was aborted in 2022 due to juror misconduct. The charge against Lehrmann was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins' mental health.

His barristers told the Federal Court that Lehrmann respectfully submitted that a conclusion that he had sex with Higgins was "not a finding available to the court".

However, they accepted that if the court did come to such a conclusion, Lehrmann's denial of sex during his interview with the Australian Federal Police "was a lie, and that this is a serious matter which is relevant to assessing [the quantum of] damages".

"It is going too far, however, to characterise it as 'perverting the course of justice', as Ms Wilkinson does in her defence," they said.

'Perverted the course of justice'

In submissions filed on behalf of Wilkinson, barristers Sue Chrysanthou, SC, and Barry Dean said that "if the court concludes that Mr Lehrmann was aware that Ms Higgins was intoxicated and failed to consider whether she was capable of consent, this would amount [to] recklessness".

The court heard that a Parliament House security guard found Higgins naked in Reynolds' office in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019, and that Lehrmann had left the office hours earlier. Both had arrived at the office together after a Friday night out drinking with colleagues.

Wilkinson's barristers said that if the court found Lehrmann had sex with Higgins without making a finding of rape, any damages would be reduced in light of a range of factors, including that he "perverted the course of justice in lying to the police" when he said there was no sexual contact at all.

'Utterly wicked' conduct

In written submissions for Network Ten, barristers Matt Collins, KC, and Tim Senior said that if the court concluded sexual intercourse, consensual or not, occurred between Higgins and Lehrmann, "then Mr Lehrmann's conduct would be utterly wicked".

"[T]hat would be wicked conduct of the highest magnitude that would, in Network Ten's submission, rise to the level of a very exceptional case of abuse of process," they said.

"The circumstances would be such that it would bring the administration of justice into disrepute to award Mr Lehrmann any damages."

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/lehrmann-lawyers-call-for-substantial-damages-even-if-court-finds-he-lied-about-sex-20240105-p5evfh.html

#20119265 at 2023-12-23 14:31:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
David Sharaz: the witness who never appeared

Where was Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life in court? The evidence of the man dubbed 'puppet master' by Bruce Lehrmann would have been relevant.

STEPHEN RICE - December 23, 2023

1/3

As we take stock of the Lehrmann defamation trial, it's worth casting an eye over the performance of the key players whose role will be central to Justice Michael Lee's decision - with sharpest focus on the witness who never appeared.

Where was David Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life these past few weeks? Not in court, that's for sure. Outside, yes: arriving every morning with his fiancee, Brittany Higgins, when she was giving evidence, deferentially a step behind but always in shot for the waiting photographers.

Then, gone from the building. But not from the narrative that slowly emerged in Lee's courtroom: of a man who wasn't in Higgins's life when she allegedly was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in 2019 but who quickly become a central character in the events that followed.

Perhaps gone for good now, jetted off with Higgins on Monday to start a new life in the house she has bought in the south of France, just a year after her $2.4m payout from the Albanese government.

Lee, now considering his verdict in the defamation case Lehrmann brought against Wilkinson and Network Ten, clearly was irked that Sharaz - whose shadow loomed ever larger over the trial as it progressed - would not be giving evidence.

Ten told Lee it wouldn't be calling Sharaz because he and Higgins met more than a year after the alleged rape. That might have been fair enough if the defamation case had been entirely about the events of that night, and not about Higgins's much later claims to have been mistreated by her Liberal Party bosses. But those allegations - which seemed to coincide with Sharaz's arrival on the scene - are central to the case.

The evidence of the man Lehrmann calls "the puppet master" would have been particularly relevant because he is the nexus between two very different alleged political conspiracies that have swirled in the undercurrent of the trial.

One was the claim aggressively pushed by Sharaz, that Higgins's alleged rape was covered up by Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown for their own political convenience, in the run-up to a tight federal election.

That was also the clear suggestion made in The Project interview and by Wilkinson and her producer Angus Llewellyn giving evidence in the defamation case - despite furious attempts by both their counsel to backtrack from it late in the proceedings.

The conspiracy theory was completely debunked by the Sofronoff inquiry, queried by Lee himself in a series of acerbic questions to Wilkinson and Llewellyn, and finally withdrawn by Wilkinson's counsel, Sue Chrysanthou SC, from submission in the defamation trial.

The other allegation of political interference that has hovered on the edges of the defamation trial involves evidence that it was Sharaz himself who introduced Higgins to the then Labor opposition in a bid to weaponise her rape allegations against the Morrison government.

There's hard proof of that, some of it revealed by The Australian in leaked text exchanges that show Sharaz's close involvement in negotiating the public airing of Higgins's story on The Project.

Sharaz was there when Higgins decided to tell her story in the media before telling it to the police, offering the scoop to Wilkinson, whom he'd met as the work experience kid at the Today show.

Sharaz was there when Higgins gave her first recorded police interview in March 2021, entering the room during a rest break according to senior Australian Federal Police constable Emma Frizzell in the Sofronoff inquiry. Sharaz then "without concern for Ms Higgins' welfare, commenced showing and discussing media coverage to Ms Higgins".

"I believe the level of media involvement did affect the conduct of the investigation of Ms Higgins' complaint," Frizzell said. "I believe it was a tool driven by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, which is evident by the first engagement I had with them, whereby Ms Higgins advised she wished to see how the media played out prior to providing a statement."

(continued)

#20114421 at 2023-12-22 13:36:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20114415

2/3

Higgins' state of undress

Asked by Lee what he was to make of the fact that Higgins was found naked in the office hours after Lehrmann had left, Whybrow said it was a "complex matter" for the judge, and his client's evidence was that he didn't know about that and had not checked on her before he left the office.

It was potentially consistent with a range of scenarios, Whybrow said, including some form of intimacy or the expectation of it, or of Higgins feeling sick and removing her dress. He noted that Higgins had subsequently washed her dress, which would have removed what he described as a "lack" of evidence.

He submitted it was incomprehensible that Higgins would wear the dress she wore on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann to a work dinner on May 16, 2019, six weeks after the alleged sexual assault, if that assault had happened. Higgins gave evidence that it was an attempt to "reclaim" the dress, and she never wore it again.

'Up to no good'

In a question the judge described as deliberately provocative, Lee noted Lehrmann's girlfriend had called him in the early hours of March 23, and asked: "Unless he was up to no good, why didn't he ring his girlfriend?"

Whybrow replied that Lehrmann's evidence was that he had not seen the calls until later, and it was not necessarily the case that one would call back at 2.30am.

'Phoning a friend' email

During his closing address, Whybrow pointed to an email Higgins sent Lehrmann on March 26, three days after the alleged assault, in which she asked for help with a work task and said she was "phoning a friend".

Lee suggested it might be "a tad simplistic" to suggest the email was inconsistent with an assault having taken place. He said examples were "legion" of young women in professional roles dealing with more senior men and needing to "navigate a very tricky path sometimes" to maintain a working relationship when they had been harassed or worse.

Whybrow agreed with those general observations, but said the email had to be seen "in a context".

Sexual assault charge dropped

Lehrmann's ACT Supreme Court trial for sexual assault was aborted last year due to juror misconduct. The charge against Lehrmann was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins' mental health.

The lawsuit

Lehrmann is suing Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins, broadcast on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges defames him by suggesting he is guilty of raping Higgins in then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' office on March 23, 2019, when they were both working as staffers to the Liberal senator.

Lehrmann not named

Lehrmann was not named in Ten's interview. A preliminary issue in the case is whether he was identified because of the details provided in the broadcast.

If the court finds Lehrmann was identified in the interview, Ten and Wilkinson are seeking to rely on defences of truth and qualified privilege.

The truth defence

Under the truth defence, Ten must prove on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins.

While this is less onerous than the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt, the so-called Briginshaw principle applies in civil cases involving serious allegations and requires courts to proceed cautiously in making grave findings.

Qualified privilege

Qualified privilege relates to publications of public interest and requires a media outlet to show it acted reasonably. Wilkinson's evidence was directly relevant to that defence.

Matthew Richardson, SC, acting for Lehrmann, said Lee could not be satisfied the media outlet acted reasonably, including in relation to the amount of time it gave to Lehrmann and political figures to respond to Higgins' allegations, and to put any responses to her before the program aired.

(continued)

#20108473 at 2023-12-21 09:57:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20103774
Bienvenue: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz arrive in France

ELISE KAINE - DECEMBER 21, 2023

Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz have arrived in Paris to start their new life in France.

Dressed in matching black outfits, Ms Higgins and her fiance landed at Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday evening.

The couple are moving to the small town of Lunas which is six-hours by train from Paris.

On her Instagram, Ms Higgins posted a carousel of images taken in Canberra, Sydney and other iconic locations in Australia.

"No matter how far or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home," the caption read.

Ms Higgins has reportedly bought her first home in the small village in the south of France, following her $2.4 million compensation settlement with the Commonwealth.

The couple said goodbye to family and friends at Brisbane International Airport on Monday night, flying to Singapore before boarding a connecting flight to France, where it is reported Ms Higgins plans to study and learn the language.

Ms Higgins, her parents Kelly and Matthew, and Mr Sharaz all wore white outfits at the airport - the women's suffragette colour, which Ms Higgins wore at the Women's March for Justice in March.

Their departure comes as the defamation trial, lodged by Bruce Lehrmann against Channel Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in which Ms Higgins was called as a witness, comes to an end this week.

Also this week, former Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds indicated she will apply for freezing orders against Ms Higgins in the wake of her relocation.

Senator Reynolds, who is suing both Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz for defamation, will ask the Supreme Court of Western Australia for the orders, which restrain a party to a case from selling or moving assets while a legal action is still in process.

Senator Reynolds has launched defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in social media posts. In Ms Higgins' allegedly defamatory Instagram story, she criticised her former boss for continuing "to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

West Australian Supreme Court judge Marcus Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the immense financial and human cost of a protracted trial.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Senator Reynolds wrote to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier, referring to media reports she and Mr Sharaz had left the country. "If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate. Please advise as a matter of urgency your client's intentions in respect of her travel to France and your availability to confer in respect of our client's proposed application."

The deed of settlement ?between Ms Higgins and the ?commonwealth was released last week in the defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over Ms Higgins' ?allegation on The Project that she was raped by him in Parliament House in 2019, after her lawyers successfully asked that personal medical information be excluded.

The one-day mediation took place 10 days after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane ?Drumgold announced he would not be proceeding with a retrial of rape charges due to Ms Higgins' mental health.

The deed shows that the total amount paid to Ms Higgins was $2.445m - $1.48m for loss of earning capacity for 40 years; $400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation; $220,000 for medical expenses; $100,000 for "past and future domestic assistance"; and $245,000 for legal costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-and-david-sharaz-arrive-in-france/news-story/a4a6cd0bb336b0f5f05c68da34668749

#20108466 at 2023-12-21 09:48:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Judge says parts of Higgins, Lehrmann evidence 'simply can't be accepted'

Michaela Whitbourn and Harriet Alexander - December 21, 2023

1/3

The judge presiding over Bruce Lehrmann's high-stakes defamation case has said it appears parts of the evidence of both the former Liberal staffer and his former colleague Brittany Higgins, who has accused him of sexual assault, "simply can't be accepted".

Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over an interview with Higgins, aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he says suggests he is guilty of raping Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. Lehrmann has denied there was any sexual activity.

The case entered its final days on Thursday as the parties delivered their closing addresses in Sydney before Federal Court Justice Michael Lee.

Credit issues

In an insight into his approach to deciding the case, Lee said that "one of the challenges in this case, it seems to me, is that the two principal witnesses [Lehrmann and Higgins] have real credit issues" and "various parts of each witness's evidence simply can't be accepted, it seems to me".

"We agree," Ten's barrister, Dr Matt Collins, KC, said.

"We'll seek to persuade your honour that there is a qualitative difference between the dishonesty of Mr Lehrmann and the successful credit attacks that were levelled at Ms Higgins."

Collins said Higgins had conceded some errors or discrepancies in her accounts but "it did stand to her credit that she was prepared to acknowledge past errors and correct them", while Lehrmann was "revealed to be a fundamentally dishonest man".

There was no suggestion Higgins "has ever wavered in any material respect" in her central allegation, Collins said. He submitted her evidence about the alleged assault was compelling, distressing and believable.

Lee asked: "Your core point ... and I hope this is not a crude reduction of what you are saying, is … the irreducible core about her being a victim of a sexual assault was given with crystal-clear clarity, you would say, and must be accepted whatever other misgivings one has about her evidence?"

"That's so," Collins said.

Collins said Lehrmann had given a "ludicrous" reason for going back to Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019, which included working on question time briefs.

Lehrmann told the court he had lied when he told the chief of staff to Liberal senator and then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds that he went back to the office to have a drink. Higgins and Lehrmann worked for Reynolds as advisers.

Lee said "this is an unusual case" where one might be in a position where "you disbelieve story A [and] you disbelieve story B". He asked rhetorically, "What are the consequences of that?"

"We say this is not that case, because your honour does have direct evidence from the two protagonists about what happened in that room," Collins said.

"To find that sexual intercourse without consent did not happen, your honour, would have actively to reject the evidence given by Ms Higgins. Your honour would have to find it was false or mistaken in some way."

But Lee said "That's not quite true".

"You have to be positively persuaded to reach an actual sense of persuasion that it is true."

(continued)

#20103774 at 2023-12-20 10:55:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Linda Reynolds to seek freeze on Brittany Higgins' assets as her former staffer leaves for new life in France

GRACE MACPHERSON - DECEMBER 20, 2023

Former Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds will apply for freezing orders against Brittany Higgins after her former staffer flew out of the country this week to start a new life in France with her fiance, David Sharaz.

Senator Reynolds, who is suing both Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz for defamation, will ask the Supreme Court of Western Australia for the orders, which restrain a party to a case from selling or moving assets while a legal action is still in process.

Ms Higgins has reportedly bought her first home in a small village in the south of France, following her $2.4 million compensation settlement with the Commonwealth.

The couple said goodbye to family and friends at Brisbane International Airport on Monday night, flying to Singapore before boarding a connecting flight to France, where it is reported Ms Higgins plans to study and learn the language.

The property is reportedly located in the village of Lunas, in France and is a six-hour train ride from Paris and four hours from Barcelona in Spain.

Ms Higgins, her parents Kelly and Matthew, and Mr Sharaz all wore white outfits at the airport - the women's suffragette colour, which Ms Higgins wore at the Women's March for Justice in March.

Senator Reynolds has launched defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in social media posts. In Ms Higgins' allegedly defamatory Instagram story, she criticised her former boss for continuing "to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

West Australian Supreme Court judge Marcus Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the immense financial and human cost of a protracted trial.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Senator Reynolds wrote to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier, referring to media reports she and Mr Sharaz had left the country. "If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate. Please advise as a matter of urgency your client's intentions in respect of her travel to France and your availability to confer in respect of our client's proposed application."

Lawyers described the amount and speed of the settlement - finalised just days after Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial was abandoned in the ACT ?Supreme Court - as "extraordinary" and "unprecedented".

The deed of settlement ?between Ms Higgins and the ?commonwealth was released last week in the defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over Ms Higgins' ?allegation on The Project that she was raped by him in Parliament House in 2019, after her lawyers successfully asked that personal medical information be excluded.

The one-day mediation took place 10 days after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane ?Drumgold announced he would not be proceeding with a retrial of rape charges due to Ms Higgins' mental health.

The deed shows that the total amount paid to Ms Higgins was $2.445m - $1.48m for loss of earning capacity for 40 years; $400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation; $220,000 for medical expenses; $100,000 for "past and future domestic assistance"; and $245,000 for legal costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-leave-australia-to-start-new-life-in-france/news-story/2252cf1bb78bce331c6c7e140a7e51d4

#20103761 at 2023-12-20 10:48:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Witness Fiona Brown says Brittany Higgins 'didn't tell me she had been raped'

JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS - DECEMBER 19, 2023

1/2

Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown has repeatedly denied Brittany Higgins told her she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann in their first meeting following the alleged assault in Parliament House.

The former chief of staff to Linda Reynolds told the Federal Court on Monday that she first became concerned about the "possibility" of a rape in the ministerial ?office after a Parliamentary Services official told her Ms Higgins had been found naked on the Liberal senator's couch.

Ms Brown also said "her ?antenna was up" after Mr Lehrmann had told her that he had gone back to Parliament House to drink whisky in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019.

In a late-night hearing on Monday to ensure Ms Brown would not be traumatised by multiple days at court due to concerns about her mental state, the ex-Liberal staffer repeatedly said she "couldn't rule it in, couldn't rule it out" that Ms Higgins had been sexually assaulted.

Ms Brown categorically denied that Ms Higgins told her in their first meeting on March 26 after the alleged incident that "he (Mr Lehrmann) was on top of me" or that she had been raped.

Ms Brown told the court that Ms Higgins' demeanour had changed during the first meeting when she saw a code of conduct and an employee assistance handbook on Ms Brown's desk.

"She saw the papers on my desk and I could see her eyes shifting," Ms Brown said. "She was thinking quickly on her feet."

In a later meeting on March 28, 2019, Ms Brown said Ms Higgins then told her that Mr Lehrmann had been "on top" of her. Ms Brown told the court she was shocked and when she asked Ms Higgins what she meant by that statement, her junior staffer replied: "I am responsible for what I drink and my actions."

Television presenter Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer Sue Chrysanthou cross-examined Ms Brown in the Federal Court on Monday, with a YouTube live?stream that has played throughout the trial turned off due to the witness's fragile health.

Mr Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson over her interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021, detailing accu?sations that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on March 23, 2019, but not naming him as the ?alleged attacker. Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.

Earlier in court, veteran Ten Network news boss Peter Meakin conceded The Project should have gone back to Ms Higgins after it received a contemporaneous email the night before the broadcast that showed Ms Brown had "supported" Ms Higgins in going to police.

Mr Meakin said an email of contemporaneous notes between a Parliamentary Services official and Ms Brown "certainly tells a different narrative" than the one presented by Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins, and agreed that if he had read the email, it would have been "obviously important to go and check this account with Ms Higgins".

Ms Brown told the court on Monday that when she heard Ms Higgins was found naked in the then defence industry minister's office, it "crossed her mind" that Ms Higgins might have been assaulted. "I couldn't rule it out, and I couldn't rule it in," she added.

In her first meeting with Ms Higgins, Ms Brown said she gave Ms Higgins a brochure for an Employee Assistance Program but denied the reason was because Ms Higgins told her she had been assaulted. "Nope," she responded, when asked.

When pressed about whether she suspected from what she was told in that meeting that Ms Higgins had been assaulted, Ms Brown said: "It was a possibility."

(continued)

#20098441 at 2023-12-19 09:51:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Who said conspiracy? Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer abandons cover-up claim

STEPHEN RICE - DECEMBER 19, 2023

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson's barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, had just finished her cross-examination of Fiona Brown when Justice Michael Lee moved in with a trademark killer question.

"Can I proceed on the basis that no submission will be made Ms Brown was a knowing participant in a systemic cover-up of a rape?" he asked.

There was a pause as Ms Chrysanthou took stock of this question.

It was only last week that her client had sat in the same witness box and told the Federal Court she believed Brown, former chief of staff to then-Minister Linda Reynolds was "getting instructions from the prime minister's office" and it followed she and Reynolds were "knowing participants in a systemic cover-up".

"You'd agree that it would be wicked conduct ... being involved in the systemic cover up of a rape allegation?" Lee had asked.

"Yeah, it was about keeping the details away from the media," Wilkinson replied.

Those words may have flashed through Chrysanthou's mind as she considered her response.

Yes, she agreed after a long moment, there would be no submission that Brown was engaged in a systematic cover up the rape.

That stunning concession may not win Bruce Lehrmann his defamation case against Wilkinson and the Ten Network, but it puts a torpedo through the bows of a central claim in their case: that Brittany Higgins was a victim of powerful forces inside the Morrison government who pressured her to stay silent or risk her career.

If Brown wasn't part of the giant conspiracy, who was?

On the evidence Chrysanthou extracted from Brown on Tuesday, Reynolds had been determined to get the police involved even before Higgins had verbalised her rape claim, let alone decided to make a complaint.

Brown told the court she feared losing her job after defying orders from both Reynolds and another minister, Alex Hawke - a close confidant of Scott Morrison - to make a police report without Higgins' consent, before the young staffer had said she was raped.

Higgins had said she did not want to make a police report, and wanted to speak to her father before making a decision, Brown said.

Brown said she was doing what she'd been told to do by Department of Finance executive Lauren Barons: "Ms Higgins needed to have her agency and it was her right to make a police report."

(continued)

#20098432 at 2023-12-19 09:42:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lip-reader spent three days analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Higgins, court told

Michaela Whitbourn, Perry Duffin and Clare Sibthorpe - December 19, 2023

1/2

A UK-based lip-reader flown to Sydney by Network Ten to give evidence as part of its defence to Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case says he spent three days analysing CCTV footage of the former Liberal staffer and Brittany Higgins in a Canberra bar in the hours before she alleges she was raped.

Tim Reedy, who became profoundly deaf at the age of four, told the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday that the CCTV footage of the pair drinking with colleagues at The Dock hotel in Canberra on March 22, 2019, was "one of the better CCTV cameras" he had seen.

He told the court he was able to use Apple technology to "fine-tune the pixelation until the image was very sharp" and place a magnifier "over the person who is speaking in the bar".

Reedy said he had "spent a good three days" looking at the footage and had the luxury of playing it repeatedly.

He told the court he had been engaged as a lip-reader for a range of media outlets and had analysed the coronation of King Charles for The Sunday Times, as well as assisting police investigations.

Justice Michael Lee asked if lip-reading the coronation involved trying to discern "what one minor royal said to another ... or something like that", and Reedy agreed, saying the newspaper liked "a bit of gossip".

Australian accents

At one stage on Tuesday, Lee and three senior barristers gathered around Reedy to observe excerpts of the CCTV footage on a laptop.

Under cross-examination by Lehrmann's barrister, Steven Whybrow, SC, Reedy said there was a "big difference" between analysing CCTV and lip-reading in daily life. He was able to watch a video at different speeds and play it repeatedly, he said.

Whybrow asked Reedy whether a note he wrote saying "man is lining up drinks; plying the woman with alcohol" was something he had been instructed had happened or had assessed himself.

Reedy told the court he observed drinks being "pushed" in Higgins' direction, which suggested she was being plied with alcohol.

Whybrow asked Reedy if Higgins' evidence during the trial that if someone had given her a drink "there was never a way I wasn't going to finish it" would affect his opinion that Higgins had said at one point "I don't want to" in response to Lehrmann allegedly encouraging her to skol a drink.

Reedy said: "That's what I believe she said."

"You have not had any experience with Australian accents?" Whybrow asked.

"Yes I have. I've met Australian people throughout my life," he said.

"Would you accept that in the circumstances where you have never been assessed as to the accuracy of your lip-reading some of your opinions might not be correct?" Whybrow said.

"I would say they're more correct than not," Reedy said.

Lehrmann disagreed during his evidence that he gestured towards a drink at The Dock at about 11.50pm and told Higgins: "Drink that all now."

The court has previously been shown CCTV footage in which Lehrmann placed three drinks in front of Higgins at The Dock and gestured towards them. Lehrmann denied during his evidence that he had said the words "all hers, all hers", and denied he encouraged Higgins to get drunk.

The expert report

Lee ruled this month that Ten could tender a report in which Reedy expresses an opinion on words spoken by Lehrmann and Higgins at The Dock, based on an analysis of the CCTV footage, and confirmed that ruling on Tuesday.

The judge made clear that his ruling allowing the report to be admitted in evidence was not an indication of the weight he would ultimately place on the opinions expressed in it.

The lawsuit

Lehrmann is suing Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins, broadcast on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges defames him by suggesting he is guilty of raping Higgins in then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' Parliament House office in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

Both Higgins and Lehrmann worked as advisers to Reynolds. Lehrmann has denied raping Higgins and has told the Federal Court there was no sexual contact between the pair at all.

The court will not sit on Wednesday, but the trial will resume on Thursday and Friday for closing submissions. Lee said he was prepared to sit extended hours on those days.

(continued)

#20092945 at 2023-12-18 10:30:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

Brittany Higgins's former chief of staff Fiona Brown allowed to give evidence in closed court session

Patrick Bell - 18 December 2023

1/2

The former political staffer to whom Brittany Higgins says she first disclosed her rape allegation has been allowed to give evidence in a closed session this afternoon, as part of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

The court heard Ms Brown was the first person to whom Ms Higgins disclosed her alleged rape as she was the senior political staffer in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds - for whom both Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann worked - at the time of the alleged rape at Parliament House in March 2019.

Mr Lehrmann is suing over an interview Ms Wilkinson did with Ms Higgins on The Project, in which he was not named as the alleged rapist, but claims he was identifiable.

He launched the action after the collapse of his criminal trial due to juror misconduct, with no findings against him.

The court was today presented with two medical reports which outlined the potential adverse effects on Ms Brown's mental health, if she were to give evidence in open court, and while the live stream on the Federal Court's YouTube channel was active.

At points in the case, the live stream has had more than 20,000 viewers.

Justice Michael Lee ruled that the live stream could be deferred during Ms Brown's testimony.

He ruled that members of the media would be allowed to observe her evidence, but otherwise the court would be closed to the public.

Doctor challenged over Brittany Higgins's level of intoxication

Earlier today, a forensic toxicologist was challenged on his estimate of how intoxicated Ms Higgins was on the night in question.

Dr Michael Robertson prepared a report which estimated her blood alcohol content (BAC) to be about 0.23 at 1:50am when she entered Parliament House, based on the number of drinks she is believed to have consumed, how much she had eaten, and factors such as her height and weight.

The court was shown CCTV footage from The Dock - the Canberra pub Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann attended on the night - in which she is seen swaying and stumbling at 10:08pm.

At this time, Dr Robertson estimated her BAC to be 0.11.

The court was later shown CCTV of the pair entering Parliament House, in which Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow suggested she showed similar signs of intoxication to the clip from four hours earlier.

When Ms Higgins can be seen standing on one foot as she removed her shoes for the metal detector, Mr Whybrow suggested "for somebody who had drunk a lot of alcohol, [that] would be a fairly complex exercise".

Dr Robertson agreed with Mr Whybrow that the vision showed "no overt signs of gross intoxication".

But he told the court Ms Higgins's "drinking history" that he was asked to assume in his report suggested a much higher level of intoxication than earlier in the night.

(continued)

#20092845 at 2023-12-18 09:59:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#33 - Part 21
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>20027621 Higgins, Cash and the secret tape - Brittany Higgins is set to face a gruelling interrogation as Bruce Lehrmann's lawyer pushes to play a covert recording she made of former government minister Michaelia Cash
>>20027636 Video: Brittany Higgins denies trying to 'blow-up' Bruce Lehrmann's re-trial over alleged rape as her evidence concludes in Federal Court
>>20027640 $2.3 million payout goes to the heart of Labor's role in Brittany Higgins case - It's taken a defamation trial to discover the truth, but finally we know how much the Albanese government paid to settle Brittany Higgins' untested claim that she would not be able to work for at least 40 years after allegedly being raped by Bruce Lehrmann
>>20033285 Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins getting 'quite touchy' in club on night of alleged rape, witness tells Federal Court
>>20033308 The ABC paid $150,000 to settle Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case over a National Press Club broadcast, documents tendered in his Federal Court defamation case against Network Ten reveal.
>>20038514 Brittany Higgins bombshell: $2.4m payout based entirely on her own evidence - The Albanese government paid Brittany Higgins more than $2.4 million compensation in a settlement that relied entirely upon Ms Higgins' version of events, despite contrary versions from key witnesses who were excluded from a single-day mediation of her claim
>>20038528 Higgins didn't want to be known as 'the girl raped in Parliament', ex-boyfriend Ben Dillaway tells court

>>20038554 Corruption watchdog examines Brittany Higgins compo payout - The national anti-corruption watchdog is now examining a complaint by former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds against Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over his handling of the $2.3 million compensation payment made to Brittany Higgins, to determine if an investigation should be launched
>>20043828 Ten has win on lip-reader's report in Lehrmann defamation case - Network Ten has had a tactical win in its defamation fight with former federal Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann after a Federal Court judge allowed it to tender a lip-reader's report analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in the hours before she alleges he raped her in Parliament House
>>20043857 Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds sues the ACT government and its former top prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation
>>20057023 Brittany Higgins a 'broken soul', mother tells Lehrmann defamation case - Brittany Higgins' mother has said her daughter's alleged sexual assault was "a mother's worst nightmare" as she gave emotional evidence in court about the changes she perceived in her personality in the months after the alleged rape
>>20062141 'Oh Britt, we didn't know': Michaelia Cash secretly recorded in call with Higgins - A telephone call Brittany Higgins secretly recorded with her then-boss, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash, has emerged as a flashpoint in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case after it was played for the first time in the Federal Court
>>20062186 Video: Exclusive tapes revealed: Secret audio captures Higgins' lawyer giving advice to her fianc? in middle of crucial cross-examination - Brittany Higgins' high-profile lawyer gave suggestions on how she respond to a grilling on her $2.4m commonwealth payout and inconsistencies in her story under tough cross-examination during the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial
>>20066846 Ten producer defends Higgins interview as Lisa Wilkinson's texts revealed - Angus Llewellyn, producer of Ten's The Project program has told the Federal Court that Brittany Higgins was terrified her interview with Lisa Wilkinson could be "stopped by the government" before it aired, as he defended his steps to contact Bruce Lehrmann before the broadcast
>>20072114 Wilkinson rankled by 'tabloid' suggestion during tense day in Lehrmann case - Prominent journalist Lisa Wilkinson has clashed with Bruce Lehrmann's barrister during Lehrmann's high-stakes defamation case as she defended her reporting of Brittany Higgins' rape claim and was rankled by a question that she alleged portrayed her as a "cheap tabloid journalist"

#20092842 at 2023-12-18 09:58:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#33 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>19886008 Senator Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz ordered into last-ditch mediation to avoid costly defamation trial - Senator Linda Reynolds, her former staffer Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins' fiance David Sharaz will sit face-to-face in a last-ditch mediation ahead of a potentially costly defamation trial. And a host of prominent media figures, as well as federal Labor senator Katy Gallagher, have now been subpoenaed to ?appear as witnesses in the event the matter goes to trial. Senator Reynolds has launched separate defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in the wake of Ms Higgins' allegations that she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's Parliament House office. Charges against Mr Lehrmann were dropped last year after a mistrial. Justice Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the financial and human cost of a protracted trial.
>>19841269 Bruce Lehrmann fires back at Brittany Higgins after being named as Toowoomba rape accused
>>19957963 Bruce Lehrmann's defamation action against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson begins after ABC agree to settle defamation action over a 2022 National Press Club speech by Brittany Higgins
>>19958048 Bruce Lehrmann 'severely isolated' after Higgins interview, court told
>>19964194 Bruce Lehrmann case: Curtain up as live-stream followers face judicial warning
>>19964252 Bruce Lehrmann denies raping Brittany Higgins on day two of his defamation action against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson
>>19964290 Bruce Lehrmann explains the missing 45 minutes in rape claims
>>19970194 Bruce Lehrmann concedes he bought drinks for Brittany Higgins despite earlier telling Federal Court he could not recall

>>19984217 Bruce Lehrmann denies evading questions from chief of staff about Parliament House entry on night of alleged rape
>>19989527 Bruce Lehrmann tells court he believes Brittany Higgins's fiance sent him threatening email titled 'Coming for you'
>>19995409 Brittany Higgins' emotional evidence at odds with previous statements
>>20001984 Brittany Higgins changes her story on leg bruise photo: 'Maybe I tripped'
>>20001998 Brittany Higgins breaks down in Federal Court as Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers suggest she made up rape allegation
>>20002007 The moment Brittany Higgins began to break - 'The sobs, once they began, could not be held back'
>>20008196 Brittany Higgins re-wore dress she was allegedly raped in to 'reclaim' it, Federal Court hears
>>20013190 Lehrmann sues Ten: Brittany Higgins admits to circulating 'incorrect' media dossier

#19587792 at 2023-09-21 10:41:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19289705 (pb)
>>19452895 (pb)
Shane Drumgold's case against Sofronoff inquiry to be heard by Victorian judge

ELLIE DUDLEY - SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold's case against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard by a Victorian Supreme Court judge, due to a potential conflict of interest preventing it from being heard by a judge in his own jurisdiction.

Mr Drumgold last month launched extraordinary legal action challenging both his "termination" by the ACT government and the findings of the inquiry that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct in Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial.

The ACT Supreme Court on Thursday heard Chief Justice Lucy McCallum had decided it "would not be appropriate for any resident judge of this court to hear these proceedings."

ACT Registrar Jayne Reece wrote to parties last week saying there was a potential "conflict of interest" due to Mr Drumgold's standing in the ACT Supreme Court, which was further "complicated" by the fact Chief Justice McCallum presided over Mr Lehrmann's trial.

As such, the court heard Chief Justice McCallum had written to Victorian Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Ferguson requesting she allow one of her justices to become an acting member of the ACT Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Ferguson obliged, and Justice Stephen Kaye is in the process of becoming appointed to oversee proceedings.

"That is the mechanism around in which we will avoid any conflict of interest of our resident judges," Ms Reece said.

Mr Drumgold is suing the inquiry - chaired by Walter Sofronoff - and the ACT government, after Mr Sofronoff ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless and the chief prosecutor "did not act with fairness and detachment as was ?required by his role".

Mr Drumgold conceded he made mistakes in the case but ?rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the ?Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.

After the report was leaked to the media, including to The Australian, Mr Drumgold said he had been denied procedural fairness.

"It has deprived the ACT government of the opportunity of considering my conduct ?objectively," he said.

Mr Drumgold is now seeking a declaration that the report and decisions are invalid.

Mr Drumgold says Mr ?Sofronoff failed to comply with s.17 of the ACT Inquiries Act, which provides that board members must not provide inquiry documents to others or communicate inquiry information ?except under provisions provided by the act.

Mr Drumgold challenges a number of Mr Sofronoff's findings on the grounds of "legal ?unreasonableness".

These include the findings that he had breached his duty by reading Brittany Higgins' counselling notes; that he had been wrong not to disclose police ?documents; that he had betrayed the trust of junior staff members; and that he falsely claimed legal professional privilege over documents.

Mr Drumgold also disputes Mr Sofronoff's finding that he had knowingly lied to Chief Justice Lucy McCallum over a note of a meeting he had with Lisa Wilkinson prior to her Logies speech and that he failed in his duty to warn the TV presenter of the dangers of making the speech.

He further objects to the findings that his treatment of senator Linda Reynolds in the witness box was grossly unethical and that his comments lauding Ms Higgins after the discontinuance of the Lehrmann case were ?improper.

The court on Thursday heard Mr Drumgold had dropped his claim against ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury.

The parties on Thursday debated the timetabling of the matter, with Mr Sofronoff's solicitor Glen Cranney arguing he did not have appropriate time to comply with Mr Drumgold's proposed schedule, which would require him to file particulars "within days".

"It is unfair on Mr Sofronoff, to force him into that position (when) he doesn't yet have counsel or clarity around his position," Mr Cranney said.

Mr Drumgold's lawyer Terry O'Gorman disagreed, saying Mr Sofronoff had been made aware of the orders last week, and stressing there was "no common sense reason that all orders we request be made today not be made."

Ms Reece ordered Mr Drumgold file an originating application by tomorrow, and the matter be listed for another directions hearing next week to determine further timetabling.

The matter will likely be heard across two days next year, depending on whether there are large disputes over facts.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/shane-drumgolds-case-against-sofronoff-inquiry-to-be-heard-by-victorian-judge/news-story/57d3ca3eaff2320cae19596e6e299c31

#19487515 at 2023-09-04 10:01:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 22
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 4
>>19326721 Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke". "If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."
>>19326748 ACT government weighs charges against Shane Drumgold after Sofronoff report - The ACT government has endorsed findings that its chief prosecutor, Shane ?Drumgold, acted grossly unethically, but the capital's Labor-Greens administration will not investigate other cases he led and has not decided whether to charge him. On Monday afternoon, the Barr government released the full ?report of the Sofronoff inquiry, announcing it supported its 10 recommendations but saying it did not consider it necessary to look at any of the 18 cases Mr Drumgold conducted or participated in since his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019.
>>19333459 Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date - Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024. Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future. The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.
>>19417664 Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins' fiance to 'end in tears financially', court told - The lawyer for the fiance of former political staffer Brittany Higgins has told the WA Supreme Court a defamation case against his client will "end in tears financially," with legal costs potentially reaching millions of dollars. In a hearing lasting nearly three hours, Mr Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin argued the matter would "end in tears financially" for both parties, no matter the outcome, with legal bills amassing to "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars," which would leave the parties "financially uncomfortable." Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett retorted such matters usually end in tears one way or the other. The matter is set to go to trial in May, with lawyers for both Senator Reynolds and Mr Sharaz meeting before Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon to discuss a security for costs application.
>>19446083 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann to take stand in defamation trial - A Federal Court judge has revealed both Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann will take the stand during the defamation matters between Mr Lehrmann and two media organisations, as the court debates the admissibility of expert evidence stating false sexual assault complaints as "rare". Both former Liberal staffers at the centre of an alleged rape in Parliament House will give verbal evidence during the defamation cases of Mr Lehrmann and Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter between Mr Lehrmann and the ABC. The matters are expected to be heard together across four weeks in November.
>>19446088 Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication - Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House. The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault ... and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

#19487512 at 2023-09-04 10:00:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>19284078 Former judge Walter Sofronoff KC finds police were right to charge Bruce Lehrmann but lashed DPP's conduct - A landmark inquiry into the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has found the prosecution was properly brought but made damning findings about the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Sources who have been briefed on the contents of the report have told news.com.au that Walter Sofronoff KC, a former Supreme Court judge in Queensland, finds that police acted lawfully when they charged Mr Lehrmann. It also finds that the decision of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute based on the evidence available was correct. - Samantha Maiden - news.com.au
>>19289705 Video: Sofronoff report reveals Shane Drumgold lied during Bruce Lehrmann rape case - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", ?betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards," the Sofronoff Inquiry has found. In findings that are certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice, inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289796 Sofronoff inquiry: ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'threw his newest junior under the bus' - Spare a thought for Shane Drumgold's hidden victims - the trusting junior staff who unwittingly did the chief prosecutor's dirty work only to be thrown under the bus as his web of lies unravelled. Drumgold's betrayal of his loyal team ranged from directing an inexperienced young lawyer to swear a false affidavit to blaming an office administrator for wrongly releasing a document under Freedom of Information laws when he ordered her to do it. Inquiry chief Walter Sofronoff KC was clearly infuriated by Drumgold's willingness to abuse the trust of innocent members of his team, labelling it "shameful" and an abuse of his authority. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289813 Lisa Wilkinson, Shane Drumgold and the Logies speech lie - TV host Lisa Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech has come back to bite ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, after he was caught lying about it to a Supreme Court judge. Mr Drumgold said he warned the star - who first aired Brittany Higgins' rape allegations on Ten's The Project in 2021 - about the danger of prejudicing Bruce Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial before she gave the speech accepting a Logie award for her reporting. Wilkinson rejected that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed. Mr Drumgold presented a note of the conference to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't. That part of the note that was critical to the Chief Justice was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech - and after it became clear the upcoming trial was in jeopardy because of it. Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold "knowingly lied to the Chief Justice". - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289859 Shane Drumgold's time as DPP is surely at an end - Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff's report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone. The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government - which was already on notice that the contents of this report would determine whether it would be hit with a damages bill worth millions of dollars.
>>19289887 Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court. According to the writ, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her. The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

#19487510 at 2023-09-04 10:00:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 19
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>19194509 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann parliament CCTV footage handed to court - Critical CCTV footage of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in parliament house on the night of her alleged rape has been handed over to court after Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting for Lisa Wilkinson in the defamation proceedings, demanded to know why it wasn't produced earlier.
>>19204809 'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case - Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.
>>19211199 'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".
>>19257140 Who will take the fall for the Lehrmann controversy? - "There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial. Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann? Will blame be divided among the individuals who were targeted by the ACT government in the terms of reference it drew up for Sofronoff's inquiry? Or will Sofronoff take a broader approach, one that would enable him to consider the impact of legal structures that have been put in place by the government itself?" - Chris Merritt vice-president of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia - theaustralian.com.au
>>19262626 Sofronoff findings on DPP Shane Drumgold to be kept secret for weeks - In a shock move, the ACT government will keep secret the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry into the prosecution for rape of Bruce Lehrmann for at least a month as it ponders how to deal with what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. It had been anticipated that when inquiry head Walter Sof?ronoff KC delivered his much-anticipated report on Monday, it would be released immediately but the government will now consider the report "through a proper cabinet" process that ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly "updated" at the end of August.
>>19278214 'No excuse' for report on Lehrmann rape case to be secret - "The ACT government has decreed that the findings of inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC will be kept secret for at least another month. There is no excuse for such a delay; not that Chief Minister Andrew Barr has bothered to offer one. Barr says he "currently intends" to table some or all of the report at the end of August, at which time he "may" provide an interim response, pending a final response that "may take several months"." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19278237 Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial - Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.
>>19284047 ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court - If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice. A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

#19487374 at 2023-09-04 09:05:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 22
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 4
>>19326721 Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke". "If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."
>>19326748 ACT government weighs charges against Shane Drumgold after Sofronoff report - The ACT government has endorsed findings that its chief prosecutor, Shane ?Drumgold, acted grossly unethically, but the capital's Labor-Greens administration will not investigate other cases he led and has not decided whether to charge him. On Monday afternoon, the Barr government released the full ?report of the Sofronoff inquiry, announcing it supported its 10 recommendations but saying it did not consider it necessary to look at any of the 18 cases Mr Drumgold conducted or participated in since his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019.
>>19333459 Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date - Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024. Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future. The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.
>>19417664 Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins' fiance to 'end in tears financially', court told - The lawyer for the fiance of former political staffer Brittany Higgins has told the WA Supreme Court a defamation case against his client will "end in tears financially," with legal costs potentially reaching millions of dollars. In a hearing lasting nearly three hours, Mr Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin argued the matter would "end in tears financially" for both parties, no matter the outcome, with legal bills amassing to "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars," which would leave the parties "financially uncomfortable." Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett retorted such matters usually end in tears one way or the other. The matter is set to go to trial in May, with lawyers for both Senator Reynolds and Mr Sharaz meeting before Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon to discuss a security for costs application.
>>19446083 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann to take stand in defamation trial - A Federal Court judge has revealed both Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann will take the stand during the defamation matters between Mr Lehrmann and two media organisations, as the court debates the admissibility of expert evidence stating false sexual assault complaints as "rare". Both former Liberal staffers at the centre of an alleged rape in Parliament House will give verbal evidence during the defamation cases of Mr Lehrmann and Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter between Mr Lehrmann and the ABC. The matters are expected to be heard together across four weeks in November.
>>19446088 Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication - Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House. The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault ... and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

#19487371 at 2023-09-04 09:04:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>19284078 Former judge Walter Sofronoff KC finds police were right to charge Bruce Lehrmann but lashed DPP's conduct - A landmark inquiry into the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has found the prosecution was properly brought but made damning findings about the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Sources who have been briefed on the contents of the report have told news.com.au that Walter Sofronoff KC, a former Supreme Court judge in Queensland, finds that police acted lawfully when they charged Mr Lehrmann. It also finds that the decision of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute based on the evidence available was correct. - Samantha Maiden - news.com.au
>>19289705 Video: Sofronoff report reveals Shane Drumgold lied during Bruce Lehrmann rape case - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", ?betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards," the Sofronoff Inquiry has found. In findings that are certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice, inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289796 Sofronoff inquiry: ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'threw his newest junior under the bus' - Spare a thought for Shane Drumgold's hidden victims - the trusting junior staff who unwittingly did the chief prosecutor's dirty work only to be thrown under the bus as his web of lies unravelled. Drumgold's betrayal of his loyal team ranged from directing an inexperienced young lawyer to swear a false affidavit to blaming an office administrator for wrongly releasing a document under Freedom of Information laws when he ordered her to do it. Inquiry chief Walter Sofronoff KC was clearly infuriated by Drumgold's willingness to abuse the trust of innocent members of his team, labelling it "shameful" and an abuse of his authority. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289813 Lisa Wilkinson, Shane Drumgold and the Logies speech lie - TV host Lisa Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech has come back to bite ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, after he was caught lying about it to a Supreme Court judge. Mr Drumgold said he warned the star - who first aired Brittany Higgins' rape allegations on Ten's The Project in 2021 - about the danger of prejudicing Bruce Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial before she gave the speech accepting a Logie award for her reporting. Wilkinson rejected that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed. Mr Drumgold presented a note of the conference to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't. That part of the note that was critical to the Chief Justice was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech - and after it became clear the upcoming trial was in jeopardy because of it. Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold "knowingly lied to the Chief Justice". - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289859 Shane Drumgold's time as DPP is surely at an end - Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff's report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone. The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government - which was already on notice that the contents of this report would determine whether it would be hit with a damages bill worth millions of dollars.
>>19289887 Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court. According to the writ, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her. The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

#19487369 at 2023-09-04 09:02:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 19
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>19194509 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann parliament CCTV footage handed to court - Critical CCTV footage of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in parliament house on the night of her alleged rape has been handed over to court after Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting for Lisa Wilkinson in the defamation proceedings, demanded to know why it wasn't produced earlier.
>>19204809 'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case - Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.
>>19211199 'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".
>>19257140 Who will take the fall for the Lehrmann controversy? - "There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial. Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann? Will blame be divided among the individuals who were targeted by the ACT government in the terms of reference it drew up for Sofronoff's inquiry? Or will Sofronoff take a broader approach, one that would enable him to consider the impact of legal structures that have been put in place by the government itself?" - Chris Merritt vice-president of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia - theaustralian.com.au
>>19262626 Sofronoff findings on DPP Shane Drumgold to be kept secret for weeks - In a shock move, the ACT government will keep secret the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry into the prosecution for rape of Bruce Lehrmann for at least a month as it ponders how to deal with what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. It had been anticipated that when inquiry head Walter Sof?ronoff KC delivered his much-anticipated report on Monday, it would be released immediately but the government will now consider the report "through a proper cabinet" process that ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly "updated" at the end of August.
>>19278214 'No excuse' for report on Lehrmann rape case to be secret - "The ACT government has decreed that the findings of inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC will be kept secret for at least another month. There is no excuse for such a delay; not that Chief Minister Andrew Barr has bothered to offer one. Barr says he "currently intends" to table some or all of the report at the end of August, at which time he "may" provide an interim response, pending a final response that "may take several months"." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19278237 Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial - Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.
>>19284047 ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court - If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice. A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

#19452897 at 2023-08-29 10:19:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19452895
Lehrmann prosecutor seeks to quash damning findings from Sofronoff inquiry

Natassia Chrysanthos and Georgina Mitchell - August 29, 2023

Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has launched legal action to overturn damning findings about his conduct made by the board of inquiry into the high-profile Bruce Lehrmann trial, and to stop the territory government from taking any action against him based on the report.

In judicial review proceedings filed in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday last week, Drumgold is seeking to quash the report by former judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, who controversially leaked it to select media outlets before its official release.

Drumgold argues the leak failed to comply with section 17 of the Inquiries Act, denied him natural justice and gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of Sofronoff.

Lawyers for Drumgold argue some of Sofronoff's findings against him were legally unreasonable, including that he breached his duty as a prosecutor. They also say Drumgold was not given a fair hearing in relation to other findings, and that some of Sofronoff's findings were out of the inquiry's jurisdiction because they did not relate to its terms of reference.

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury earlier this month indicated he was considering whether Drumgold should be prosecuted, given the report's findings had met the statutory threshold for dismissal for misbehaviour in office.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr also said the government was seeking advice about whether Sofronoff had breached the Inquiries Act.

Drumgold's proceedings - the latest in a number to have emerged in connection with the Lehrmann case - seek an injunction to stop Rattenbury from taking action against him under the DPP Act based on Sofronoff's report.

The case, listed for a directions hearing on September 14, names the board of inquiry, the Australian Capital Territory and the ACT attorney-general as defendants.

The territory government commissioned the board of inquiry to investigate authorities' handling of last year's Lehrmann trial following a dispute between Drumgold and police about the investigation.

In the inquiry's report, Sofronoff was highly critical of Drumgold's conduct. While he noted the prosecution was properly brought, he found the top prosecutor lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial and improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand.

However, Sofronoff's inquiry was itself brought into disrepute when it emerged the former judge selectively leaked a copy of his final report to journalists before handing it to the ACT government. Sofronoff also briefed journalists throughout the inquiry.

Rattenbury said on Tuesday that Drumgold had concerns with the nature of the report and was seeking to challenge the findings made against him.

"I think the nature of this matter has been that it's been heavily contested, the parties involved have continued to seek pathways to pursue their argument, and Mr Drumgold is entitled to lodge these proceedings. It will now proceed through the court," Rattenbury said.

"Obviously, I'm limited in what I can say about it, given the ACT has been named as a respondent in the matter."

Drumgold was the lead prosecutor in the trial of Lehrmann, a former political staffer who was accused of sexually assaulting colleague Brittany Higgins in 2019. Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct and Drumgold decided against a retrial due to concerns over Higgins' mental health.

Drumgold has since stepped down as DPP and will not be able to practise as an ACT barrister once his resignation takes effect next month because his practising certificate, which is tied to his title, will no longer be valid.

Barr on Tuesday said he was advised that Drumgold had commenced legal proceedings related to the content of the board of inquiry's report but the proceedings had yet to be served on the territory.

"Accordingly, it is not appropriate for me to make further comment in relation to the findings of, and processes associated with, the report and its release," Barr said.

Neither Drumgold nor Sofronoff had responded to a request for comment on Tuesday.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lehrmann-prosecutor-files-legal-action-against-sofronoff-board-of-inquiry-20230829-p5e0al.html

#19446088 at 2023-08-28 09:21:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289887
>>19333459
Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication

Michaela Whitbourn - August 28, 2023

Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House.

The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault … and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

Matthew Richardson, SC, acting for Lehrmann, said the first report, written by a clinical psychologist, offered not only an opinion about "the typical behaviour of victims of sexual assault" but "also posits opinions that, for instance, false complaints are rare".

"There certainly will be objection to that evidence, starting from … whether or not there is a recognised field of expertise and so on, but also the conclusions and the opinions that are expressed, we would say, have no sufficient factual foundation," Richardson said.

"It really appears to be an analysis of academic papers. As to whether we will object to the toxicology report, we just haven't come to a view yet."

Justice Michael Lee said questions about the admissibility of the first report would be determined before the trial.

Lehrmann filed Federal Court defamation proceedings against Ten in February over an interview Wilkinson conducted with his former colleague Higgins on The Project, broadcast on February 15, 2021. Separate proceedings against News Corp, filed at the same time, have since settled.

He alleges the interview conveyed a series of defamatory meanings, including that he raped Higgins in then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' office on March 23, 2019.

Lehrmann was not named in the broadcast, but his lawyers say he was identified via other means.

If the court finds Lehrmann was identified, Ten and Wilkinson admit they conveyed the defamatory claims alleged, including the central claim of rape, and will seek to rely chiefly on defences of truth and qualified privilege - a defence relating to publications of public interest which requires an outlet to have acted reasonably.

Lehrmann is also suing the ABC for defamation for broadcasting a National Press Club address last year by Grace Tame and Higgins. Lee said on Monday that the ABC proceedings, which raise narrower legal issues, would be heard at the same time as the Ten case. The broadcaster proposes to call five witnesses.

Lehrmann was named in the media in August 2021, six months after the Ten interview, when he was charged with sexual intercourse without consent.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial was aborted in October last year due to juror misconduct. The charge was later dropped altogether amid concerns about Higgins' mental health. Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/ten-wants-to-use-expert-evidence-on-brittany-higgins-level-of-intoxication-20230828-p5dzwo.html

#19417664 at 2023-08-24 10:06:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19289887
>>19333459
Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins' fiance to 'end in tears financially', court told

The defence lawyer representing the fiance of Brittany Higgins in a defamation case brought by a Senator has told a court the matter will 'end in tears financially'.

Anthony Anderson - August 24, 2023

The lawyer for the fiance of former political staffer Brittany Higgins has told the WA Supreme Court a defamation case against his client will "end in tears financially," with legal costs potentially reaching millions of dollars.

Linda Reynolds is suing David Sharaz for defamation over five social media posts which allegedly defame the WA Liberal Senator.

The matter is set to go to trial in May, with lawyers for both Senator Reynolds and Mr Sharaz meeting before Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon on Thursday to discuss a security for costs application.

This means Senator Reynolds would need to put up hundreds of thousands of dollars to be held by the court, or mortgage her home, in order to prove she can cover any legal costs incurred by Mr Sharaz, should she fail to prove her case to the court.

In a hearing lasting nearly three hours, Mr Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin argued the matter would "end in tears financially" for both parties, no matter the outcome, with legal bills amassing to "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars," which would leave the parties "financially uncomfortable."

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett retorted such matters usually end in tears one way or the other.

Ultimately, Justice Solomon decided to adjourn the matter, and will deliver a decision on the security for costs application during another hearing on Friday afternoon.

Neither Senator Reynolds nor Mr Sharaz were present in the courtroom.

Other matters surrounding the high-profile case were discussed, including the possibility of mediation hearings in October or November, which, if successful, would negate the need for a trial.

Outside court, Mr Bennett said that's often successful when the defendant says "I apologise."

"Apologies are one of the things that best vindicate a reputation," Mr Bennett said.

"Award of damages is the best a court can do because it can't order a defamer who's lost their defamation case to apologise."

Mr MacLaurin also tried to keep the option of transferring the matter to the ACT Supreme Court open, arguing Senator Reynolds was suing a private citizen in the WA Supreme Court when the matter has nothing to do with the state.

Mr Bennett, however, argues his client is a senator representing the state of Western Australia.

"She lives here, her family is here, her friends are here, her parliamentary colleagues and those within the Liberal Party are here, and her connection is with Western Australia, not Canberra," Mr Bennett said, also slamming Mr MacLaurin's argument as "irrelevant."

Mr MacLaurin also questioned whether the Senator would be in a position to pay his client's costs, should he be successful, given Senator Reynolds has also launched similar legal action against his client's partner, Brittany Higgins.

The defence lawyer also noted statement concerns notices had been issued by the plaintiff against Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek, asking if the Minister would also be the target of a defamation case.

The matter of a potential legal threat issued to controversial blogger Shane Dowling was also aired, amid revelations on Thursday morning that Senator Reynolds was considering defamation action against him.

Mr Bennett said Mr Dowling had published an article about Senator Reynolds on his website, Kangaroo Court of Australia, before contacting Mr Bennett earlier this week with a series of questions for the Senator.

"I wrote back to him and said, effectively, your article's defamatory, you know it's defamatory, if you're going to publish your article, you do so at your own peril," Mr Bennett said.

But he also indicated nothing would come of the threat.

"I can't speak for Senator Reynolds," he said, "but you can't sue every fringe commentator," noting Mr Dowling is in a "unique position" over his apparent willingness to go to jail.

Mr Dowling has been imprisoned a number of times for contempt of court, and was once described by NSW Supreme Court Justice Helen Wilson as a "zealot, and one who is legally uninformed and factually deluded."

Justice Solomon will hand down his decision on Friday afternoon.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/senator-Linda-Reynolds-defamation-case-against-brittany-higgins-fiance-to-end-in-tears-financially-court-told/news-story/aec3cd3837b3d356ca32b28b93e17b48

#19333459 at 2023-08-10 12:28:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19289887
>>19326721
Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date

Holly Thompson and Jesinta Burton - August 9, 2023

Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024.

Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future.

At a court hearing in Perth on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Marcus Solomon said he was setting the trial dates far in advance to avoid "skirmishes" between the two parties from developing "a life of their own" and dragging the case out.

The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.

Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin said he planned to submit a strikeout claim against all imputations against his client, but this was an issue he wanted to raise with Reynolds' team before officially doing so.

He also said Reynolds had decided to sue a private citizen in the WA Supreme Court when the case had nothing to do with the state, and there were grounds to consider that the matter should be heard under ACT laws, as Reynolds was only known as a senator.

Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett said that claim "grasps at an imaginary straw to bog this matter down", and it was "inappropriate for my friend across the table to make such an outrageous comment" about what Reynolds was known for.

"She is a senator for WA, elected by voters in WA … her reputation is one grounded in WA," he said.

Bennett also said it was "farfetched and ambitious" to say the imputations were false.

Solomon told the court that dismissing Reynolds' position in WA "minimises the significance of that to a degree I find a little surprising".

He said everything he had heard highlighted his concern the back-and-forth between parties would drag on if he did not set a preliminary trial date.

"It's amazing how fast these issues can be sorted with trial dates in sight," Solomon said.

The next court hearing will be on August 24, for the matters raised by MacLaurin to be addressed. The preliminary trial has been set for three weeks, starting on May 7.

Wednesday's hearing comes just days after Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for damages over two social media posts in which she accused Reynolds of using the press to harass her.

The former defence minister also said the posts were a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

She has asked for two injunctions preventing Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from further breaches of the deed.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

A criminal trial against Lehrmann, who has maintained his innocence throughout, was aborted last year due to juror misconduct, and the charge was dropped and a retrial dismissed over fears for Higgins' mental health.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/Linda-Reynolds-defamation-case-against-david-sharaz-gets-trial-date-20230809-p5dv7u.html

#19326721 at 2023-08-09 11:48:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
>>19289887
Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 8, 2023

Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke".

"If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."

Senator Reynolds gave evidence at the rape trial of Mr Lehrmann after Brittany Higgins claimed she had told her then boss she had been raped. Senator Reynolds testified that Ms Higgins had never made that claim.

During the trial, Mr Drumgold told the jury "political forces" explained the delay in Ms Higgins' complaint to the police, and that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor".

Mr Drumgold alleged strong political forces on numerous occasions during the trial.

However, Mr Sofronoff found "there was not a single piece of evidence that anyone had applied pressure upon Ms Higgins that could legitimately be described as 'strong political forces'".

During the inquiry Mr Drumgold admitted he was wrong to believe there had been any kind of political interference in the case.

Senator Reynolds said: "It sounds like the plot of a great political thriller, that these forces were at play in Parliament House, but anybody who knows anything knows there is no way that as a minister, either Michaelia Cash or I could have influenced the conduct of an investigation by the Australian Federal Police.

"It's just such a serious allegation, it's saying that we perverted the course of justice. Well, I think this has shown that he's the one - by being an activist - who's perverted the course of justice."

In his resignation statement Mr Drumgold said he had complained about the way police handled the case because it was "reflective of the chronic problem in Australia with the way our legal institutions deal with allegations of sexual violence".

He highlighted several statistics he said showed low numbers of sexual assault cases reported and prosecuted, especially in the ACT.

"He's admitted that's how he handled the case - because the numbers were low," Senator Reynolds said. "But each case in our judicial system has to be conducted on its merits in accordance with the rules.

"You can't just turn this into a quota to say, 'well, my numbers are low so therefore I'm going to do everything I can to get this conviction regardless of the truth', and treat witnesses like myself and others in a way that's most likely to result in a conviction.

"Justice has to be blind and he lost sight of that. As Mr Sofronoff found, he was not truthful, he lied. It's untenable for our justice system because everybody, whether you are a defendant or a complainant, you need to have confidence that the justice system is going to be objective and focused on the truth."

Senator Reynolds said it was no excuse for Mr Drumgold to say he had come from an underprivileged background, or grown up on a Housing Commission estate.

"There can be no excuse for a DPP to lie to the judge. Statistics, background, nothing, no excuses. They're not fit to be a DPP, because it doesn't matter what your background is, you have to be fair and equal to everybody."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/Linda-Reynolds-blasts-social-crusader-act-dpp-shane-drumgold/news-story/d99e072639b05186d922150da62f5dab

#19326705 at 2023-08-09 11:42:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
>>19326680
'Absolutely awful to me': Brittany Higgins hits out at police in response to damning Sofronoff Inquiry findings

Brittany Higgins has used her boyfriend's social media to break her silence on the damning findings of the Sofronoff report after recently deleting her Twitter as she fights legal action from Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds.

Tyrone Clarke - August 9, 2023

Brittany Higgins has blasted investigators in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case in a statement published on her boyfriend's social media after she deleted her own Twitter account.

Ms Higgins' statement is her first public response to the damning findings of the Sofronoff Inquiry into the handling of the investigation and trial of Mr Lehrmann.

While inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC was scathing of the conduct of former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold - which was described as "grossly unethical" - he praised police for performing their duties in "absolute good faith".

However, Ms Higgins slammed investigating officers and accused them of being "absolutely awful to me".

In reference to a police executive summary outlining discrepancies in her story - which was found to have been withheld from Mr Lehrmann's defence team by Mr Drumgold - Ms Higgins said officers tried to "discredit" her.

"They wrongly handed over my most private thoughts taken over years in counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre to defence," Ms Higgins said via her boyfriend David Sharaz's Twitter account.

"These men were absolutely awful to me. They made me feel violated at every turn.

"I will always remember how small I felt having five senior police officers I've never met in a room belittling me - after I had just spent hours giving evidence in a second EIC (evidence in chief) interview.

"They cast judgements about the merits of my advocacy and regularly reiterated the reasons why they though that I shouldn't proceed with pressing charges.

"I do not celebrate the misfortune of others. However, these officers were disgraced by their conduct not by the DPP."

The Twitter post then showed a screenshot of an article in which 13 police officers involved in the investigation claimed their careers had been "lost and reputations severely damaged" after Mr Drumgold made false claims of impropriety to the Sofronoff Inquiry.

In his report, Mr Sofronoff conceded the police made a mistake in handing over the counselling notes to the defence and the prosecution but said it was not done intentionally.

Ms Higgins did not publish the statement herself after she recently deleted her Twitter account following legal action launched against her by Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds.

The Liberal Senator launched a lawsuit last week for aggravated damages over an Instagram story posted in July and a follow-up Tweet.

Ms Higgins claimed on Instagram Senator Reynolds "continues to harass me through the media", before urging her former boss to "stop".

The writ filed in the Western Australian Supreme Court also shows Senator Reynolds is claiming Ms Higgins' social media activity represent a breach of a March 2021 deed settlement which included a non-disparagement clause.

She is seeking two injunctions which would prohibit Ms Higgins from further publishing defamatory material and from future breaches of the deed.

Ms Higgins took to Twitter on July 6 to claim Senator Reynolds issued the concerns notice and said she was "considering my legal options".

She then deleted her account only days after hitting out at the continued release of her text message correspondence in late July.

Mr Drumgold, who resigned from the office on Sunday, conceded he made mistakes in the high-profile rape case.

But the former DPP disputed many of the report's adverse findings levelled at him, and denied that he "engaged in deliberate or underhanded conduct" in the trial.

The trial of Mr Lehrmann was delayed multiple times before commencing in October last year. After more than a week of deliberation the jury was dismissed over juror misconduct.

While the retrial was given a tentative date of February 20, 2023, Mr Drumgold decided against proceeding on the grounds of concern for Ms Higgins' mental health.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has maintained he never had sexual relations with Ms Higgins.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/absolutely-awful-to-me-brittany-higgins-hits-out-at-police-in-response-to-damning-sofronoff-inquiry-findings/news-story/3e87ae0dfbd9a0a5ab926cb6c568c9e9

#19314830 at 2023-08-07 12:08:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
Drumgold and Sofronoff face investigation in Lehrmann inquiry fallout

Angus Thompson and Natassia Chrysanthos - August 7, 2023

1/2

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, and Walter Sofronoff, KC, the former judge who led the high-profile inquiry into authorities' handling of the Lehrmann trial, face investigations that could lead to them both having charges brought against them.

In their interim response to the inquiry's 839-page report on the "case like no other", ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury foreshadowed further investigations into Drumgold, who was heavily criticised in the findings, and Sofronoff, who leaked them to select journalists.

"This should have drawn a line under this matter," Barr said of the report at a press conference on Monday.

While Sofronoff found the prosecution was properly brought, he said Drumgold had lied to the ACT Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand, and made "scandalous" claims about police conduct.

Rattenbury said the ACT Bar Association would consider Drumgold's future as a barrister and noted the findings had met the statutory threshold for dismissal for misbehaviour in office.

Asked whether Drumgold, who resigned on Friday, should be prosecuted, Rattenbury replied: "That is a matter the government is still considering."

Barr said revelations that Sofronoff had released his findings to two media outlets under embargo and had spoken to journalists during the probe raised the prospect of a potential referral to the ACT's integrity commission, but ruled out another inquiry.

"I think that runs the risk of being quite ridiculous," he said.

He said the government had sought advice about whether Sofronoff had breached the Inquiries Act and, asked whether he would like to see him charged, the chief minister responded: "We're considering our options."

"Unfortunately, whilst the recommendations, I believe, are sound, and we have accepted them, the whole process - the leaking, the engagement with journalists on the way through, leaves in the minds of many people, questions. Significant questions. And it is just so disappointing," Barr said.

Comment has been sought from Drumgold, who on Sunday disputed many of the findings against him, denying that he had acted in a dishonest or underhanded way.

"Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," he said in a statement.

Sofronoff declined to comment.

Bruce Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins, his former colleague, in the Parliament House office of their then-boss, former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds, after a night out drinking with friends in March 2019.

The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct and a retrial was abandoned due to concerns over Higgins' mental health, with the charge dropped. Lehrmann maintains his innocence and is preparing to sue the ACT government over the prosecution.

Sofronoff found that Drumgold's suspicions about police were baseless and had caused lasting pain to many.

"The adverse suspicions that Mr Drumgold formed during his early interactions with the investigators predisposed him to see non-existent malignancy in benign interactions between the police and the defence at the trial," he said in the report.

"The cost of a six-month public inquiry - in time and money, in lost work and personal and professional consequences - has been huge."

(continued)

#19314741 at 2023-08-07 11:33:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold hits back against inquiry after resignation

Angus Thompson - August 6, 2023

1/2

ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness, and has disputed many of the probe's findings after resigning from his high-profile role last week.

In a written statement on Sunday, Drumgold denied acting dishonestly or underhandedly after inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff, KC, found he had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, and said the inquiry had missed the opportunity to focus on systemic issues in the justice system instead of focusing largely on him.

"Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," Drumgold said.

"The pre-emptive release of the report to the media has denied me procedural fairness. It has deprived the ACT Government of the opportunity of considering my conduct objectively."

Sofronoff's findings were published by The Australian on Thursday. An ACT government spokesperson rebuked Sofronoff, saying he had told the government he had given embargoed copies of the report to some journalists ahead of him providing it to the territory last Monday.

Sofronoff found Drumgold, a senior counsel who has been the territory's director of public prosecutions for nearly five years, had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial and improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand, among other findings.

Drumgold said: "Having now read the report, I dispute many of its adverse findings about me. While I acknowledge I made mistakes, I strongly dispute that I engaged in deliberate or underhanded conduct in the trial or that I was dishonest."

The territory's attorney-general, Shane Rattenbury, said in a statement on Sunday that he had spoken with Drumgold on Thursday. The government has been forced to expedite the release of the report to this week following the leak, after it had originally planned to table it in parliament at the end of the month.

"Mr Drumgold and I agreed that his position as director of public prosecutions was no longer tenable," Rattenbury said. "I can confirm that on Friday, Mr Drumgold sent a letter advising me that he would be vacating his position as ACT director of public prosecutions."

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former colleague Brittany Higgins in the Parliament House office of their then boss, Reynolds, after a night out drinking with friends in March 2019.

The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct, and Drumgold ruled out the prospect of a retrial in December due to concerns over Higgins' mental health.

Lehrmann maintains his innocence, and now plans to sue the ACT government over its handling of his prosecution.

(continued)

#19289887 at 2023-08-03 11:25:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19132091 (pb)
>>19132103 (pb)
>>19289705
Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post

Jesinta Burton - August 3, 2023

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court.

According to the writ lodged on Monday, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her.

The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

Reynolds is demanding two injunctions preventing Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from further breaches of the deed.

The news comes just weeks after Higgins took to social media accusing her former boss of harassment and confirming she had received a legal letter from Reynolds' lawyers.

On Thursday, Reynolds confirmed she had launched defamation proceedings after sending a concerns notice and receiving a "wholly unsatisfactory response" from Higgins' lawyers.

"Ms Higgins continues to use the media to make defamatory comments about my conduct notwithstanding the existence of facts and evidence to the contrary and without regard to a non-disparagement clause she agreed to," Reynolds said.

She said the concerns noticed issued on July 5 requested Higgins refrain from defaming the senator, "however her conduct following receipt of that notice ... and the unsatisfactory response received from her lawyer is evidence that she has no intention of stopping".

A spokesperson for Arnold Bloch Leibler confirmed Higgins had retained the law firm's services and intended to defend the claim vigorously.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she had been raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Lehrmann has repeatedly denied the allegation and a criminal trial was aborted late last year due to juror misconduct, with a retrial ruled out over fears about its potential impact on Higgins' mental health.

Reynolds is also locked in a defamation battle with Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, who she has accused of "trolling" her in tweets she claims were false and defamatory of her and caused her, her family and staff stress and anguish.

The lawsuit was later amended to include a further three social media posts from other platforms.

Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts. She also seeks an injunction preventing the material from surfacing again.

Last month Reynolds claimed she had been targeted with "unwarranted criticism and abuse".

"Despite [Higgins'] repeated defamation of my character, until now I have not taken any action against her personally - even though I considered her words to breach our previous settlement agreement," Reynolds said in a statement at the time.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-senator-Linda-Reynolds-sues-brittany-higgins-for-defamation-over-instagram-post-20230803-p5dtlc.html

#19289802 at 2023-08-03 10:59:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289796

2/2

Another betrayal occurred when Drumgold decided to release to The Guardian newspaper a letter he had written to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan complaining about the conduct of investigators in the case. The Guardian journalist emailed an FOI request, which was picked up by the DPP's information officer, Katie Cantwell.

Her role in the DPP's FOI process was purely "a co-ordination capacity". She had never been involved in the making of a decision whether to release requested information and had no knowledge of the intricacies of FOI releases.

When she received The Guardian request, she emailed Drumgold, attaching the FOI request and expressing her view that "surely any document sent regarding this would be subject to legal/professional privilege?"

When Drumgold sent her his letter to the police chief, she asked whether "this is the letter you are happy for me to release under FOI to the Guardian?"

Drumgold responded 15 minutes later: "I am happy for it to go out." Ms Cantwell emailed the letter to the journalist that evening.

Drumgold had authorised the release of the unredacted letter containing the DPP's suspicions of impropriety against named police officers and senator Linda Reynolds without any of the consultation required by law and within four hours of it being considered.

He later apologised to the police, saying the failure to consult them was "due to an internal communication and training issue".

He noted he had "arranged further training" for Ms Cantwell.

Drumgold told Mr Sofronoff that Ms Cantwell may have wrongly interpreted his email as telling her to send the letter "without further consideration of other relevant FOI considerations".

He claimed it was Ms Cantwell's responsibility to consider a host of issues such as whether disclosure of the information would be in the public interest or whether consultation with third parties, such as the AFP, would be required and whether parts should be redacted.

Mr Sofronoff rejected Mr Drumgold's explanation as false.

"It is also clear to me that he has shamefully tried falsely to attribute blame to Ms Cantwell who, in every respect, performed her duty assiduously and in accordance with instructions that she was bound to follow from the director," Mr Sofronoff found.

Ms Cantwell did not "interpret" Mr Drumgold's email incorrectly. He had given her an unambiguous verbal instruction to her to release the unredacted letter and never directed her to redact any names or to consult anybody, Mr Sofronoff said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/sofronoff-inquiry-act-dpp-shane-drumgold-threw-his-newest-junior-underthe-bus/news-story/54b4447fe9d44d1232030d2a5bbd1867

#19284047 at 2023-08-02 11:38:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19262626
>>19278237
ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 2, 2023

If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

During the inquiry conducted by Walter Sofronoff KC, Mr Drumgold admitted two occasions on which he misled Chief Justice McCallum but claimed he had done so unintentionally.

The ACT government is considering Mr Sofronoff's report, which it received on Monday, but has refused to release the findings until the end of the month.

It is believed some potential findings against Mr Drumgold, who has been on leave since May and is not due to return until Aug?ust 30, would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for removal from the roll of barristers.

They could also lead to his ?potential prosecution.

Melbourne silk Gavin Silbert KC told The Australian: "In a situation where a director of public prosecutions lies wilfully (and) misstates the truth to a judge, quite clearly that could constitute an ?attempt to pervert the course of justice."

"If the elements of it were made out, I don't see that there's any doubt that it would," said Mr Silbert, who was chief crown prosecutor for 10 years until 2018 and acted as director of public prosecutions on many occasions.

Mr Silbert, who has practised law for more than 40 years and is a member of the Victorian Bar Council, said: "I've done plenty of crime cases over the last 30 years to be experienced enough to have a view on this. In a situation where he arranged for a junior [legal] officer in his department to swear a false affidavit, again, it would clearly be an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

"If the elements are made out they would constitute offences."

Mr Drumgold tried to stop the defence obtaining a document known as the Moller report, which detailed police concerns over the reliability of Brittany Higgins's ?allegations of rape against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold ordered a junior DPP lawyer to swear an affidavit saying the document had been inadvertently listed as not subject to privilege. That was not true, yet it was presented to Chief Justice McCallum. It was unintentional, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry.

He also presented to Chief Justice McCallum a note of a conference he had held with TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson, as if it had been written contemporaneously by the same junior lawyer present at the meeting. It had not.

It was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later, after Wilkinson gave her speech.

At the inquiry, Mr Sofronoff questioned Mr Drumgold's concession that his submissions to the Chief Justice "could" have had the effect of misleading her.

"How could it not have had that effect, having regard to the appearance of the document, and the absence of anything that would suggest that part of it was made five days later?" he asked.

A finding by Mr Sofronoff that Mr Drumgold deliberately misled Chief Justice McCallum would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for his removal from the roll of ?barristers.

The case has drawn comparisons with that of Marcus Einfeld, the former Federal Court judge convicted of perverting the course of justice after falsely claiming that someone else had been driving a car for which he had received a $77 speeding ticket.

Mr Einfeld was expelled from the legal profession, stripped of being a QC and had to serve two years in prison

"If Marcus Einfeld went to jail for a dodgy stat dec over a speeding ticket, this is many, many, many times worse, particularly by someone who has an obligation of honesty towards the court, forgetting that he's even the DPP," Mr Silbert said.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has drawn fire over the decision to delay public release of the Sofronoff report, with former federal Coalition defence minister Linda Reynolds condemning the "inexplicable suppression" of Mr Sofronoff's findings.

Mr Barr said the government would be considering the report "through a proper cabinet process" that would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly scheduled to be updated at the end of August.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/act-dpp-shane-drumgold-at-risk-of-charges-if-he-misled-court/news-story/d7209e400550f05341965a0526d34062

#19278237 at 2023-08-01 10:44:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 1, 2023

Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold.

Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has drawn fire over his decision to delay public release of the report, with former defence minister Linda Reynolds condemning the "inexplicable suppression" of Mr Sofronoff's findings.

On Friday Mr Barr said the government would consider the report "through a proper cabinet process" that would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly updated at the end of August. It is believed at least two of the potential findings against Mr Drumgold, who has been on leave since May and is not due to return until August 30, would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for removal from the roll of barristers.

On Monday afternoon, hours after Mr Sofronoff handed his report to Mr Barr, Mr Lehrmann told The Australian: "I will be guided by the report and call for its release as a matter of urgency.

"If it finds the director acted with malice or against his duties as DPP and as an officer of the court, I will be considering a multimillion claim for damages and compensation from the ODPP and the ACT government."

Mr Lehrmann said he had appointed solicitors and a team of barristers to provide advice and was considering options in anticipation of the report being made public. Mr Lehrmann is already suing the ABC, Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over news broadcasts relating to allegations he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. He has always denied the allegations.

On the weekend, Mr Lehrmann responded angrily to the delay in releasing Mr Sofronoff's report, posting on social media: "Absolute disgrace! I remember someone saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant ... The Drumgold protection racket continues. The chief minister should hang his head in shame."

Earlier this year the federal government paid Ms Higgins compensation believed to be worth more than $2m after she claimed her allegations of rape were mishandled. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has refused to answer questions regarding the payout, which was provided without consultation with former senior Liberal ministers, including Senator Reynolds, who were at the centre of her claims.

On Monday Senator Reynolds criticised the delay in releasing Mr Sofronoff's report. "The ACT government's inexplicable suppression of the Sofronoff report for up to a month is deeply distressing for those whose lives and reputations have been negatively impacted by the conduct of this trial," she said.

Mr Barr said that, subject to the contents of the report, and any legal implications, he intended to table all, or part, of the report during the August parliamentary sitting and "may provide an interim response to some, or all, of the recommendations" at that time.

The most serious allegations of misconduct against Mr Drumgold involve episodes where he misled Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of the proceedings against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold has already admitted two breaches but claimed they were unintentional.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/revenge-of-bruce-lehrmann-act-dpp-on-trial/news-story/e8fcd8d616beea893589ca1b42ad16c9

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12350705/Bruce-Lehrmann-responds-revelation-ACT-government-findings-Sofronoff-inquiry-prosecution-DPP-director-Shane-Drumgold.html

https://www.instagram.com/bruceel95/

#19262630 at 2023-07-29 16:07:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19262626

2/2

"How could it not have had that effect, having regard to the appearance of the document, and the absence of anything that would suggest that part of it was made five days later?"

A finding by Mr Sofronoff that Mr Drumgold failed to appropriately warn an experienced journalist of risks posed by the Logies speech might be surviv?able for the DPP; a finding he deceived the Chief Justice would not.

The second major threat to Mr Drumgold's job comes from the so-called Moller report, first revealed by The Australian, part of which detailed discrepancies in Ms Higgins's evidence and suggested police didn't think there was enough evidence to prosecute Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold tried to stop the defence obtaining the document, claiming it was subject to legal professional privilege - without having read it and without checking with Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, who wrote it.

That goes against basic principles of a prosecutor's duties of disclosure, which require any relevant evidence, particularly matters adverse to their case, must be revealed to the defence.

Mr Sofronoff made no secret of his alarm at Mr Drumgold's approach, asking at one point: "You could not possibly, as a barrister, say 'I'm prepared to give an opinion about this' without proof from the man who made the document, could you? You would need some facts. And you don't seem to have any facts, Mr Drumgold."

Mr Drumgold also ordered the same junior lawyer, barely six months into his legal career, to draw up an affidavit saying the document had been inadvertently listed as not subject to privilege.

This too was unintentional, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry. But again, a finding that he deliberately misled Chief Justice McCallum would make it near impossible for him to remain in office.

Mr Sofronoff could also make adverse findings about Mr Drumgold's conduct when he announced in December that he was abandoning the trial out of concern for Ms Higgins's mental health but suggested he still believed Mr Lehrmann was guilty.

The speech left many in the legal profession aghast.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Erin Longbottom asked Mr Drumgold: "Did you turn your mind to the impact that statement might have on Mr Lehrmann, who was entitled to the presumption of innocence?"

"Possibly not as much as I should have," Mr Drumgold replied.

Similarly, Mr Sofronoff is expected to make a finding on allegations Mr Drumgold improperly attempted to discredit former defence minister Linda Reynolds during cross-examination when she appeared as a trial witness.

Mr Drumgold questioned Senator Reynolds about the presence of her partner in the court, even though no one had suggested there was anything wrong with this, and about a text message she sent to Mr Lehrmann's defence counsel requesting a transcript of the trial.

At the inquiry, Mr Drumgold sensationally retracted his claim of political interference in the case.

A finding by Mr Sofronoff that the cross examination was improper would be controversial because by rights Chief Justice McCallum herself could have intervened to stop the line of questioning. It is not within Mr Sofronoff's terms of reference to examine the conduct of the Chief Justice.

The Australian Federal Police and some senior officers are unlikely to escape censure.

The AFP was confronted during the hearings with claims it was applying the wrong test to charge sexual assault suspects and that, as a result, the ACT had some of the lowest rates of charging (and conviction) of sexual assaults cases in the country.

Police admitted they made a grave error in providing Ms Higgins confidential counselling notes to a defence lawyer, but said it had been done accidentally.

That lawyer did not access the sensitive documents, but Mr Drumgold did.

AFP officers were also alleged to have conducted an unnecessary formal interview with Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates so that she would become a potential witness and therefore would not be able to support Ms Higgins in court.

The inquiry heard that police only charged Mr Lehrmann after receiving a phone call from Ms Higgins' boyfriend, David Sharaz, threatening to publicly condemn the time being taken.

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said that within an hour of Mr Sharaz calling Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman, he was given instructions to serve a summons on Mr Lehrmann for one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Superintendent Moller said his investigators did not believe they had met the evidentiary threshold to charge Mr Lehrmann so he signed the summons himself.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/sofronoff-findings-on-dpp-to-be-kept-secret-for-weeks/news-story/9fe3b37d25087b8a8567e883b5494e5c

#19211199 at 2023-07-20 11:01:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds

STEPHEN RICE - JULY 20, 2023

Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".

In an increasingly bitter public stoush between the two women, Ms Higgins has claimed that the proposal by Senator Reynolds "completely undermines all the crucial work done by the #LetHerSpeak campaign and the #March4Justice movement."

In a submission to the Sofronoff Inquiry, revealed by The Australian on Wednesday, Senator Reynolds argued that the ACT Crimes Act should be amended to deter individuals from using the media and/or Parliamentary forums in relation to an alleged criminal offence that ought properly be the subject of the criminal justice processes.

Senator Reynolds pointed to a section of the NSW Crimes Act that makes it an offence for anyone who knows or believes that a serious indictable offence has been committed and fails to report it to police.

On Thursday Ms Higgins, while not directly naming Senator Reynolds, posted an extract from the article on Twitter.

"Imagine being the person earnestly attempting to change the Crimes Act to make it illegal for alleged sexual assault survivors to talk about their lived experience? As opposed to, you know, reforming the justice system to actually prosecuting perpetrators," Ms Higgins wrote.

The former political staffer has recently been in Geneva, Switzerland, where she interned at the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Ms Higgins alleges she was sexually assaulted by fellow Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in Senator Reynolds parliamentary office in March 2019 - a claim he has vehemently denied.

Ms Higgins' rebuke comes just two weeks after she claimed the Liberal MP "continues to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

Ms Higgins posted on social media a series of newspaper headlines that she claimed originated "from a current Australian Senator who continues to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

"This has been going on for years now. It is time to stop," Ms Higgins said.

"My boss who has publicly apologised for mishandling my rape allegation. Who has had to publicly apologise after defaming me in the workplace. Who had a whole bunch of questionable conduct during my rape trial. Who is suing my fiance for a tweet."

Senator Reynolds' lawyers sent Ms Higgins a concerns notice - which is a -precursor to a defamation lawsuit - threatening legal action over the post.

Ms Higgins responded that she was "considering my legal options".

Senator Reynolds is already suing Ms Higgins' fiance, David Sharaz, for defamation over two tweets that he posted last year but had not been able to serve him with a summons.

Earlier this month she was granted permission by the court to allow service of the summons to be effected by email to Mr Sharaz's personal email accounts, as well as to Ms Higgins' lawyer.

Senator Reynolds has indicated she will refer Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to the new National Anti-Corruption Commission over the payment of more than $2.5m in compensation to her former staffer following Ms Higgins' claims her allegations of rape were mishandled.

"The basis for the settlement and the reasons why the Attorney-General barred me and Senator (Michaelia) Cash from defending serious allegations against us have not been explained to us or to the Australian people," she said.

Mr Dreyfus has consistently refused to answer questions regarding Ms Higgins' multi?million-dollar payout, which was provided without the consultation of former senior Liberal ministers who were at the centre of her claims.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/prefer-to-silence-victims-brittany-higgins-blasts-Linda-Reynolds/news-story/2edbb81946c9e0a3106cb6b99b282ba5

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1681842657688190976

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1681842661874077697

#19204809 at 2023-07-19 10:21:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - JULY 19, 2023

1/2

Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.

In a submission to the Sofronoff inquiry obtained by The Australian Senator Reynolds asks chairman Walter Sofronoff KC to find that Mr Drumgold "was recklessly indifferent to the truth of this mistaken belief, and was otherwise prepared to assert a position that had no evidentiary basis despite being an officer of the Court with ethical and prosecutorial duties that attach."

Senator Reynolds alleges multiple breaches by Mr Drumgold of the Barristers Rules, the Legal Profession Act, the Director of Public Prosecutions Policy, the Freedom of Information Act and the Human Rights Act over the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

The allegation that she had tried to pervert the course of justice would have remained unchallenged, she submitted, but for the intervention of Mr Sofronoff, who elicited from Mr Drumgold the startling admission during the inquiry that he no longer believed his own claims.

"The evidence of the DPP at the Inquiry demonstrated that there was no basis to make such a serious allegation during the trial or at any time before or after the trial. It was a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation made irresponsibly and has damaged the reputation of Senator Reynolds irreparably," her submission states.

The Liberal MP reveals her shock at being declared a hostile (or "unfavourable") witness in the trial by the DPP who, without warning, suddenly cross-examined her on her credibility.

That included questioning about the presence of her husband, Robert Reid, sitting in the courtroom, even though no one had suggested there was anything wrong with this, including the DPP, who had met and was aware that Mr Reid was her partner. An ODPP solicitor had even approached Mr Reid in the court to ask if Senator Reynolds could appear sooner than previously scheduled.

Senator Reynolds was also cross examined over a text message she sent to Bruce Lehrmann's defence counsel, Steve Whybrow, requesting a transcript of the trial. She said she had not been aware this was not permitted.

She says Mr Drumgold "ambushed" her in the trial and had given her no indication beforehand in discussions that he intended to do this, even though he was already well aware that Ms Higgins' was claiming political interference to suppress her complaint.

"I was shocked and frustrated at this approach as it appeared the DPP was seeking to undermine my credibility (and that of Senator Cash) in an effort to re-assert the credibility of Ms Higgins and increase his prospect of securing a conviction. Alleging that a politician was motivated by 'political forces' was an easy line to run."

The DPP repeatedly asked questions which alleged Senator Reynolds was motivated by "political forces," she said, even though he was well aware from her statement that it was she who had suggested to Ms Higgins she should talk to the police and assured her the AFP had expertise in handling sensitive personal matters.

In his summing up Mr Drumgold told the jury that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor."

(continued)

#19188888 at 2023-07-16 09:32:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 34
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 10
>>19120643 'Time to stop': Brittany Higgins lashes out against Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has lashed out at her former boss, Linda Reynolds, after the Liberal MP said she would ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the commonwealth payment to her former staffer. On Tuesday Ms Higgins posted on social media a series of newspaper headlines that she claimed originate "from a current Australian Senator who continues to harass me through the media and in the Parliament .... This has been going on for years now. It is time to stop." Senator Reynolds has indicated she will refer Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to the NACC over the payment of more than $2.5 million in compensation to her former staffer following Ms Higgins' claims her allegations of rape were mishandled.
>>19126430 Shane Drumgold extends leave from ACT top prosecutor role following Bruce Lehrmann inquiry - The ACT's top prosecutor has extended his leave for a second time in the wake of a bruising appearance at an inquiry into a high-profile trial. Shane Drumgold SC has been on leave since May after he faced days of questioning over his claims that he felt pressured not to charge former Coalition staffer Bruce Lehrmann over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. Mr Drumgold was due to return to work in mid-June, but his leave was extended to the end of June. In a short statement ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury confirmed Mr Drumgold had extended his leave again until August 30.
>>19132091 'I have had enough': Reynolds sends defamation notice to Higgins over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Brittany Higgins of repeatedly defaming her after sending a legal letter to her former staffer over a social media post this week in which Higgins accused Reynolds of using the media to harass her. On the same day Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, faced defamation action filed by Reynolds in a West Australian court, Higgins tweeted on Thursday that she had received a concerns notice from her former boss - for whom she worked as a ministerial adviser in 2019 - "threatening defamation over an Instagram story". Reynolds later said in a statement that her lawyers sent a concerns notice to Higgins the day before in a "private communication, which she has chosen to make public".
>>19132103 Brittany Higgins considers 'legal options' after being issued concerns notice from WA senator Linda Reynolds - Former Canberra political staffer Brittany Higgins says WA senator Linda Reynolds is threatening to sue her over an Instagram post. In a tweet today Ms Higgins said she had receive a "concerns notice" from Ms Reynolds. "I've just received a concerns notice from @LindaReynoldswa threatening defamation over an Instagram story," the tweet reads. "I'm considering my legal options." Prominent defamation lawyer Martin Bennett, who acts for Ms Reynolds, confirmed to the ABC the notice had been sent yesterday to Ms Higgins's legal counsel and was related to an Instagram post.
>>19138736 Peter FitzSimons subpoenaed to produce documents relating to Brittany Higgins book deal - Nine columnist Peter FitzSimons has been subpoenaed to produce documents relating to a book deal he helped secure for former ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins believed to be worth $325,000. Attempts will also be made to subpoena ABC journalist Laura Tingle and publisher Random House for the production of documents in the defamation action brought by former parliament staffer Bruce Lehrmann against Network 10 and the ABC. Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied the allegations, is suing Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Ms Higgins that aired on The Project in February 2021 detailing allegations of rape but not naming Mr Lehrmann as the alleged attacker. Mr Lehrmann is also suing the ABC over the broadcast of a ?National Press Club address given by Ms Higgins, and Justice Lee on Friday stood over a subpoena for Tingle, who hosted the club address on February 9 last year, to produce documents. The press club promoted sales of tickets to the address that ?referred to Ms Higgins' decision to "publicly allege she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House".

#19188887 at 2023-07-16 09:31:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 33
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 9
>>19010942 Video: Katy Gallagher apologises to Linda Reynolds over 'hurt' amid Brittany Higgins saga - Katy Gallagher has apologised to fellow senator Linda Reynolds for any hurt she endured during the protracted attention around Brittany Higgins' alleging she was raped in her office in 2019. Claims which were dismissed by the ACT Supreme Court last year. "I'm sorry as Ms Reynolds is clearly upset about what happened to her," she said. Senator Gallagher's voice cracked and tears welled during day four of intense scrutiny from the coalition during Senate question time over her involvement and relationship with Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. Senator Gallagher said she would have happily endured "this type of questioning" but was concerned for the toll the issue is having on women around the country.
>>19016452 Lisa Wilkinson's lawyers' furious letter to Sunrise over 'false' allegation - Lisa Wilkinson has lodged an official complaint with Channel 7, claiming a segment on its flagship morning program Sunrise aired "false" allegations against her. The former Project host's lawyers took issue with the claim Wilkinson had "coached" Brittany Higgins to build a campaign against the man she accused of sexually assaulting her, Bruce Lehrmann. "That allegation is false. The material (falsely described in the report as 'secret recordings') published on Spotlight on the Seven Network on 4 June 2023 certainly does not justify that allegation," the lawyers' letter said.
>>19037048 Menslink CEO Martin Fisk tipped off Heidi Yates about Brittany Higgins's rape claim - A Canberra charity boss who was nominated for a top Australian honour by David Sharaz and whose wife works for the Labor Party can be revealed as the mystery man who told Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates about Brittany Higgins's rape claim weeks before it became public. Former Menslink chief executive officer Martin Fisk, whose wife Sandra is the ACT Labor Party's operations manager, told Ms Yates in January 2021 that he was "working with a young woman who was about to make a sexual-assault disclosure" and that it "would likely attract national media attention". Mr Fisk's involvement reveals another puzzle piece as to "who knew what when", while his wife's strong links to the Labor Party, where she began working in 2012 while her Facebook friend ?Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was Territory chief minister, raise questions about the politicisation of Ms Higgins' allegation.
>>19044075 DPP Shane Drumgold wanted ACT Police mistake in Brittany Higgins matter publicly exposed - ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold has extended his leave as new documents reveal the depths of his frustration with police ?investigating Brittany Higgins' rape allegation. Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates's file notes, submitted to the inquiry, revealed Mr Drumgold wanted to publicly shame police for inadvertently providing Ms Higgins' counselling notes to Mr Lehrmann's lawyer. During a meeting on September 22, 2021, Mr Drumgold told Ms Yates that while he didn't want the jury at Mr Lehrmann's impending rape trial to suspect the detectives were incompetent, their mistake "needs to explode at some point".
>>19058136 Sharaz and Higgins: 'We'd become quite a twosome on game planning' - "Brittany Higgins' book appears to have been shelved. One look at the rough draft and it's not hard to understand why. There are sound reasons many people are troubled by what they see as Higgins's fixation on a political sex scandal - evidenced by texts, notes and in her draft book. Somewhere in this saga is an allegation of rape. And this is what makes this story such a dismal episode for the so-called women's movement. People such as Heidi Yates, the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner, have lauded Higgins for her advocacy work. But what precisely has Higgins become an advocate for? To many women, Higgins has become known, most famously, as the woman who chose to go to the media first, to politicians second, and to the police, to lodge a formal complaint, third." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19058165 Video: Bruce Lehrmann breaks his silence on Brittany Higgins case. Full 7NEWS Spotlight Interview - The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House has admitted he told three different stories to three different people when asked why he was in the office at the time the alleged rape took place. In a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive, Bruce Lehrmann has offered his version of events.

#19188886 at 2023-07-16 09:31:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 32
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 8
>>19010860 Brittany Higgins's elusive iCloud password delayed police completing brief of evidence for DPP - The investigation into Brittany Higgins' rape allegation faced repeated delays because police could not access her cloud drives, which detectives believed contained potentially crucial evidence including emails and photos. New documents released by the Board of Inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system reveal that senior detectives were desperate to access Ms Higgins' iCloud account as they worked to complete their brief of evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions in mid-2021. But after finally gaining access, weeks later, the material they sought was not there.
>>19010879 40 years of economic loss, end to political career reasons for Brittany Higgins $2.5m payout - Brittany Higgins claimed up to 40 years' worth of economic loss and the end of her pursuit of a future political career were among the reasons she was due more than $2.5m in compensation from the government after allegedly being raped, a draft statement of claim has revealed. The revelations came as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus refused to answer questions over Ms Higgins' multi-million-dollar payout, which was provided without the consultation of former senior Liberal ministers at the centre of her claims.
>>19010895 Katy Gallagher was invited to wedding of David Sharaz - Katy Gallagher has confirmed that Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz invited her to attend his first wedding in 2018, as senior Labor ministers hid behind parliamentary procedural tactics to dodge questions about when they first became aware of the Higgins rape allegations. The Finance Minister came under fire for a second consecutive day in question time over her relationship with Mr Sharaz, involvement in Ms Higgins' reported $3m payout, and who contacted her prior to the sexual abuse allegations airing on The Project in February 2021. Asked about her invitation to Mr Sharaz's wedding to former wife Alexandra Craig, Senator Gallagher said: "I didn't recall that until I heard it reported and I had to ask the people I worked with at the time. I got a lot of invitations to a lot of things, some I was able to go to and others I weren't. I didn't attend that one. The invitation was declined," she told parliament.
>>19010904 Labor's grotesque hypocrisy appears to know no bounds - "For political chutzpah, senior Labor MPs who weaponised a rape allegation win hands down. This week in the federal parliament, Australians were treated to one of the more grotesque displays of political hypocrisy, subterfuge and trickery. The same politicians who weaponised a rape allegation for their own brute political purposes are now in high dudgeon about the public exposure of material that points to the extent of Labor's involvement in this scandal. This newspaper revealed texts that suggested, among other things, that Katy Gallagher received a transcript of The Project interview before it aired. Publishing that text meant we know now that Gallagher was sought out by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins about the rape allegation - even before questions were put by The Project to people portrayed as the chief villains: Bruce Lehrmann, Linda Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19010931 Gallagher must come clean for the sake of the Albanese government - "Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has finally admitted she had prior knowledge of the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, so why is it now good enough simply to take her word that she didn't then weaponise the information? A thorough and independent inquiry needs to be held into whether Gallagher crossed the line. What seemed to have been forgotten by all the sorry actors in this sordid affair is that there was a criminal matter that needed to be tried. A rape was alleged and the victim and the accused deserved their day in court. Neither now have that closure. Both have been let down by a prosecutor and process that is itself under intense judicial scrutiny by Walter Sofronoff KC. Albanese would be well served by outing the truth and let Gallagher clear her name lest this does lasting damage to his own standing as Prime Minister." - Cameron Milner - theaustralian.com.au

#19188885 at 2023-07-16 09:31:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 31
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 7
>>18998327 Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says Lisa Wilkinson has not contacted her personally to apologise - The Indigenous senator who was mocked by Lisa Wilkinson as a "diversity pick" says the star journalist has not contacted her personally to apologise. Northern Territory CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price lashed Wilkinson after audio emerged of the media personality making comments about the senator and struggling to pronounce her name during a pre-interview with Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. "She hasn't personally made an apology to myself," Senator Price told Sharri Markson on Sky News in her first interview since the incident. "If she was a real woman, I'd guess she'd ring me and personally apologise."
>>18998342 Lehrmann court leak of Wilkinson recordings referred to police - Recordings of a five-hour meeting involving Brittany Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson that were leaked to the media have been referred to police to investigate whether a contempt of court has been committed by passing on sensitive documents originally meant for the Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial. Thomson Geer law firm partner Marlia Saunders, who is acting for Network Ten in Lehrmann's defamation proceedings, made a complaint to ACT Policing last Wednesday about material issued under subpoena for his criminal trial being aired in a televised interview with the Seven Network last week.
>>18998374 Video: Linda Reynolds sues Tanya Plibersek for defamation over Brittany Higgins comments - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has taken legal action against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, claiming Ms Plibersek defamed her in a television interview by stating she had "covered up" Brittany Higgins' alleged rape. In a defamation concerns notice obtained by The Australian, Senator Reynolds accused Ms Plibersek of making false statements throughout the Channel 7 interview, that implied she had acted inappropriately during the investigation of Ms Higgins' allegations and had attempted to "hide the commission of a criminal offence." During the interview, which aired on Monday morning, Ms Plibersek stated: "The central point here is that a young woman made an allegation that she had been sexually assaulted in her workplace and that it had been inappropriately investigated, even covered up by her employers."
>>19005424 Higgins, Sharaz and Wilkinson's media campaign has backfired - "The beauty of the press is that it can't be controlled. True, the supine, the stupid and the ideological end of the press can be manipulated, but eventually, in a free and open society with a competitive media, if a story is important enough, the press will usually ensure the truth comes out. That beauty became a problem for Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz. They made a rookie's error when they set out on a strategy to use the media, instead of the criminal justice system, to press their case. Having tried to mould the media message, they cannot complain when some parts of the media - including this newspaper - decline to be shaped for their purposes. That was the gamble Higgins and Sharaz took. The effect of the Higgins-Sharaz media and political campaign was not merely to put themselves in the spotlight but to deprive Lehrmann of the presumption of innocence and the due process a normal criminal justice investigation would have given him." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19005438 Brittany Higgins explains leg bruise injury photo date discrepancy - Brittany Higgins's explanation of why the photograph of a bruise on her leg did not match the timeline of her rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann has finally been revealed. File notes made by ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates reveal that Ms Higgins told senior police that the leg bruise image she had provided to them and high-profile journalists was actually a screenshot of the original picture which had been mysteriously wiped from her phone by someone else.
>>19005464 Finance Minister Katy Gallagher reveals she never declared conflict over multimillion-dollar compensation payout - Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has said she never declared a conflict of interest in relation to a multimillion-dollar compensation payout to Brittany Higgins because it "never crossed her desk." News.com.au revealed in December that Ms Higgins' legal team had entered negotiations over a multimillion-dollar personal injury claim. Asked whether she subsequently declared a conflict of interest given her close contact and the fact her own department was responsible for administering the payout, Ms Gallagher said there was never any need because the negotiation was kept at arms length. "If it had come to me, I would have declared a conflict but it didn't. It didn't cross my desk,'' Senator Gallagher said.

#19188883 at 2023-07-16 09:30:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 29
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 5
>>18977134 Labor sought to gain - it's found political pain over Brittany Higgins saga - "The vexing domestic realities of being prime minister have landed squarely at Anthony Albanese's feet this week after his return from overseas. Facing a war with inflation, battles with business, the spectre of recession and flagging support for the voice to parliament, Albanese now also faces a potential political scandal involving senior members of his government. Having had an easy ride for the first 12 months in office, Albanese is now under pressure, with the road ahead riddled with potential political potholes. The key to the Brittany Higgins text revelations is who among Albanese's cabinet colleagues knew what and when. There are unresolved questions about what level of involvement members of the then Labor opposition had." - Simon Benson - theaustralian.com.au
>>18977148 David Sharaz is a 'puppet master' set on destroying the Liberals: Bruce Lehrmann - Bruce Lehrmann has claimed Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz is a "puppet master" who orchestrated the release of the rape allegations against him, and says he has exploited Ms Higgins' "fame" to engineer a campaign to support Labor and topple the ?Liberals. Mr Lehrmann's scathing opinion of Mr Sharaz comes as leaked text messages reveal Mr Sharaz had used his connections with a former Labor media adviser to line up a job for Ms Higgins, following her resignation from the office of former attorney-general Michaelia Cash.
>>18977167 What we know about Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz - From support act to central player, the links of David Sharaz to Canberra and key figures in the Labor Party appear deeply personal. After a week of explosive revelations, the fiance of Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz has gone from support act to central figure in the saga involving her alleged rape at Parliament House. Who is David Sharaz and where did he work? Why did he meet with Lisa Wilkinson? Why is he under fire?
>>18977231 Video: Lisa Wilkinson caught mocking Liberals in secret tape - Ex-Project star Lisa Wilkinson has been caught on tape struggling to pronounce Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's name and mocking Liberals with Ten colleagues. The explosive audio was recorded by Project producer Angus Llewllyn on his mobile phone during a pre-interview discussion at a Sydney hotel on January 27, 2021. It includes Ms Wilkinson, Brittany Higgins, her partner David Sharaz and Llewllyn, an executive producer, drinking gin and tonics and mimosas and giving their 'unplugged' views on political leaders.
>>18977278 Wilkinson, Network 10 apologise to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price over leaked recording - Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 have apologised to Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after leaked audio revealed Wilkinson struggling to pronounce the senator's name in a manner she claimed was racist. But Ms Wilkinson also defended the "tenor" of the conversation, which Senator Price claimed was "derogatory", as about how many female Liberal pre-selections "were in unwinnable positions". "I sincerely apologise to Senator Price for any offence I may have caused. The conversation was private and not intended to appear as it has out of context and in the public arena," she said in a statement released by Network 10.
>>18982556 Brittany Higgins: Gallagher, Wong 'knew of rape claim' - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds claims now-Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and now-Foreign Minister Penny Wong conceded to her that they knew about Brittany Higgins' rape allegations before they were made public, hours after Senator Gallagher told the Senate she had no prior knowledge of the ex-staffer's story. The Coalition will use parliament next week to ramp up pressure on Senator Gallagher over her knowledge of the rape allegation, as Anthony Albanese emphatically denies his minister misled the Senate.

#19188878 at 2023-07-16 09:29:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 26
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>18954987 Video: Wilkinson, Higgins war-gamed 'friendlies' - Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson war-gamed how to recruit prominent politicians and media figures who could help give momentum to their upcoming interview on The Project, as the TV host made suggestions to the former Liberal staffer about how to frame her story. The more than five-hour session, which also involved Ms Higgins' boyfriend David Sharaz and Wilkinson's producer Angus Llewellyn, was recorded on January 27, 2021 a few days before they filmed the interview that was broadcast on February 15 revealing Ms Higgins' claims she had been raped in Parliament House. The group brainstormed MPs who would "fire questions" in question time over the alleged sexual assault, highlighting Labor leaders Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek as key players.
>>18955007 Video: Bruce Lehrmann says he hasn't ruled out suing Brittany Higgins for defamation in first TV interview since being accused of rape - Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann says he has not ruled out suing Brittany Higgins personally for defamation. Mr Lehrmann made the comments in his first television interview since Ms Higgins accused him of raping her at Parliament House in 2019. Mr Lehrmann's trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct last year. There are no findings against him. Speaking to 7NEWS Spotlight, Mr Lehrmann strenuously denied raping Ms Higgins but acknowledged that many people did not believe him. "I accept that there's going to be 50 per cent of the country, probably more, that thinks I'm a rapist," he said.
>>18955017 'Brittany Higgins lied to save her job': Bruce Lehrmann - Bruce Lehrmann has accused Brittany Higgins of lying about being raped to save her job, as he announced he had not ruled out suing the former Liberal staffer for defamation. In a new, wide-ranging interview, Mr Lehrmann spoke of how her sexual assault allegation forced him to contemplate suicide. The Spotlight episode also included footage of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann arriving at Parliament House on the night of the alleged rape. He claimed Ms Higgins intentionally told senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown, the "white lie" that he had raped her in order to keep her job after seeing him get sacked.
>>18955049 'Malicious': ABC deliberately tried to prejudice my rape trial, says Bruce Lehrmann - The ABC deliberately tried to prejudice Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial when it broadcast an address by Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame at the National Press Club knowing he had been publicly named and charged, according to documents just filed in the Federal Court. Mr Lehrmann first filed his claim against the ABC in April but now claims it broadcast the Press Club event with "an improper motive", namely to prejudice upcoming criminal proceedings against him, and that the broadcaster's recklessness was so extreme that it amounted to "wilful blindness and constituted malice".
>>18955072 'It's pretty sick': Bruce Lehrmann denies giving Brittany Higgins bruise in tell-all interview - Bruce Lehrmann has accused Brittany Higgins of having "fabricated" a photo of a bruise she claimed he inflicted during an alleged sexual assault. In February 2021, Ms Higgins spoke on The Project with host Lisa Wilkinson in an explosive interview regarding the alleged rape, during which she shared a disturbing image of a large bruise on her leg. On Sunday evening, Mr Lehrmann addressed the photograph in his own sit-down interview on the Channel 7's Spotlight program, denying the authenticity of the image. "It was fabricated," he said. "That's the only explanation ... or it's a bruise from much later." Ms Higgins said in her 2021 interview that the site of the bruise was "essentially where (Mr Lehrmann's) leg pinned (her) down".
>>18955096 Video: Tanya Plibersek hits back over Brittany Higgins question - A senior politician singled out by Lisa Wilkinson as a "friendly MP" likely to help fuel momentum for Brittany Higgins' rape allegation in question time says she was never approached and would not have accepted being told what to ask. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was asked five times by Natalie Barr whether or not she had been approached to help fuel the story when she appeared on Sunrise on Monday morning. She said she reached out to Ms Higgins after she made her sexual assault allegations public two years ago. Ms Plibersek, who at the time was a senior opposition frontbencher, said she did not recall if the former political staffer had spoken to her about "firing up" specific questions during question time.

#18422540 at 2023-02-28 05:42:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 17
Australian Politics and Society - Part 17
>>18386885 Video: Drug Enforcement Administration agents sent back to America after complaint - Two Sydney-based agents from the American Drug Enforcement Administration are being sent home after the Australian Federal Police complained to US ambassador Caroline Kennedy about methods of investigating a massive drug importation - The DEA agents have not been accused of wrongdoing but the AFP fears their investigation techniques may have impacted on operations, particularly involving a major cocaine shipment destined for Western Australia and NSW
>>18387936 Sky News host reduced to fit of laughter by Biden video - Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi burst into laughter live on air after viewing a montage of US President Joe Biden's most memorable blunders
>>18392801 'It feels like hand-to-hand combat': ASIO boss warns on spy hives, foreign interference - ASIO boss Mike Burgess has warned Australians to be vigilant as he revealed the nation is experiencing the highest level of foreign interference, espionage and terrorism in its history, surpassing the Cold War, September 11 and the height of the Islamic State caliphate
>>18392821 Video: Annual Threat Assessment 2023 - Director-General of Security - The Director-General of Security Mike Burgess delivered his fourth Annual Threat Assessment on 21 February 2023 from ASIO headquarters at the Ben Chifley Building - Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
>>18392839 Judges, journalists and military veterans targeted in 'unprecedented' spy threat on Australia - Journalists, military veterans and judicial figures are being targeted by foreign espionage agencies at "unprecedented" levels, with the country's intelligence chief revealing a "hive of spies" was removed from Australia in the past year - In his annual threat assessment, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has also hit out at former military personnel who have put "cash before country" by working for authoritarian regimes, describing them as "top tools" more than "top guns"

>>18392853 ASIO urged to 'ease up' on foreign spies: Mike Burgess - Australia's top spy Mike Burgess was directly pressured by public servants, academics and business identities to "ease up" on ASIO's foreign interference and espionage operations, despite judicial figures, journalists, veterans and diaspora communities being targeted in record numbers by foreign spies and agents
>>18392865 Security boss pulls no punches on growing national threats - Australia's balancing act in the great power competition between the US and China means it is now a primary target for espionage and foreign interference - This was now the greatest security threat facing the nation, according to ASIO director-general Mike Burgess - And not enough Australians were taking it seriously enough
>>18392901 Australian spy chief says veterans training rivals are 'top tools' not 'top guns' - Australia's spy chief has hit out at former military pilots who turn to working for authoritarian regimes, describing them as "lackeys, more 'top tools' than 'top guns'" in his annual security threat assessment - A former U.S. marine pilot, Daniel Duggan, is fighting extradition from Australia to the United States, where he faces charges of training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers. He has denied breaking any law
>>18392962 Whatever it takes on Defence: Anthony Albanese - Anthony Albanese will deliver his strongest endorsement of the AUKUS security pact, pledging to fund the Australian Defence Force to 'deter aggressors' - Amid unprecedented geostrategic competition between China and the US in the Indo-Pacific, Mr Albanese will say AUKUS presents a "whole-of-nation opportunity: for new jobs, new industries and new expertise in science and technology and cyber"
>>18392986 At the heart of Linda Reynolds' story is a gross hypocrisy - "At the heart of Linda Reynolds' story is a gross and gendered hypocrisy. The same women, very senior women within Labor's ranks, who talk a lot about wanting a safer, fairer workplace culture in parliament, perpetrated a cruel and unrelenting attack on their workplace colleague. What Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher did to Reynolds is recorded in Hansard. The attacks were relentless, over days and weeks and months. The implications were devastating: that Reynolds had covered up the alleged rape of a young staffer; that she had threatened Brittany Higgins' employment in a wholly inappropriate way. The results were predictable, with Reynolds breaking down, admitted to hospital, on sick leave." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au

#18422539 at 2023-02-28 05:42:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 16
Australian Politics and Society - Part 16
>>18363651 Higgins, the hit and the day I broke: Linda Reynolds - The former Liberal cabinet minister at the centre of the Brittany Higgins rape scandal says she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down herself and the Morrison government, claiming senior Labor and media identities ruthlessly exploited her young staffer for political and personal gain - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has broken her two-year silence, alleging the rape case was used as a political weapon and acknowledging she was targeted "to the point where I broke"
>>18363699 Doubts, devastation and a designer coat: the story you haven't heard - When Brittany Higgins walked out of Parliament House on March 23, 2019, she was captured on CCTV wearing a Carla Zampatti jacket. That coat defines the gaping divide between the public's perception of the Higgins saga and what others knew - Away from the court case that followed after Higgins alleged Lehrmann raped her in the ministerial suite, after the media stories, the questions in parliament, the poring over details, all of which moulded public opinion, there was another story the public never heard. And this story might not quite match what the public thought they knew
>>18367577 Brittany Higgins furious as 'private' diary entries leaked - Brittany Higgins has lashed out as "private" diary entries have been leaked after the material was sent to police to investigate her sexual assault allegation
>>18369775 Dutton 'open' to voice dialogue but pushing for changes - Peter Dutton is "open to discussion" with Anthony Albanese on the form of the Indigenous voice to parliament and government and believes the referendum will fail unless the Prime Minister agrees to changes
>>18369785 Quietly, carefully, Peter Dutton starts to find his voice - Peter Dutton is on the move. After a relatively quiet first nine months as Opposition Leader - during which he has been accused of not doing enough, not making ground against Anthony Albanese, not reforming the Liberal Party, being too negative and not taking definite policy and political positions - Dutton is asserting himself

>>18374631 Australian envoy return to Kyiv 'in interest of both nations' - Ukraine's ambassador to Australia says the reinstatement of an envoy in Kyiv would help boost the relationship between the two nations as the first anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches
>>18380400 Gallagher 'knew Higgins' boyfriend before payout' - Katy Gallagher, whose department paid a large settlement to Brittany Higgins, 'knew David Sharaz' before Ms Higgins' rape claims became public, Linda Reynolds says
>>18380432 Brittany Higgins responds to Linda Reynolds interview - Brittany Higgins has responded to her former boss, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, who for the first time since Ms Higgins' initial rape allegation spoke in a broad-ranging interview with The Weekend Australian - Ms Higgins criticised one of the reports for referencing parts of her diary, saying no journalist should have been able to access "private information" she entrusted to police to aid their sexual assault investigation
>>18380530 Ukraine didn't ask us to reopen Kyiv embassy, says Pat Conroy - Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has brushed aside criticism of Australia's decision to keep its embassy in Kyiv closed, despite allied countries reopening theirs, as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's invasion
>>18386750 Keating turning into PM's worst enemy - "Recently Paul Keating has argued that if we get AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines we will lose our sovereignty, as these will be dependent on US nuclear reactor technology. In foreign policy Keating has journeyed further and further from common sense, often indeed from reality itself, in the more than a quarter of a century since he last had responsibility (or a security briefing) for anything. Keating has now become so self-absorbed and eccentric that some things he says about Australian foreign policy history are factually misleading." - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au
>>18386847 Jacqui Munro: NSW Treasurer Matt Kean's endorsed candidate's progressive past - NSW Treasurer Matt Kean's endorsed candidate for the upper house vacancy declared she loved "the devil", supported legalisation of drugs and celebrated the victory of former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard - The historical social media posts of Jacqui Munro, the Liberal Women's Council president and former adviser to Wentworth independent Kerryn Phelps, reveal a progressive streak that opposed the NSW Liberal Party's lockout laws and criticised Tony Abbott

#18422536 at 2023-02-28 05:41:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 15
Australian Politics and Society - Part 15
>>18344218 'Systems and processes failed': ABC boss acknowledges mistake in Alice Springs report - ABC managing director David Anderson has admitted its systems and processes failed during the production of a radio report that claimed there were elements of white supremacy at an Alice Springs community forum on social unrest in the town
>>18350474 Don't ask: Labor refuses to say whether US bombers bring nuclear weapons to Australia - The federal government has refused to say whether US strategic bombers that rotate through Northern Australia carry nuclear weapons, but argues the temporary presence of such weapons would not violate Australia's international obligations
>>18350489 Officials will not confirm whether US bombers in Australia carry nuclear weapons - Defence Department secretary Greg Moriarty has stopped short of ruling out that US strategic bombers are carrying nuclear weapons to Australia, but insists any such move would not breach this country's international obligations under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty
>>18356949 Scientology leader considered legally served in Australian human trafficking case - Scientology's reclusive leader, David Miscavige, has 21 days to respond to allegations from a human-trafficking case brought by three Australian residents, after nearly a year of avoiding legal service - Gawain Baxter, Laura Baxter and Valeska Paris have claimed in a civil case lodged in Florida that they had endured horrendous emotional, physical and psychological abuse while in Scientology - Now a US magistrate has ruled that Miscavige had been concealing his whereabouts for nearly a year and declared him officially served in the case
>>18356979 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Tweet: Slava Ukraini - Australia stands with Ukraine. Today our Parliament paused to reflect and to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine who are bravely defending their country against Russia's brutal and illegal invasion
>>18357072 'Shocking evidence': A former Australian prime minister is part of a plan to jail Vladimir Putin - Legal experts are warning the international system makes pursuing Russian President Vladimir Putin difficult. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is part of a group aiming to change that

>>18357094 Video: Defence providing 'surge' support to border protection efforts north of Australia - Extra Defence surveillance aircraft and ships have been deployed to Australia's north, to assist with border protection efforts, amid warnings that changes to temporary protection visas could prompt a resumption in people smuggling ventures
>>18357111 Wieambilla: Queensland shooting declared act of domestic terror - The deadly ambush that led to the execution-style murders of two Queensland police officers and a civilian on a remote property last December has been declared an act of domestic terrorism linked to the Christian fundamentalist belief system known as premillennialism
>>18357132 Video: Queensland police say Wieambilla shooting was 'a religiously motivated terrorist attack' - Deputy Police Commissioner Linford said the trio saw police "as monsters and demons" - "What we've been able to glean from that information is that the Train family members subscribe to what we would call a broad Christian fundamentalist belief system, known as premillennialism" - She said the COVID pandemic, climate change, global conflicts and social disparity contributed to their belief in their system
>>18363017 'We stand with you, Ukraine' - In a show of unanimity and solidarity rarely seen in the House of Representatives, federal MPs and senators gathered with Ukraine's ambassador to demonstrate Australia's support for the war-torn country ahead of next week's 12-month anniversary of Russia's invasion - The assembly of politicians from all sides of parliament came as Vasyl Myroshnychenko urged the Albanese government to reopen the nation's embassy in Kyiv, saying it was missing out on valuable briefings on the ground because of a lack of diplomatic representation
>>18363020 Advisers split on Voice power - The expert group advising Anthony Albanese on how to ensure an Indigenous voice to parliament succeeds at the referendum has split over whether the body should make representations to executive government, amid concerns the current wording will sink the proposal
>>18363033 Ex-defence minister Linda Reynolds breaks her silence on the Brittany Higgins rape allegations: 'It was a hit job' - In her first interview since being caught up in what she calls "the firestorm" of the Brittany Higgins rape allegations, former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds speaks exclusively to The Weekend Australian, accusing her political opponents of a "hit job" and saying she was "expendable"

#18422519 at 2023-02-28 05:35:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 11
Australian Politics and Society - Part 11
>>18275458 Peter Dutton slams ABC's 'rubbish' reporting on Alice Springs - Peter Dutton has demanded ABC chair Ita Buttrose address what he calls the "rubbish" reporting from Alice Springs that has been aired on the public broadcaster in the past week
>>18275475 PM flags overhaul of Australia's counter-terror laws to combat 'real threat' of rightwing extremism - Recent murders of police officers at Wieambilla highlight need for action to protect community safety, Anthony Albanese says
>>18275488 Higgins DPP threatened me: trial witness - Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown, a key witness in the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial has accused ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold of threatening and intimidating her as she left the witness box on a morning tea break, and of ignoring her pleas to be recalled to the stand to refute what she alleged was "blatantly false and misleading" evidence by Brittany Higgins
>>18275654 Video: Donald Trump puts gender 'madness' on front line of US culture wars - Donald Trump has vowed to pass legislation that recognises only two genders under US law if he is elected president as he seeks to shore up his conservative base and outflank rival candidates on the right of the Republican Party
>>18275686 Malcolm Turnbull says Labor has failed to answer if AUKUS deal compromises Australian sovereignty - Former PM says if operation of nuclear subs depends on US then that is 'a momentous change which has not been acknowledged'
>>18275708 Australia prepares to unveil AUKUS nuclear submarine plans in the United States - Anthony Albanese is expected to detail Australia's preferred nuclear submarine option on American soil next month, alongside US President Joe Biden and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak - raising the prospect of a potential new boat design involving all three allies

>>18275735 Video: 1st Marine Division Tweet - Happy Birthday to Us - #USMC #Marines #military #semperfi #82yearsyoung - "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy"
>>18280215 ABC issues extraordinary apology over Alice Springs stories - The ABC has issued an extraordinary apology for airing multiple reports on Tuesday claiming there were displays of "white supremacy" at an Alice Springs community meeting - The ABC said "ABC news management takes responsibility" for the reports that were broadcast on its AM radio program and Newsradio that provided "an incomplete picture of the event"
>>18280329 ABC issues apology over 'biased' coverage of Alice Springs community meeting - The ABC has backflipped over its controversial Alice Springs coverage by issuing an apology just hours after it was threatened with an official investigation into the matter
>>18282644 Legal threat over Brittany Higgins memoir - Lawyers for Linda Reynolds have written to Brittany Higgins's publishers warning against any defamatory references to the former Liberal minister, saying they believe publication of Ms Higgins' memoir is imminent and seeking a copy of the manuscript
>>18282674 Lehrmann trial inquiry must restore faith in law and order - Last week, Walter Sofronoff KC was appointed by the ACT government to head the board of inquiry to examine the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner before, during and after the trial of Bruce Lehrmann - This inquiry, the ACT's version of a royal commission, could mark a turning point for the law and the media in this country. Here is a rare chance for a widely respected member of the legal profession to remind our most powerful institutions, and the rest of the country, that there is no substitute for the principle that underpins our justice system: that our laws apply equally to all people, and the corollary of that is that the protections at law apply equally to all - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>18282688 AUKUS subs a boon but finding nuclear workforce will challenge us: Richard Marles - Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned that Australia's plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines faces a significant challenge to find the workforce needed to bring the ships to service
>>18288422 Mental health checks for WA's gun owners to become mandatory under changes to firearms laws - Anyone buying a gun in Western Australia will have to undergo mandatory and ongoing mental health checks, as part of a complete overhaul of the state's 50-year-old firearms legislation - The changes are designed to create some of the toughest gun laws in the country

#18422512 at 2023-02-28 05:32:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 8
Australian Politics and Society - Part 8
>>18228489 Video: Police detain fans over Putin flag furore at Australian Open - Ugly scenes have been captured on film as police were forced to act following a clash between fans and security at the Australian Open - Footage posted online showed at least one man holding a Russian flag with President Vladimir Putin's face on it - Another man was seen inside the stadium during the match with a pro war 'Z' symbol T-shirt
>>18228504 Simeon Boikov, a notorious pro-Russia commentator who goes by the name "Aussie Cossack" has had a warrant issued for his arrest after he refused to turn up to court while seeking refuge in the Russian consulate
>>18228515 Myanmar junta demands Sean Turnell's return - The Myanmar junta has revoked Australian economist Sean Turnell's amnesty and demanded he return to face court and potentially more jail time over public criticisms he has made of the violent regime since his release from prison and deportation to Australia last November
>>18235205 Day the hard Left ambushed the voice - Hardline Indigenous activists have used mass anti-Australia Day rallies to strike out at the voice campaign, leaving Labor and Aboriginal leaders having to act to prevent a split in the left ?derailing the referendum
>>18235220 'Not going to chuck the towel in': Voice champion Pat Anderson undaunted by criticism at Invasion Day rallies - The peak Indigenous group backing the Voice to parliament will urge voters to ignore the "noisy few" critics who oppose the change to the Constitution
>>18235243 As heat of Australia Day cools, PM must reclaim narrative - The great divide emerging in response to Anthony Albanese's referendum to enshrine a constitutional Indigenous voice to parliament threatens to widen unless the government reclaims control of the narrative - There's only so much rhetoric and doublespeak that voters will tolerate and because winning support for an Indigenous voice to parliament was a promise made by the Prime Minister, he cannot blame the Coalition or the Greens if it fails
>>18235263 Alice Springs bottle shop: Police officers stationed outside Liquorland as town battles crime wave - New measures announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles have been met with widespread scepticism - "People are getting really pissed off," says local bakery owner Darren Clark

>>18235329 Horrors in my home town inevitable - The crisis unfolding in my home town of Alice Springs requires a bipartisan effort to create meaningful change. So far, the NT and federal governments have not demonstrated they are prepared to take this approach, despite offers from the Coalition to work alongside them and be part of the solutions - Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price - theaustralian.com.au
>>18235348 NT police brace for violent response - Northern Territory police are expecting an outbreak of assaults, burglaries and property damage in the wake of snap alcohol restrictions being imposed on Alice Springs this week
>>18235397 Ukraine's ambassador to Australia calls for Novak Djokovic's father to be banned from the Australian Open - Footage shared to YouTube showed Srdjan Djokovic outside Melbourne Park standing with a group displaying a Russian flag superimposed with Vladimir Putin's face
>>18235407 Video: @australianopen Djokovic's dad: "Long live Russia!" - Four Australian Open spectators were detained by police after waving banned Russian flags and threatening security at Melbourne Park - During Novak Djokovic's quarter-final victory over Russia's Andrey Rublev at Rod Laver Arena, a patron was spotted taking off their shirt to reveal the pro-war "Z" symbol associated with support of the invasion of Ukraine - Aussie Cossack
>>18235456 Holocaust survivors call for Nazi salute to be outlawed in Victoria - Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes will meet representatives of the Jewish community to discuss stepping up prohibitions already in place on Nazi symbols and flags
>>18235490 Rise in anti-Semitic incidents 'tip of iceberg' - The number of anti-Semitic incidents recorded in Australia has jumped by more than 40 per cent in the past two years, with almost 300 cases of verbal abuse or assault reported between 2021 and 2022
>>18235506 Liberal senator sues Higgins' partner over 'defamatory tweets' - West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has launched defamation action against Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz, after vowing to vindicate her reputation following the former Liberal staffer's rape allegations

#18413236 at 2023-02-26 08:28:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18413235

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Mr Sofronoff will not revisit any of the evidence in the trial, but it is within his power to call witnesses who appeared.

One witness, former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown, has accused the prosecutor of threatening and ?intimidating her as she left the witness box on a morning tea break, and of ignoring her pleas to be ?recalled to the stand to refute what she alleged was "blatantly false and misleading" evidence by Ms Higgins.

Ms Brown, who was former minister Linda Reynolds' chief of staff, has alleged Mr Drumgold and an associate berated her for providing "inadmissable evidence" and that Mr Drumgold then tried to use her mental health to discredit her as a witness.

Senator Reynolds will lodge a submission with the inquiry into the conduct of the DPP.

The inquiry will likely also look at whether Mr Drumgold took appropriate steps to guard against prejudicial material coming before potential jurors, particularly when it became known that TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins was up for a Logie Award.

Ms Wilkinson won the Logie and Mr Lehrmann's trial was delayed by several months after Chief Justice Lucy McCallum ruled that her victory speech was highly prejudicial to the case.

Network Ten told Justice McCallum that neither Ms Wilkinson nor its senior legal counsel present at a conference with Mr Drumgold before the broadcast had been cautioned by him that her speech could result in the trial being postponed.

In a complaint to the ACT Bar Association, Mr Lehrmann has also alleged his former lawyer John Korn had a phone conversation with Mr Drumgold the day before Ms Higgins was to address the National Press Club, to establish whether he would provide a similar warning to Ms Higgins.

"His reply to Mr Korn was remarkable," Mr Lehrmann said. "The director indicated it was not his place to tell her what to do or say in the media."

The inquiry will also investigate Mr Drumgold's claim, in a letter to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan, of "inappropriate interference" by police during the investigation and trial.

Mr Drumgold said there was "a very clear campaign" by police to pressure him not to prosecute Mr Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Ms Higgins.

"Then when charges resulted, the [police] interests have clearly aligned with the successful defence of this matter rather than its prosecution," he wrote.

Mr Sofronoff is specifically required under his terms of reference to look at how that letter came to be released by the DPP to The Guardian newspaper but withheld for several days from other media outlets,

The Commission is expected to question senior police including ACT Police Manager of Criminal Investigations, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller after revelations by The Weekend Australian that police believed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Lehrmann, but could not stop the DPP from doing so because "there is too much political interference".

The Commission is expected to examine whether the proper administration of justice was undermined by pressure arising from the #MeToo movement and the media attention on Ms Higgins, and other forms of "political interference" at play, including any conversations between the DPP and politicians.

Mr Drumgold was reported to have expressed "serious concern about the potentially unlawful sharing of police material" after publication of the documents by The Australian and the leak of that material may also be examined by the Commission.

The inquiry will not reach into the courtroom to explore how Chief Justice McCallum conducted the trial. The executive arm of government in the ACT cannot investigate the judiciary.

Mr Sofronoff is due to report back on June 30.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/first-public-hearing-announced-for-bruce-lehrmann-trial-inquiry/news-story/8a65f46f4b410f3f46ff6bcc7151ce59

#18392986 at 2023-02-22 08:28:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
>>18367577
At the heart of Linda Reynolds' story is a gross hypocrisy

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - FEBRUARY 22, 2023

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At the heart of Linda Reynolds' story is a gross and gendered hypocrisy. The same women - very senior women within Labor's ranks - who talk a lot about wanting a safer, fairer workplace culture in parliament, perpetrated a cruel and unrelenting attack on their workplace colleague.

What Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher did to Reynolds is recorded in Hansard. The attacks were relentless, over days and weeks and months. The implications were devastating: that Reynolds had covered up the alleged rape of a young staffer; that she had threatened Brittany Higgins' employment in a wholly inappropriate way. The results were predictable, with Reynolds breaking down, admitted to hospital, on sick leave.

When appointing Vivienne Thom last week to oversee the implementation of Kate Jenkins' recommendations in her Set the Standard report, Gallagher said: "Everyone has the right to be safe at work and our parliament should set the highest standard for workplace behaviour and culture." It is hard to take Gallagher - the Minister for Women - seriously. Her unremitting attacks on Reynolds were low blows. To be sure, Gallagher and Wong were entitled to question Reynolds. Instead, the two Labor senators hounded her, refusing to accept her assurance that she had supported Higgins and that she had not threatened Higgins' job.

These women didn't so much cross as leap over the line between acceptable parliamentary scrutiny and unacceptable personal attacks in pursuit of partisan advan?tage.

So much for the "highest standard for workplace behaviour".

In the past, Gallagher has encour?aged women to come forward: "Your first-hand experiences will be critical to this review and a build a safer, more equal workplace for everyone."

Isn't that what Reynolds did when speaking to The Australian? Yet her story was brushed off by Wong, Gallagher and the usual phalanx of journalists who, on any other day, obsess about workplace harassment. Hounded into hospital by workplace abuse? Who cares.

Reynolds explained how she and her chief of staff, Fiona Brown, offered Higgins a great deal of support; that Higgins, at no stage, said to them she had been raped; that Higgins campaigned with Reynolds in Perth barely weeks later; that Higgins praised Reynolds as a great boss; that Higgins was offered a job by Reynolds after the election. This too was belit?tled.

Higgins brushed this aside. "The facts have been well ?established," she said. "Any revisionist history offered by my former employer at this time is deeply hurtful and needlessly cruel."

Predictable, and also nonsense. The Higgins camp has controlled the narrative for a long time. Reynolds has not been able to present her side in full. She was rubbished in the Senate by Wong and co. Reynolds was treated as a hostile witness by the prosecutor in the aborted criminal trial and she was muzzled from contesting Higgins' claims about her during the staffer's civil claim.

Alas, this demented reinterpretation of a free society, where only one side is granted legitimacy to present the "facts", is not just a common thread on Twitter.

It was echoed by Wong and Gallagher, too. When Reynolds told her story, these two Labor women accused Reynolds of showing "a deep lack of respect for the autonomy of her former staff". What about Reynolds' autonomy? Are they suggesting that only certain women may be heard? Higgins, yes. Reynolds, no. If that is feminism, it is a farce. This grand hypocrisy from Labor is made worse by the fact, as Reynolds told me, conservative women are not just invisible to most of the media, they are expendable in the eyes of the feminist movement.

"Conservative women, particularly conservative politicians, we're invisible to the feminist movement," she said. "They really don't understand us."

(continued)

#18380432 at 2023-02-20 08:26:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
>>18367577
Brittany Higgins responds to Linda Reynolds interview

NOAH YIM - FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Brittany Higgins has responded to her former boss, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, who for the first time since Ms Higgins' initial rape allegation spoke in a broad-ranging interview with The Weekend Australian.

Ms Higgins criticised one of the reports for referencing parts of her diary, saying no journalist should have been able to access "private information" she entrusted to police to aid their sexual assault investigation.

The report in The Weekend Australian revealed various media and political engagements in the week before the March 2021 March4Justice protest at Parliament where Ms Higgins spoke.

Ms Higgins tweeted: "Stop publishing the private contents of my phone. I voluntarily provided this material to the police to help them form the brief of evidence and none of it was tabled in court.

"Therefore, no journalist should have seen the photo of my diary. I entrusted the police with my private information for the sole purpose that it could aid their investigation into my sexual assault, nothing else."

In another Twitter post, Ms Higgins expressed incredulity at Senator Reynolds' claim that she was in "no state to defend" herself in a defamation suit brought by Ms Higgins after the West Australian senator had called her "a lying cow".

Senator Reynolds says she paid Ms Higgins compensation over the gibe simply to "make it go away" and was in poor health and on sick leave at the time.

"I'm publicly defamed by my former employer ... I donate the money to charity ... somehow Linda Reynolds is the victim in this scenario?" Ms Higgins asked in the Twitter post.

The former staffer confirmed in her Twitter post that she "immediately donated" all funds from that fee to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre as she had promised and attached a screenshot showing a payment, dated March 15, 2021, to the organisation.

Ms Higgins made national headlines in 2021 when she alleged she had been raped two years earlier by a colleague in Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office.

The colleague was later revealed to be Bruce Lehrmann, whose trial on rape charges was aborted last October due to juror misconduct.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has at all times denied the allegations. The Director of Public Prosecutions has now withdrawn the charges.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-responds-to-Linda-Reynolds-interview/news-story/029516da23fc8e240e9df5f9e099833a

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1627025133104955392

#18380400 at 2023-02-20 08:11:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
Gallagher 'knew Higgins' boyfriend before payout'

Katy Gallagher, whose department paid a large settlement to Brittany Higgins, 'knew David Sharaz' before Ms Higgins' rape claims became public, Linda Reynolds says.

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - February 19, 2023

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Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, whose department paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to Brittany Higgins, admitted she knew Ms Higgins' boyfriend, David Sharaz, well ?before the former Liberal ?staffer went public with her rape ?allegations, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds claims. Senator Gallagher acknowledged her past association with Mr Sharaz in a private meeting with Senator Reynolds, attended by two other MPs in June 2021, and said he had warned her "something big" was going to happen, ?according to the former defence minister.

Senator Gallagher was responsible for the department that paid out the confidential settlement of up to $3m awarded to Ms Higgins in ?December over her claim she was not properly supported by Senator Reynolds and others after the ?alleged sexual assault by Bruce Lehrmann.

A spokesperson for Senator Gallagher told The Australian: "The Minister for Finance has no decision-making role in processes around significant legal matters."

The Albanese government barred Senator Reynolds from providing evidence in the case, threatening to tear up an agreement to pay her legal fees unless she agreed not to attend the one-day mediation.

At the time, Anthony Albanese declined to answer questions about whether it was a conflict of interest for Senator Gallagher to have oversight of the deal, given her earlier engagement on the issue and whether she should ?recuse herself from any involvement in it.

Labor has always denied any role in pushing the Higgins rape scandal for political gain.

But Senator Reynolds claimed she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down herself and the Morrison government, alleging senior Labor and media identities ruthlessly exploited her young staffer for political and personal gain.

"What happened should be of concern to all Australians, because this was clearly a political hit job on the government of the day to bring down the defence minister," Senator Reynolds said in an ?exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian.

She said the late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching had confided in her that Penny Wong - now Foreign Minister - knew of the rape allegations and planned to "weaponise" them.

"She was actually quite distressed that Penny's going to weaponise the incident," Senator Reynolds said.

"I said, why would you do that? And you know, Kimberley agreed. She said, I'm so sorry. But she said that."

Kitching later strongly denied leaking the information. However, Senator Reynolds reported her conversation with Kitching to the Australian Federal Police in a statement she provided during the investigation of Ms Higgins' allegations.

Senator Reynolds said Kitching told her she first heard about the incident in an anonymous ?letter she had received and which she passed on to the Australian Federal Police "because that was actually the appropriate thing to do".

"But she told me that Penny was really angry because she said 'we could've used it'."

That conversation with Kitching appears to have been still fresh in Senator Reynolds' mind on June 4, 2021, when she fronted a Senate estimates committee, having been demoted by Scott Morrison and by then serving as minister for the NDIS, where she was grilled by senators Wong and Gallagher.

Reynolds said neither woman would normally turn up for a community affairs hearing, so "I knew I was in for it".

After a heated exchange in which Senator Gallagher asked Senator Reynolds whether it was her decision to send Ms Higgins to Perth for the duration of the election campaign, Senator Reynolds said: "I know where this started."

When Senator Wong and Senator Gallagher demanded she ?explain, Senator Reynolds 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."

The two Labor senators emphatically denied the allegation, and continued to do so during a private meeting with Senator Reynolds and her colleague, then families and social services minister Anne Ruston.

"Good actors or genuine?" Senator Reynolds wrote of the Labor senators' denials in contemporaneous diary notes.

"Either way shocked at implications. I had advised that Kimberley conversation was in my AFP statement (Penny asked if it was)."

(continued)

#18367590 at 2023-02-18 01:56:53 (UTC+1)
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>>18367577

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Two years after news.com.au first reported the advice obtained from the Department of Finance in relation to Brittany Higgins' rape allegation, the correspondence is also referenced in today's article.

According to former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, the "secret" email bolsters her argument that Brittany Higgins was offered support and care at all times.

Marked "sensitive, personal" the correspondence outlines the steps that the Department of Finance suggested be taken when handling concerns that an employee had raised concerns she was sexually assaulted at work.

It was sent by a Department of Finance's Lauren Barons and followed a request by the chief of staff Fiona Brown on how to respond to the matter with sensitivity and care.

Ms Barons was the person who first alerted Senator Reynolds' office to the fact Ms Higgins had been found by security guards in the suite.

The email was first reported by news.com.au on February 15, 2021 and in more detail on February 17, 2021.

The date of the leaked email is crucial: Friday, 29 March 2019 at 6.05pm.

During the trial, Ms Brown confirmed she was aware by Friday that Ms Higgins had told her in a meeting "I remember him on top of me."

Ms Brown also told the Supreme Court that she informed Senator Reynolds what Ms Higgins had said before their April 1 meeting with Ms Higgins in her ministerial suite.

Ms Reynolds has denied this under oath and in parliament.

She said she only recalled being aware of a security incident. She said that Brittany Higgins never used the word "rape" but that she nevertheless urged her to go to police.

Two years ago, she offered the following apology on the matter.

"I am deeply sorry that she felt that way because my chief of staff and I at the time genuinely wanted to provide the support that she wanted,'' Senator Reynolds said.

However, Senator Reynolds now says she couldn't have done more and said the Sexual Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins couldn't tell her anything more she could have done.

At the time, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison's office also said this: "During this process, the Minister and a senior staff member met with the staff member in the Minister's office. Given the seriousness of the incident, the meeting should have been conducted elsewhere."

The material was published today as part of an exclusive interview with Ms Reynolds who complains she is the victim of a "hit job".

There is no suggestion the phone material was provided by Senator Reynolds, because she never had access to it.

Ms Higgins said the only individuals it was initially provided to was the ACT police.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/brittany-higgins-furious-as-private-diary-entries-leaked/news-story/dde68cdf2c144701e5a7c5f60cb8d1c9

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1626690972242579456

#18363699 at 2023-02-17 14:29:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363033
>>18363651
Doubts, devastation and a designer coat: the story you haven't heard

When Brittany Higgins walked out of Parliament House on March 23, 2019, she was captured on CCTV wearing a Carla Zampatti jacket. That coat defines the gaping divide between the public's perception of the Higgins saga and what others knew.

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - 18 February 2023

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When Brittany Higgins walked out of Parliament House at 10.01am on Saturday, March 23, 2019, she was captured on CCTV wearing a black and white Carla Zampatti jacket.

"I borrowed a jacket from the goodwill box," Higgins told police just over a week later, on April 1.

The Zampatti coat - where it came from, let alone what happened to it - is a small detail in a very big story. Yet it defines the gaping, perplexing divide between the public's perception of the Higgins saga and what others knew. The jacket is emblematic of the doubts and disagreements about that night and what happened after.

While the young staffer would repeat the claim that she took a jacket from a goodwill box in Linda Reynolds' ministerial suite in her testimony in the ACT Supreme Court last October during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, members of Reynolds' office have told The Weekend Australian that there was no goodwill bin or box or pile of clothes for charity in Reynolds' ministerial suite.

There was just a wardrobe full of the minister's jackets. Including the Zampatti that Higgins took, after waking up in her boss's office following a night drinking at The Dock bar in Canberra with colleagues and a Bumble date, before going to a nightclub for more drinks with Lehrmann and two other staffers.

Away from the court case that followed after Higgins alleged Lehrmann raped her in the ministerial suite, after the media stories, the questions in parliament, the poring over details, all of which moulded public opinion, there was another story the public never heard. And this story might not quite match what the public thought they knew.

Higgins has used the media to tell her story many times. Lehrmann told his story too, during a three-hour recorded police interview that was played in court last year. The trial, as we know, was aborted last October after a jury member went rogue. The Director of Public Prosecutions chose not to proceed with a second trial. Lehrmann has, all along, maintained his innocence. And many untold stories remain just that.

With this week marking the two-year anniversary of the explosive interview with Higgins by Lisa Wilkinson on The Project, Reynolds wants to set the record straight. Once and for all time, she says.

Reynolds spoke with The Weekend Australian last weekend, over more than four hours. As she sat down, she said she would answer every question. No holds barred. She is a no-nonsense woman. There is not a hint of self-pity. Which is remarkable given that Reynolds has been portrayed as a central villain in the Higgins story, a political conspirator who hid the rape of her staffer prior to the 2019 federal election.

At the outset, Reynolds tells me she respects Higgins' right to tell her story. "I respected her agency and it was her to story to tell. Just because it didn't match with my recollection of events and my story, it doesn't invalidate her right to tell her story, which she has," Reynolds says.

"But it didn't accord with my recollection of what had happened two years ago."

Reynolds was not able to tell her story during the criminal trial last year; prosecutor Shane Drumgold treated her as a hostile witness during the trial. Reynolds was prevented from telling her story during the civil claim where Higgins made serious allegations against her former boss and also against Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown; Labor Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus used his powers to muzzle Reynolds, instructing her not to attend the mediation in return for the commonwealth paying her legal fees.

Now, Reynolds is speaking up.

(continued)

#18363651 at 2023-02-17 14:20:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363033
Higgins, the hit and the day I broke: Reynolds

The former minister at the centre of the Brittany Higgins rape scandal says she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down her and the Morrison government

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - 18 February 2023

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The former Liberal cabinet ?minister at the centre of the ?Brittany Higgins rape scandal says she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down herself and the ?Morrison government, ?claiming senior Labor and media identities ruthlessly exploited her young staffer for political and ?personal gain.

Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has broken her two-year silence, alleging the rape case was used as a political weapon and acknowledging she was targeted "to the point where I broke".

"What happened should be of concern to all Australians, because this was clearly a political hit job on the government of the day to bring down the defence minister," Senator Reynolds said in an exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian.

Senator Reynolds made it clear she respected Ms Higgins' right to tell her story.

"Just because it didn't match with my recollection of events and my story, it doesn't invalidate her right to tell her story, which she has," she said.

"Brittany Higgins, I believe, was used in this situation in a way that should only ever have been an issue for the police and the justice system."

Among the revelations made by Senator Reynolds during more than four hours of interview were:

- That Ms Higgins' claims in her TV interview with Lisa Wilkinson bore so little resemblance to what Senator Reynolds had actually said or done that "it was like a bomb went off in my head";

- That being accused of covering up the rape of a young woman was so personally devastating that at one point, her health already failing, she collapsed on the bathroom floor, "broken, sobbing and inconsolable";

- Why she called Ms Higgins a "lying cow" - and why she paid up over the gibe;

- That when she met with Ms Higgins nine days after the incident in Senator Reynolds' office but before she said it included being raped, the young staffer was "apologetic" and "embarrassed" about the incident.

- That then prime minister Scott Morrison apologised to her privately, having rebuked her ?publicly;

- How she was betrayed by a colleague while recuperating on medical leave, declaring: "I was hung out to dry over a bowl of pasta."

Unable to speak previously because of the criminal case against Bruce Lehrmann, the man Ms Higgins accused of raping her in Senator Reynolds' office, and barred by the Albanese government from giving evidence in the multimillion-dollar civil case successfully brought by Ms Higgins against the commonwealth, the former defence minister is now ready to tell her side of the story.

"It's been the hardest two years of my life, without question," Senator Reynolds said. "I haven't been able to speak and my chief of staff and others haven't been able to tell their story. And we have a very different story."

Ms Higgins has been highly critical of Senator Reynolds' ?handling of the alleged assault, claiming the minister and her staff failed to support her in the ?aftermath or properly investigate the incident. But an internal department email obtained by The Weekend Australian casts fresh doubt on that claim.

On March 29, 2019, a senior ?official of the Department of ?Finance, responsible for dealing with the welfare of parliamentary staff, concluded that "appropriate" steps were being taken to protect Ms Higgins.

Senator Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown, had contacted the officer to ensure all necessary support was being given to the 24-year-old staffer, although at that point, on Ms Higgins' own evidence, she had not yet disclosed a sexual assault.

An email from assistant ?secretary Lauren Barons sets out the steps Ms Brown had already taken, including, notifying Ms Higgins that, "should she choose to, she is able to pursue a complaint, including a complaint made to police" and that Ms Brown had "made it very clear that if she requires assistance in making a complaint, you would be willing to support her".

Ms Barons said: "The steps you have taken are appropriate ... ?Ultimately any decision as to whether to lodge a police report or pursue any other form of complaint relating to this matter would be a personal choice of the person involved."

(continued)

#18363033 at 2023-02-17 11:20:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18235506
Ex-defence minister Linda Reynolds breaks her silence on the Brittany Higgins rape allegations: 'It was a hit job'

STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 17, 2023

In her first interview since being caught up in what she calls "the firestorm" of the Brittany Higgins rape allegations, former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds speaks exclusively to The Weekend Australian, accusing her political opponents of a "hit job" and saying she was "expendable".

Nearly four years on from the night Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped Ms Higgins on a couch in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office and almost exactly two years since Ms Higgins made her allegations public in the media, the former defence minister sits down with The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen to tell her side of the story.

"I haven't been able to speak for the last two years, obviously with the criminal trial and then the civil case underway. So much has been said about this political hit job, I think it's important for me to tell my story," Senator Reynolds says in the interviews to be published at the weekend.

When Ms Higgins went public with her allegation that she was raped by Mr Lehrmann, she was highly critical of Senator Reynolds' handling of the alleged assault, alleging the minister and her staff had failed to support her in the aftermath or properly investigate the incident.

Barred by the Albanese government from giving evidence in the multi-million dollar civil case successfully brought by Ms Higgins against the Commonwealth over its alleged failure to support her, Senator Reynolds is now keen to set the record straight.

"I'm a woman who has spent my life serving my nation in the parliament and in the army, but I was expendable," she says.

"Two years on my major reflection is a question I think for all Australians: what do you expect from your federal members of parliament?"

Senator Reynolds reveals the political machinations going on behind the scenes in parliament during that tumultuous period, and the personal toll the attacks have taken on her life and health.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty in the trial, which was later aborted because of juror misconduct. He has repeatedly stated his innocence.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/exdefence-minister-Linda-Reynolds-breaks-her-silence-on-the-brittany-higgins-rape-allegations-it-was-a-hit-job/news-story/6b8c1d50a9688686de8e6fbbd8c8c4d5

#18306023 at 2023-02-08 07:35:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047
'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Bruce Lehrmann sues Lisa Wilkinson for damages

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and REMY VARGA - FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and its star Lisa Wilkinson for defamation, accusing them of seeking to exploit allegations of sexual ?assault against him for ?personal and professional gain.

Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied raping former colleague Brittany Higgins, has launched defamation proceedings against Network Ten and News Life Media Pty Ltd - an arm of News Corp Australia - in Federal Court.

Wilkinson, former co-host of The Project, and Samantha Maiden, political editor for news.com.au, are understood to be second respondents in proceedings.

Mr Lehrmann further claims Wilkinson and Network Ten were "recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity" when they alleged he raped Ms Higgins on the couch in the ministerial office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

The statement of claims references Ms Higgins' evidence from the aborted trial against Mr Lehrmann before the ACT Supreme Court when the former staffer said Maiden and Wilkinson had fought for the exclusive publication of her alleged story.

The statements of claim said it could be inferred that Wilkinson "was seeking to exploit the false allegations of sexual assault as made by Ms Higgins for her own personal and professional gain".

Mr Lehrmann further claims that Wilkinson and Network Ten were "recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity of the ?imputations."

Brittany Higgins took to Twitter on Wednesday to repost a tweet she had published on December 7, with the words "A timely reminder".

The December tweet read: "Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann."

Mr Lehrmann is being represented by defamation specialists Mark O'Brien Legal. It is understood defamation expert Matthew Richardson SC and barrister Steven Whybrow SC, who represented Mr Lehrmann during the trial, have been retained to run matters together.

The Project and news.com.au published Ms Higgins' allegations in broadcasts and online stories on February 15 in 2021. The original reports did not name Mr Lehrmann. The former staffer is claiming he was easily identified by a description as a senior staffer in Senator Reynold's office.

"By reason of publication of the matters complained of, the applicant has been greatly injured in his personal and professional reputation and has been and will be brought into public disrepute, odium, ridicule and contempt."

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her on a couch in Senator Reynolds's office in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after a night out.

The high-profile trial was aborted in October 2022 due to juror misconduct.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty at his trial and has at all times denied the allegations.

The DPP has now withdrawn the charges, with ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold citing concern for Ms Higgins's mental health.

The Australian approached Network Ten and Wilkinson for comment.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/recklessly-indifferent-to-truth-bruce-lehrmann-sues-lisa-wilkinson-for-damages/news-story/3ca4994cfdc5fd58d80c57f74b0f1e11

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1623038017253539840

#18282644 at 2023-02-04 11:09:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18235506
Legal threat over Brittany Higgins memoir

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 4, 2023

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Lawyers for Linda Reynolds have written to Brittany Higgins's publishers warning against any defamatory references to the former Liberal minister, saying they believe publication of Ms Higgins' memoir is imminent and seeking a copy of the manuscript.

Senator Reynolds's lawyers have sent a similar letter to the publishers of a planned book by journalist Samantha Maiden on sexual misconduct in Canberra.

In each case, the lawyers say Senator Reynolds has not been afforded a reasonable opportunity to answer any allegations against her.

Senator Reynolds told The Weekend Australian she had engaged experienced defamation lawyers to represent her.

"I hope it will not be necessary to take further steps to protect my reputation," she said, adding that she was paying the cost of any defamation actions out of her own pocket.

"For two years, I have been subjected to frequent and persistent unfair criticism, disparagement and defamatory comments by the media in relation to my handling of Ms Higgins's complaint.

"The content of many of those publications is derived directly from various public statements made by Ms Higgins to the media (in particular to Ms Maiden and Ms Lisa Wilkinson) and her evidence given during the criminal trial concerning my conduct.

"Ms Maiden and Ms Higgins have each demonstrated an inclination to comment on my conduct in an unbalanced manner, which has been both professionally and personally damaging to me and inconsistent with my recollection of key events and the evidence of my staff."

During the aborted rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann last year, it emerged that prominent author Peter FitzSimons had negotiated a $325,000 advance for Ms Higgins's book. Industry sources suggested publisher Penguin Random House hoped to sell at least 100,000 copies at $29.99 each.

Senator Reynolds's lawyers, WA legal firm Bennett, told The Weekend Australian: "Given the intense media scrutiny of our client since the first publication of Ms Higgins's story in February 2021 and the numerous defamatory articles published by various journalists and media outlets, our client has legitimate concerns that the (Higgins) book may contain allegations defamatory of her. Our client seeks to ensure that any report contained in the book is a fair report and that she has a reasonable opportunity to answer any matters of, and concerning, her in the book."

(continued)

#18275488 at 2023-02-03 09:58:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047
Higgins DPP threatened me: trial witness

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 2, 2023

1/3

A key witness in the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial has accused the prosecutor of threatening and ?intimidating her as she left the witness box on a morning tea break, and of ignoring her pleas to be ?recalled to the stand to refute what she alleged was "blatantly false and misleading" evidence by Brittany Higgins.

Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown says ACT Director of ?Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC and an associate berated her for providing "inadmissable evidence" and that Mr Drumgold then tried to use her mental health to discredit her as a witness.

In a formal complaint to the ACT Bar Association, Ms Brown alleges that, prior to the trial, Mr Drumgold was so dismissive of her concerns about the potential ?impact of the upcoming Logies - where TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins was up for an award - that it caused her to break down emotionally during a conference with him.

The explosive allegations are expected to be referred to the board of inquiry established under jurist Walter Sofronoff KC to probe accusations of ?misconduct made against both police and prosecutors involved in the case.

The allegations follow a formal complaint of professional misconduct lodged by Mr Lehrmann against Mr Drumgold, revealed on Wednesday by The Australian, ?alleging the DPP failed to ensure a fair trial and was driven by malice and "political interests".

During the trial in the ACT Supreme Court last year Ms Higgins gave evidence that she felt pressured by her chief of staff, Ms Brown, and her boss, Liberal minister Linda Reynolds not to pursue the alleged assault, in the context of a looming federal election.

Ms Brown strongly denied in evidence that she had been ?anything but supportive of Ms Higgins, saying she and Senator Reynolds had told Ms Higgins she was within her rights to make a police complaint and would be fully ?supported.

But in her complaint lodged with the ACT Bar Association on December 21 last year, Ms Brown says that midway through giving her evidence she was "berated" by Mr Drumgold and felt "threatened and intimidated as a witness".

"At 11.16am a morning tea break was declared, as I left the witness box to make my way out of the courtroom, Mr Drumgold and his associate approached me and berated me, stating that I was coming close to providing inadmissable evidence because of the way I was answering the questions," Ms Brown wrote.

"I felt threatened and intimidated by their approach. The courtroom still had a lot of people in it and I was left humiliated."

Ms Brown says she returned to the witness box 20 minutes later "shaken by their admonishment of me". She gave evidence that in a meeting between the pair three days after the alleged rape, Ms Higgins initially denied anything had happened, but two days later volunteered that Mr Lehrmann had been on top of her while they were in Parliament House during the early hours of March 23, 2019.

"I said, 'Oh. Oh my god," Ms Brown testified. "I said, 'Are you all right? Has - has something happened you didn't want to have happen?' And she just sort of looks at me and sort of goes like this with her - so I can't say the word, but she's shaking her head as a 'no'."

During a meeting between Ms Brown, Ms Higgins and Senator Reynolds nine days after the alleged rape, the minister had made it clear Ms Higgins was entitled to make a complaint. "(Ms Higgins) was concerned about how this could impact her career and Senator Reynolds said there would be no impact to her career and that she had our full support," Ms Brown testified.

Ms Brown testified that she was the one who set up the meeting ?between Ms Higgins and Australian Federal Police officers in Parliament House in April 2019.

(continued)

#18269051 at 2023-02-02 08:26:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047

2/2

In a three-sentence response Mr Drumgold confirmed receipt of the letter but provided no evidence he had given any warning to Ms Higgins.

"This begs the question, did the director ever give such a warning to Ms Higgins through this matter," Mr Lehrmann says.

"In the absence of any evidence from the director, I contend that he has not."

Mr Lehrmann also says his ?former lawyer John Korn had a phone conversation with Mr Drumgold the day before Ms ?Higgins was to address the National Press Club, to establish whether he would provide a warning to Ms Higgins.

"His reply to Mr Korn was remarkable," Mr Lehrmann says. "The director indicated it was not his place to tell her what to do or say in the media.

"Mr Korn maintains detailed, contemporaneous file notes about his conversations with the director."

Mr Lehrmann says the ?prosecutor failed to take any reasonable steps to remove the National Press Club statements from circulation, or to seek ?removal of other material ?broadcast by Channel 10 on The Project interview, an ABC Four Corners report and other media reports.

The only steps Mr Drumgold took, he says, were to remove from circulation a book called Ego, by Aaron Patrick, which was about former prime minister ?Malcolm Turnbull's attempt to undermine the Liberal Party but did not engage on any fact in issue at the trial.

"This unequal treatment exacerbates the failure to take any steps to remove the particularised material, is evidence of motive, and may also be the result of political pressure from a third party," Mr Lehrmann alleges.

Mr Lehrmann also alleges a failure by Mr Drumgold to provide sufficient warning to prospective witnesses that any public comment could undermine the ?integrity of the trial.

He notes that an apology letter from Channel 10 to the Supreme Court alluded to insufficient warning by the director to Lisa Wilkinson about her Logies speech, which ultimately resulted in the trial being delayed for several months.

Mr Lehrmann also cites Mr Drumgold's alleged failure to ?prevent a personal profile about himself being published in The Weekend Australian's magazine on October 20 last year while the jury was deliberating - and doing so under a "Black Direction" (a direction by a judge to a jury to reconsider the votes of a small number of jury members if they cannot decide).

Mr Lehrmann says Mr Drumgold defamed him in his statements announcing the discon-tinuance of the trial by publicising his view that a successful prosecution was still possible.

"By giving the statement he did, he undermined the presumption of innocence and advocated for a particular individual (being Ms Higgins) rather than the proper and fair administration of justice," he says.

He further alleges that on several occasions Mr Drumgold failed to disclose certain material when asked for it by the defence, including the Australian Federal Police material later revealed in The Australian, described as The Moller Report.

"The director informed the defence for some time that it was legally privileged material," Mr Lehrmann says.

"Given the director's position and him having taken silk, you would have to assume his legal credentials are of a nature in which he knew the documents were not his to claim privilege, but he knowingly delayed handing the material over as it impugned his behaviour in the lead-up to the prosecution progressing.

"The director cared more about his image than the fair and proper running of a criminal trial.

"When asked of the AFP (material) via subpoena the documents were immediately handed over without question, however, a mere few weeks before the commencement of the trial given the director's interference."

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her on the couch in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after a night out drinking with colleagues.

The former staffer went public with her story on February 15, 2021, before making a formal complaint against Mr Lehrmann with the AFP.

The trial was aborted in October last year due to juror misconduct.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has at all times denied the allegations.

The DPP has since withdrawn the charges.

Mr Drumgold was approached for comment.

The board of inquiry is expected to deliver its report by June 30.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/lehrmann-alleges-professional-misconduct/news-story/d5f0c6ffd78d2a6b465e6f81e8b6c0a3

#18235506 at 2023-01-27 12:02:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

Liberal senator sues Higgins' partner over 'defamatory tweets'

Jesinta Burton - January 27, 2023

West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has launched defamation action against Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz, after vowing to vindicate her reputation following the former Liberal staffer's rape allegations.

Reynolds' lawyers at Perth firm Bennett have filed a writ in WA's Supreme Court against Sharaz, claiming the former press gallery journalist posted two tweets last year that were falsely defamatory of her.

The former defence minister is now demanding damages, as well as aggravated damages, and wants an injunction preventing the material from ever seeing the light of day again.

With the trial of Higgins' accused aborted, and a $3 million compensation settlement reached between Higgins and the federal government, Reynolds told WAtoday she was now in a position to vindicate her reputation.

"For the best part of the last two years I have been the subject of harassing and highly distressing trolling on social media regarding myself and my conduct in respect of events concerning Ms Brittany Higgins which has damaged my reputation and caused me, my family and my staff, considerable stress and anguish," she said.

"In light of the conclusion of the criminal trial and the resolution of the civil action involving Ms Higgins and the Commonwealth, I am now at liberty to take steps to vindicate my reputation and provide some truth to the matters the subject of these trolling comments.

"I will not otherwise comment on the actions I have taken or that I intend to take."

Reynolds also wants Sharaz to foot the bill for the legal action.

Sharaz's Twitter account has since been deactivated.

Law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler, which confirmed it was advising Sharaz, told this masthead it would not be commenting at this stage.

Higgins, a former employee of Reynolds, claimed fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped her in the then-cabinet minister's parliamentary office.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and denied ever having sex with Higgins.

The high-profile criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, and the charge later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

But Reynolds found herself in the firing line amid the fallout over the government's response to Higgins' claims.

The lawsuit comes just weeks after Reynolds took action against publishing house HarperCollins and journalist Aaron Patrick, demanding a book detailing recent political controversies including Higgins' alleged rape be pulled from the shelves.

Reynolds is seeking aggravated damages over the contents of Patrick's book, Ego: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party's Civil War, which she claims featured comments that were falsely defamatory of her and had caused her loss and damage.

The Australian Financial Review senior correspondent's book focused primarily on former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's campaign against his successor, Scott Morrison, and party infighting.

But the book also pored over the details of several of the Liberal Party's recent political controversies, including an entire chapter dedicated to Higgins' rape allegations against Lehrmann.

This masthead understands Reynolds' legal team intends to contest several passages in the book vigorously, including one which suggested Reynolds told Higgins that non-consensual sex was "the cost of being female".

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/liberal-senator-sues-higgins-partner-over-defamatory-tweets-20230127-p5cfyr.html

#18046071 at 2022-12-31 08:44:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 7
Australian Politics and Society - Part 7
>>17783706 Australian academic Sean Turnell freed by Myanmar junta after more than 20 months in custody
>>17798811 Australia's Fair Work Commission rules that Svitzer Australia, subsidiary of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, must scrap plans for lockout of harbor tug workers, threatening to cause widespread disruption at Australian ports
>>17800549 French President Emmanuel Macron launches torpedo at AUKUS pact - French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to undermine the AUKUS pact just five months after he and Anthony Albanese patched up relations between their countries, declaring Australia's nuclear submarine deal with the US and UK "will not deliver"
>>17801807 Video: Friendly Jordies's House Firebombed
>>17803991 Controversial YouTube comedian Jordan Shanks-Markovina, better known as Friendlyjordies, is taking an "indefinite hiatus" from producing videos after his home in Sydney's eastern suburbs was set on fire in what police believe was a deliberate arson attack this week
>>17804013 'Invest for tomorrow's war,' says Austin - US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin says Australia and other allies need to reallocate their resources to fight the wars of tomorrow, with investments in advanced technologies a priority for any modern military
>>17807117 Video: US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy says the world's transition to clean power and technology has the potential to elevate Australia as a global leader in the mining of critical minerals, lithium, rare earths and nickel
>>17807269 Islamic State kingpin Neil Prakash to be returned to Australia to face terrorism charges that could lead to him being jailed for life
>>17827645 'Hope always defeats hate': Labor's Daniel Andrews returned as premier in 2022 Victoria state election - Despite 'incredibly challenging' few years negotiating Covid, Labor cruises to victory, while the Greens and Nationals gain seats

>>17832788 Video: ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess announces Australia's terror threat level being lowered from "probable" to "possible" for first time since 2014
>>17857908 'Big deal': World leaders head to Sydney in bid to push back on China - Three of the world's most powerful leaders - US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - will travel to Sydney next year for a historic summit with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
>>17857918 US Rear Admiral Richard Seif raises closer submarine ties under nuclear deal - The man in charge of the US Navy's submarines in Asia and the Pacific says America is willing and able to substantially expand its ties with its Australian submarine counterparts as the country prepares to enter the world of nuclear-powered subs
>>17857927 US Military Chiefs Say Australia Key to Space Rivalry With China - US Space Force's Lt. General Nina M. Armagno and US Space Command Deputy Commander Lt. General John E. Shaw say Australia is a critical asset for the US in the growing strategic competition with China over space
>>17858006 Bruce Lehrmann retrial to be dropped over Brittany Higgins health fears - medical evidence a second trial scheduled for February would pose an unacceptable risk to Ms Higgins and her mental wellbeing
>>17862843 Judge orders extradition of alleged Islamic State terrorist Neil Prakash from Darwin to Melbourne to face terrorism-related charges
>>17862857 Bruce Lehrmann retrial dropped over Brittany Higgins health fears - Charges against the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House have been dropped and Bruce Lehrmann's retrial will no longer proceed - "It is no longer in the public interest to pursue prosecution with the risk to the complainant's life."
>>17869625 Police doubted Brittany Higgins but case was 'political' - The most senior police officer on the Brittany Higgins case believed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Bruce Lehrmann but could not stop the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions from proceeding because "there is too much political interference"
>>17874286 Australian nuclear subs high priority for US - Delivering Australia nuclear submarines "as early as possible" was high on the US government's agenda as it braced for an intense period of competition with China, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed after unveiling the next generation of US stealth bombers
>>17879013 Brittany Higgins seeking $3 million in compensation claim - Lawyers for former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins have given notice that they will sue former Liberal ministers Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash as well as the Commonwealth for about $3 million

#16014984 at 2022-04-05 08:13:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

How AUKUS has brought an alliance revolution to Australia

AUKUS acknowledged the end of US primacy in the Pacific, replaced by strategic competition and a far more complex deterrent alliance for Australia.

Peter Dean - Apr 5, 2022

1/2

If AUKUS evokes anything, it is the image of nuclear-powered submarines. They dominated the AUKUS press conference between Scott Morrison, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson, and stole media headlines around the world.

It is six months into the AUKUS deal and Wednesday (AEST) will see the first report card being delivered. It is likely that we will start to see a shift in emphasis, to "non-submarine" topics such as quantum technologies, autonomous undersea capabilities, artificial intelligence, information sharing, innovation and cyber security.

We know that moves are under way for AUKUS, currently driven by the US President and thus the US executive branch, to become a legislative program. As the Friends of Australia Caucus co-chair congressman Joe Courtney noted recently, the power behind AUKUS will also be legislative, "coming from Congress itself".

This reaffirms the profound, yet largely unnoticed, shifts that have occurred in Australian strategic policy, caused by AUKUS and the events of 2021. If you add together the significance of the 2021 G7 meeting (where AUKUS was cemented), the US policy announcement midyear of integrated deterrence which combines military with non-military, the QUAD leaders' meeting of September (the same month as AUKUS), and the AUSMIN 2021 meeting outcomes, what you get is an alliance revolution.

But this particular pivot point in the Australia-US alliance has been years in the making. China has become a power focused on contesting the regional and international order, and willing to use coercion and force. China's close relationship with Russia and its response to the invasion of Ukraine have only heightened concerns.

That led then defence minister Linda Reynolds to declare at the Perth launch of the 2020 defence strategic update that the "world we grew up in is no more".

As late as November 2020, five months after the launch of the strategic update, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was still arguing that "sovereign Australia is free to choose both China and America [and] ... being forced to make a binary choice between China and US is not in Australia's national interest".

Yet only six months later, by the time Morrison was on his way to the G7 meeting in June 2021 (including a key sideline meeting with Biden and Boris Johnson that would lock in the AUKUS deal), the Prime Minister's rhetoric had changed. In a speech to the Perth USAsia Centre, he noted that the challenge Australia faces is "nothing less than to reinforce, renovate and buttress a world order that favours freedom'".

In the same month as the Morrison speech, the US announced, later reaffirmed in its 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy, its move to adopt integrated deterrence. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that "integrated deterrence means using every military and non-military tool in our toolbox, in lockstep with our allies and partners".

As the Australian diplomat Jane Hardy has noted, for integrated deterrence to be a success, it will require a further "deepening [of] combined strategic, diplomatic and military planning between the United States and Australia", including in "high-value deterrence scenarios".

By September 2021, a series of key meetings and announcements would culminate a decisive shift in Australia's strategic approach. The most significant event was AUKUS, but until now the importance of this pact beyond submarines has far too often been overlooked.

AUKUS decisively accelerates co-operation in science and technology initiatives, supply-chain resilience, space co-operation, the cyber sphere, critical infrastructure protection, quantum computing, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence co-operation. Its other key feature is high-tech missile and defence technology sharing - central to deterrence and high-end war fighting in the Indo-Pacific.

(continued)

#15989480 at 2022-04-01 13:31:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15881249
Brittany Higgins rape case: Bruce Lehrmann applies to permanently halt trial

ASHLEIGH GLEESON - APRIL 1, 2022

The man charged with raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House has applied for his trial to be permanently halted in the ACT Supreme Court.

Bruce Lehrmann's barrister David Campebll SC appeared in court on Friday to ask for the permanent stay of proceedings or alternatively a temporary one to delay the trial.

The trial is currently set down for six weeks in June.

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold also appeared in court on Friday.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum reserved her decision on whether to grant the stay until next week.

There is a non publication order on the evidence in Friday's hearing until her judgment is handed down.

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Police allege he raped Ms Higgins in the office of senator Linda Reynolds on March 23, 2019.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/brittany-higgins-rape-case-bruce-lehrmann-applies-to-permanently-halt-trial/news-story/4038b718f67b88e3b6306c06e1f72d74

#15962027 at 2022-03-28 08:12:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15962023

2/2

Slights and obstructions

At the same time, the junior frontbencher experienced a series of slights and obstructions that made her work life difficult and unpleasant, according to people who knew her.

During Melbourne's long lockdowns, the Senate tactics committee would not hold video-meetings, which meant she could not participate, according to a friend, even though she was deputy manager of opposition business in the Senate.

No-one called to let her know, last January, when her portfolio changed from government accountability - which covered swaths of the bureaucracy - to government services and the NDIS, which was concentrated on welfare payments.

Senator Tim Ayers, an ally of Wong's, was assigned to monitor her and sometimes wouldn't acknowledge her presence at meetings and the two parliamentary committees they were members of, the source said. (Ayers has said he won't discuss Kitching.)

Gallagher sometimes turned her back on Kitching when Kitching was speaking in internal meetings, according to the source. (Gallagher's office didn't respond to a request for comment.)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is often criticised on social media for a photograph that shows him sitting with his back to Labor MP Tanya Plibersek while she speaks in Parliament.

Wong, who wore her hair short and naturally gray, allegedly and pointedly made a reference to Kitching's frequent change of hairstyles.

"Are you going to keep dying your hair?" Wong asked, according to a close associate of Kitching's.

'They blanked her," the source said. "There were a series of microaggressions. She was basically being frozen out. She was a pro and dealt with it the best she could."

Disloyalty?

Kitching's willingness to advocate foreign policy positions independently of Wong contributed to the tension. The Labor Party was also wary of Kitching's friendly relations with Liberal MPs and right-wing commentators. Wong is from the left faction. Kitching is from the right.

The distrust hardened when then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds told Wong and Keneally last June that Kitching had tipped her off about plans to publicise allegations of a rape in Reynold's office, which would turn out to involve a junior press secretary, Brittany Higgins.

Kitching was then removed from Labor's tactics committee.

In a seven-page letter Kitching wrote, but did not send, to Keneally on June 21, 2021, she emphatically denied warning Reynolds, who is now the minister for government services and the NDIS.

"I think that it is self-evident to everyone who has observed Senator Reynolds in this workplace that she is not in good mental health and has not reacted to entirely reasonable and orthodox questioning from Labor senators in a way we might reasonably expect of a minister of the Crown when asked about her conduct in office, her treatment of her own staff and related issues," Kitching wrote.

"I take no pleasure in making that observation about someone's distress and I hope she recovers but her state of mind is clearly an issue here."

Liberal MPs still insist Reynolds was forewarned by Kitching in the Senate chamber in the first week of February, 2021. The rape allegation was first reported February 15, that year, by the news.com.au website.

Reynolds has said she is not allowed to comment on the Higgins matter because another of her former advisers, Bruce Lehrmann, has been charged with rape. He has pleaded not guilty.

As for China's Belt and Road initiative, Foreign Minister Marise Payne last April said the federal government would veto Victoria's participation. Wong agreed with the decision.

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/two-years-of-micro-aggressions-kitching-felt-frozen-out-by-labor-20220325-p5a7vc

#15957009 at 2022-03-27 17:43:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15957002

2/2

The push to oust Kitching from tactics didn't end there.

When Covid-19 hit several months later and the Victorian lockdowns meant Kitching was unable to travel to Canberra, Wong ruled that the Senate tactics meetings could not be conducted over teleconferencing.

"So Kimberley wouldn't be able to participate in that way," a source close to her said.

One Labor figure told Kitching this was for "national security reasons".

Kitching is understood to have raised this issue with deputy Labor leader Richard Marles and they spoke about how teleconferencing was being used for House of Representatives tactics committee meetings.

The Australian understands the rule was altered months later when lockdowns in South Australia prevented travel for its ?citizens to Canberra, and Senator Wong herself was directly ?affected.

In one tactics meeting that Kitching did attend in 2021, she told her husband and colleagues that Senator Gallagher had turned her back on her.

It was part of a pattern of hostile behaviour towards Kitching that Health Workers Union secretary Diana Asmar said she had witnessed.

"Isolation at Labor caucus meetings where her colleagues refused to greet or even acknowledge her was an ongoing issue," Ms Asmar told the Herald Sun.

"Despite being the fourth-most senior Labor figure in the Senate as deputy leader of opposition business, the three more senior "mean girls" had limited discussion and interaction with her on any opposition business whatsoever.

"She was locked out of the ?discussions."

Senator Gallagher did not respond to The Australian's request for comment but told Sky News on Sunday that she did not ?deserve the "mean girl" tag and denied ever having "harsh words" or "difficult agreements" with Kitching.

Senator Wong declined to respond to questions from The Australian regarding her conver?sation with Senator Farrell, her attempts to remove Kitching from tactics over an 18-month ?period and the rules around teleconferencing.

Kitching was eventually dumped from tactics in June 2021 after Liberal Senator Reynolds told senators Wong and Gallagher that Kitching had given her a heads-up about Ms Higgins's ?allegations two weeks in advance, as detailed in The Australian on March 19.

Kitching strongly denied this, explaining it was impossible to tell Senator Reynolds about a matter which she and Labor had no knowledge of.

Sources close to Kitching felt Senator Reynolds's spurious claim was used - or "weaponised" - against her by Labor's Senate leadership team.

"Linda Reynolds gave them a trigger," one source said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/kimberley-kitching-was-warned-penny-wong-wanted-to-boot-her-from-key-alp-committee/news-story/46d3028435a6221cbae08829b5728990

#15957002 at 2022-03-27 17:42:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873706
Kimberley Kitching was warned Penny Wong wanted to boot her from key ALP committee

SHARRI MARKSON - MARCH 27, 2022

1/2

Senior Labor figures warned Kimberley Kitching that Penny Wong wanted to remove her from the party's tactics committee 18 months before she was dumped on accusations of leaking to the Morrison government.

In the Labor strategy meetings that Kitching did attend last year, she was ostracised, barely acknowledged and, in one meeting, she confided in her husband and colleagues that Labor senator Katy Gallagher had turned her back on her while she was speaking.

Kitching kept a record of a conversation she had with Labor faction leader Don Farrell on November 12, 2019, when he informed her Senator Wong had ?advised him she might remove Kitching from tactics - a senior group that meets daily to decide on question time strategy.

Kitching said she would go "berserk" if she was dumped from the senior Labor group and he replied he "won't let it happen".

He told Kitching he had spoken to Wong a day earlier.

The record of the conversation has been obtained by The Australian after Labor sought to dismiss calls for an inquiry into Kitching's treatment and justify her removal from Labor's tactics committee by claiming she had leaked to former defence minister Linda Reynolds about the Brittany Higgins saga.

On Sunday, Senator Farrell would not confirm or deny his conversations with Kitching.

"It's the condolence for Kimberley in the Senate (on Monday) and I don't wish to add to the public discussion about her passing beyond my brief public comments," Senator Farrell said.

The move to dump Kitching from tactics as early as November 11, 2019, came after the ABC published a report stating a senior Labor figure had accused Kitching of failing to understand the climate emergency because she did not have children.

While the ABC report did not name Senator Wong, it is understood Labor's Senate Leader was furious the remark was leaked to the media - and Kitching was blamed for it.

Kitching did not leak the remark, according to sources close to her, who said she even asked the journalist to keep Wong's name out of the story when he contacted her for comment.

The fact she had been unable to have children was a private pain that she did not want broadcast to the world.

After The Australian reported earlier this month how the comment had hurt Kitching, Senator Wong claimed she had apologised to Kitching at the time - an apology that Kitching's friends and family do not recall her ever mentioning.

Kitching's friends and family do recall that shortly after this story was published, she faced a backlash from senior Labor figures who accused her of leaking.

The warning from Senator Farrell came 11 days later.

One of Kitching's confidantes said in effect she, the victim, was being punished for something that was done to her by Senator Wong.

"She was punishing Kimberley for something she had done," the source said.

(continued)

#15934560 at 2022-03-24 17:28:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15934553

2/2

Politicians leak. And they do have friends across the aisle. But the breadth and depth of hers fed the distrust. The crunch came in June last year when then defence minister Linda Reynolds said in Senate estimates she had been forewarned by a Labor senator she would face questioning over the alleged rape of former staffer Brittany Higgins.

In private meetings later, to prove she was not making it up, Reynolds went so far as to produce for Wong, Gallagher and Keneally, video footage from the Senate chamber showing Kitching approaching her months before in early February before prayers. Reynolds told them this was when Kitching first told her the tactics committee had discussed it and planned to weaponise the alleged rape.

Reynolds also showed them subsequent text messages she had received from Kitching effectively confirming their initial conversation.

The matter had not been discussed in tactics, something Reynolds later accepted, so Kitching's leak was actually not true. This was a sackable offence in anyone's language. Kitching was dropped from tactics. Fearing ongoing leaks to their opponents or media, it was no wonder they restricted her access and contact with her.

There is a deep well of support inside Labor for Wong, Keneally and Gallagher. As deep as the anger now raging against those who triggered the civil war which threatens to overwhelm them. They warn if it continues and damages Labor's election prospects, Shorten and his allies will be blamed. They accuse them of using Kitching's death to cut down deputy leader Richard Marles and preserve Shorten's powerbroker status. That would make it three elections in a row Shorten has lost for Labor.

In his eulogy for Kitching, Shorten appealed to everyone to work for a Labor victory. His furious colleagues wait to see if he means it.

The final words on this belong to Liberal backbencher Russell Broadbent, first elected to Parliament in 1990, who lost in 1993, was re-elected in 1996, defeated again in 1998, then came back in 2004.

He knows how brutal politics can be, particularly for those like himself who go against the leader or the party line on issues, in his case, on refugees. Broadbent knew and liked Kitching, but has been dismayed such odious insinuations and allegations have flowed from her death.

"Politics breaks people's hearts. It doesn't stop their hearts from beating," he said.

Questions remain for Albanese and Labor despite his insistence that there was no complaint from Kitching about bullying, however, there is still something unseemly about a prime minister facing so many critical issues getting embroiled in a brutal fight ignited by the death of an opposition politician, particularly as one of his cabinet ministers was a central figure in Kitching's dismissal from the tactics committee.

Niki Savva is an award-winning political commentator and author. She was also a staffer to former prime minister John Howard and former treasurer Peter Costello.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-kitching-saga-is-one-stoush-the-pm-should-have-resisted-20220323-p5a71a.html

#15924467 at 2022-03-23 09:44:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Richard Marles says Kimberley Kitching never made a bullying complaint

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles says Kimberley Kitching "never" made a bullying complaint to him during their regular discussions before her sudden death.

Clare Armstrong - March 23, 2022

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles says Kimberley Kitching "never" made a bullying complaint to him during their regular discussions before her sudden death.

Ms Kitching's friends and allies have said the late Labor senator had raised concerns about her treatment with Mr Marles, including that she felt bullied and ostracised by colleagues, but he categorically denied those assertions on Wednesday.

"I spoke to Kimberley on many occasions, and those conversations were obviously private, and I don't intend to reveal them," Mr Marles said.

"But given all that has been said, let me say this, at no point did Kimberley make a bullying complaint to me. At no point did she ask me to take action."

Mr Marles had previously repeatedly refused to be drawn on questions about the content of conversations he had with Ms Kitching during her time in the senate, saying in a TV interview last Friday he was "just not going to walk down that path".

But he has now definitively ruled out any discussion of bullying.

"She never made a bullying complaint to me. She never sought for me to act. I can't be clearer than that," he said.

"I'm not about to go into a running commentary as I've said about every conversation that I've had with Kimberley and I've had many."

Ms Kitching's allies said she had also complained about being dumped for Labor's senate tactics committee in retaliation as it was believed she had warned Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds the opposition knew about the Brittany Higgins allegations.

Mr Marles confirmed Ms Kitching did raise the committee issue with him.

"She was obviously unhappy about the senate tactics committee but since her death, I have really not wanted to talk about that, but rather reflect on her life because I don't think this issue defines who Kimberley was," he said.

"In fact the really beautiful speeches that were made at her funeral … to me completely captured the essence of Kimberley Kitching.

"I agree with them in terms of the conversations I had with her throughout her time as a senator that as a senator, she was leading her best life."

Mr Marles last week said he did not accept the "assertions" in the media about what he knew about Ms Kitching's treatment, but would not comment further, telling reporters he had known the late senator for 30 years and was grieving her loss.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/federal-election/anthony-albanese-gutless-on-labors-toxic-culture-pm/news-story/9519162fbc7eef8ce30a34507834c91e

#15896198 at 2022-03-19 06:32:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15896196

2/2

'Mean girls' break their silence

Some of the Opposition Leader's earliest actions as leader were designed to clean up the Victorian branch, amid revelations of rampant branchstacking.

That was a good thing to do. But it involved a federal intervention in the branch which is ongoing. That links the management of the pre-selection process much more clearly with the federal party, and its leader, than it might otherwise be.

There has been a refusal by federal figures this week to discuss Kitching's death which may have started out looking respectful but which has increasingly just looked like an alibi for not responding to allegations that have been made about her treatment.

The three Labor Senate Leaders - Penny Wong, Kristina Kenneally and Katy Gallagher - who Kitching had widely described to people as the "mean girls" who ostracised her felt compelled to release a statement on Friday saying they had not responded to allegations "out of respect for them, and for Senator Kitching", despite the allegations "not being true".

Let's be blunt here: they just didn't trust Kitching. They accused her of leaking to the government - specifically over tipping off the Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds about questioning over what would end up being known as the Brittany Higgins case. Kitching did not believe she had "leaked" anything, just forewarned Reynolds because she was concerned the sexual assault allegations may be politicised.

This resulted in Kitching being excluded from the Senate tactics committee.

It's the sort of thing that happens in politics all the time. But it is weaponised by Kitching's death.

Her allegiance to former Leader Bill Shorten - a close friend who shoe horned her into the Senate as a "captain's pick" to fill a casual vacancy - also didn't help.

But clearly the three women felt their silence could not continue and insisted in their statement that the "allegations of bullying are untrue", and that "other assertions which have been made are similarly inaccurate".

The challenge for Albanese

Wong clearly felt she had to specifically address claims that, in 2019, she had said to Kitching when discussing Senate tactics over children's climate protests, that "if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency".

Wong said on Friday she had discussed the matter with Kitching after the comments were first reported more than two years ago and apologised.

But the revelations are deeply damaging for Labor's Senate Leader and leave her on the backfoot in an election campaign.

Politics is a brutal and increasingly intolerant game.

A government on the ropes can't quite believe its luck at the way these events have played out. There have been various calls for an "inquiry" into events surrounding Kitching's death, though how the parliament can probe into the political workings of a party is far from clear.

But Albanese now has to find a way to shut down this ugly and brutal insight into how his party still behaves and move the focus back on to Morrison: a prime minister who has party problems of his own, and of his own making, with candidates in a range of NSW seats, and on the state Senate ticket, still not decided just a couple of weeks before the election is called.

Of itself, this represents an astonishing failure of political management and leadership.

The government has already applied most of the desperate tactics used by politicians in trouble against Albanese and Labor with no great success: national security and defence; questioning the Leader's experience; even trying to portray him as a phoney because he has lost weight.

The challenge for Albanese is that, having spent so long in the shadows, content to let Scott Morrison destroy himself, he does not now emerge just at a time when the death of a colleague starts a narrative which will dominate the final stretch to polling day.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-19/kimberley-kitching-death-allegations-labor-ranks-albanese/100922050

#15882003 at 2022-03-17 08:27:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873706
Pattern of Kimberley Kitching hostilities sank to 'grotesque, foul' gibes

SHARRI MARKSON - MARCH 17, 2022

1/2

"If you had children, you might understand," Penny Wong shot at Kimberley Kitching during a heated meeting attended by senior Labor politicians in 2019.

The group was debating a Greens Senate motion that supported school students who engaged in "civil disobedience" at climate emergency protests.

During the meeting, Kitching argued the motion was an exercise in virtue signalling and that some parents would prefer their children to be in class during school hours.

Wong's response to Kitching stung.

"Well, if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency," Wong reportedly said.

Those close to Kitching say it was particularly hurtful because the painful truth was that Kitching had desperately wanted children, she loved children, but had been unable to have any.

"The children thing was particularly grotesque, it was just foul," one of Kitching's closest confidants said. "It was brutal."

Word of the exchange leaked to the ABC but the subsequent media report did not name Wong as the person who uttered the incendiary remark. Wong was only identified in journalist Samantha Maiden's 2020 book, Party Animals.

The gibe was part of a pattern of hostile behaviour by senior Labor figures towards Kitching that has emerged in the wake of her death from a sudden heart attack on March 10.

The Australian on Wednesday revealed Kitching had been ostracised by her senior Labor colleagues who dumped her from Labor's tactics committee meetings, froze her out and blocked her from asking regular questions during Question Time.

Labor's senior leadership team refused to listen to Kitching's explanation that she had not forewarned Linda Reynolds about the Brittany Higgins rape allegation. Instead, she was wrongly accused of leaking and the Liberal minister's claim was accepted as gospel.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese also demoted Kitching from her beloved portfolio of assistant spokeswoman for government accountability in January 2021 and she was then removed from the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration in October 2021.

Albanese ruled out an investigation into how Kitching was treated in the months before she passed away, claiming it was disrespectful to do so after she had died.

This is despite the fact Kitching had complained about her treatment to deputy Labor leader Richard Marles, specifically in relation to the decision to dump her from the tactics committee meetings.

As The Australian reported on Wednesday, despite Kitching's pleas for Marles to sort it out, the situation remained unresolved.

(continued)

#15873793 at 2022-03-16 09:02:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873791

2/2

The Australian reported the relationship between Senator Kitching and senior Labor figures started to deteriorate towards the end of 2018.

Ms Kitching met with fellow Senator Penny Wong at the time to promote laws - mirroring an act in the United States - which would allow Australia to sanction individual human rights abusers rather than entire nations.

Ms Kitching pitched the idea alongside then Labor leader Bill Shorten and Mr Danby, with the latter telling The Australian Ms Wong "firmly refused to support it".

But Senator Kitching pushed forward with her attempts to advance support for the laws, even organising for Amal Clooney to testify to the Australian Senate inquiry via video link in May 2020.

It was a mere two months later that Senator Wong called for the Magnitsky laws to be brought in with an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, which left Ms Kitching furious.

"When I saw the article, that was the first I knew about it," Ms Kitching told The Australian before her death.

"The story went up quite late in the day. I was going to yoga and I was so angry she hadn't told me or even sent a text saying 'Oh by the way' ... It took me half the yoga class to relax."

Mr Danby told Sky News Australia it was "really irrelevant" whether Ms Wong liked Senator Kitching,

He also weighed into claims Ms Kitching's work-related stress was a factor contributing to her death.

"No rational person would say that you can trace the differences in politics directly to her death," he said.

The Australian reports that Senators Wong and Keneally declined to respond to questions about their alleged behaviour towards Kitching.

The report also alleges Senator Kitching was accused of siding with Liberal minister Linda Reynolds amid the Brittany Higgins allegations in a closed-door meeting with Kristina Keneally.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was quizzed by Today host Allison Langdon about whether Labor had a culture problem following on from the allegations made in the report in The Australian.

"Kimberley Kitching's passing is a tragedy, it's something that's hurt all of the Labor family," he said.

"Out of respect for Kimberley, I think the idea that people go into who might have had a disagreement here or there is totally unbecoming."

Ms Kitching has been fondly remembered from across the political scene as a fierce and passionate person who has been commended for her devotion to human rights.

Her working in pushing through Australia's Magnitsky Act which gives the government the power to sanction foreign criminals or human rights abusers has been pointed to as her crowning achievement in her short career.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/ex-labor-mp-michael-danby-backs-claims-kimberley-kitching-was-bullied-within-alp/news-story/25aa443aaba651258a425bc36b32f246

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGeRedStPd4

#15873762 at 2022-03-16 08:47:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873706
One of Labor's own SLAMS 'mean girl' gang's treatment of Kimberly Kitching - as Scott Morrison urges his rival for the nation's top job to act

OLIVIA DAY and CHARLIE MOORE - 16 March 2022

1/2

An ex-Labor MP and close friend of Kimberley Kitching has exposed the treatment the late senator tolerated from a 'mean girl' gang within her own party.

Former ALP member Michael Danby said what his late friend endured had been 'nothing short of bullying' during an interview with Sky News on Wednesday.

'It's a fine line, people are entitled to fierce disagreements, but it was too much in my opinion, what was done crossed that fine line and people should say they're sorry and they regret it,' Mr Danby said.

Ms Kitching, 52, died from a suspected heart attack on March 10.

Mr Danby hit out at the Labor right for 'dangling' her pre-selection over her head which he said had caused the politician undue stress.

He also slammed the party's left wing for being 'too strong' and claimed his friend had been punished for not agreeing with other people's 'ideological views'.

'What a disgrace that these people were able to cause her such stress,' he said.

It follows an exclusive report by The Australian that pointed to several instances of the senator being excluded from decision-making by senior party members.

The publication named senators Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher as the senior ALP members who were 'hostile' toward Ms Kitching.

Some details were attributed to an interview with the senator last month.

The report claimed Ms Kitching was accused of leaking to the Liberals, benched from the party's tactics committee and ostracised by the senior leadership team.

Ms Kitching was also reportedly summoned to a meeting with Ms Keneally over her support for then-Liberal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations.

The report went on to suggest the treatment she received from some colleagues had taken a toll in the lead-up to her pre-selection, and ultimately her shock death.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday described the revelations as 'distressing' while paying tribute to Ms Kitching.

'These are very distressing [allegations] and I don't think they can just be dismissed, they obviously need to be addressed,' Mr Morrison said.

'These reports of her treatment are not ones that I can confirm, obviously, as the leader of the Liberal party, but they're certainly things that I would expect to be taken very seriously and addressed.

'The reason she had so many friends on our side is because she stood up very strongly for issues of our national security and sovereignty.'

(continued)

#15873706 at 2022-03-16 08:20:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15827358
How Labor's 'mean girls' ostracised Kimberley Kitching

The ALP Senator endured a pattern of hostility, isolation and cruel treatment by senior Labor colleagues that put her under stress for a long time before she died.

SHARRI MARKSON - March 16, 2022

1/4

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching was on her way to yoga class when her phone rang.

It was a journalist alerting her to a story on The Sydney Morning Herald website where opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong was calling for tough laws to target foreign human rights abusers.

Kitching read the story and felt a wave of shock. She had been imploring Wong to support these very laws for a year and a half, to no avail.

Kitching even had her own private member's bill ready to go that Wong would not permit her to table. Even in the usual cut and thrust of politics, this about-face by Wong was breathtaking.

It fitted a pattern of hostility by senior Labor Party members toward the late senator that put her under strain for a long time before she died.

The Australian can reveal Kitching was even hauled into a closed-door meeting with Labor's Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Kristina Keneally, where she was wrongly accused of disloyalty and siding with Liberal minister Linda Reynolds over the Brittany Higgins allegations.

The unravelling of Kitching's relationship with senior Labor figures began in late 2018 when, accompanied by then Labor leader Bill Shorten and fellow Labor MP Michael Danby, she first met with Wong to mount the case for laws that would allow Australia to sanction individual human rights ?abusers instead of entire countries.

The Magnitsky Act had been passed by the US congress in 2012 after Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was arrested, tortured and killed for the "crime" of ex?posing corrupt Russian officials.

The new laws meant Russian individuals responsible for his death could face personal sanctions - instead of the US having to sanction all of Russia, which would never have happened over one person's death.

Kitching, Danby and Shorten made their pitch strongly to Labor's leading foreign policy brain but Wong was unmoved.

According to Kitching's recollection of the conversation, Wong allegedly said: "Over my dead body will we have Magnitsky."

Kitching recounted the conversation during a February 2022 interview with The Australian. She also relayed Wong's "over my dead body" comment to other colleagues as well.

Danby confirms Wong was against the act. "At that stage, she firmly refused to support it," he said. "Kimberley and I were ?chagrined because support for this international human rights law seemed obvious to us and had been passed in many countries."

The meeting turned sour.

"She (Wong) stormed off and Bill just sighed and said, 'Look we'll do it when we're in government,' " Kitching said in the interview.

Kitching spoke to The Australian in February 2022 for an investigative article about Labor's policy approach to China.

It turned out to be one of her final interviews.

She volunteered for inclusion in the article detail about the frustration she faced internally when advocating for the Magnitsky-style laws. She said the act was seen as too provocative towards China when hostilities in the Sino-?Australian relationship were ?escalating.

"One of the things about it is people were worried it was going to upset China," Kitching said.

"I feel if we don't have strategic competition and don't hold true to our values, we are going to lose sovereignty. It doesn't matter where human rights abuses occur ... We were the fourth of the five eyes to have it (the Magnitsky Act)."

In another conversation after their first meeting, Kitching claimed she said to Wong: "Listen, it will be passed unanimously, which it was, because no one wants to be on the side of a human rights violator.

"She (Wong) didn't like it."

Wong declined to respond to questions for this article on her conversations with Kitching or her about-face on the Magnitsky Act.

(continued)

#14782495 at 2021-10-14 06:42:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

Brittany Higgins: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of rape appears before court

ADESHOLA ORE - OCTOBER 14, 2021

The man accused of raping former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019 has fronted court for the first time.

Bruce Lehrmann, 26, attended the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday morning via telephone from Queensland where he is residing. The former Liberal staffer will defend one count of sexual intercourse without consent. He denies he and Ms Higgins had sexual intercourse.

Mr Lehrmann's lawyer John Korn requested a three-week adjournment for the matter. The prosecution did not object. At the next hearing Mr Lehrmann is expected to be committed to stand trial.

Mr Lehrmann only spoke to Magistrate Beth Campbell and Mr Korn to confirm he could hear the proceedings of the virtual hearing.

Mr Lehrmann was summoned to appear in August. ACT police allege Mr Lehrmann had sexual intercourse without consent with Ms Higgins at Parliament House on March 23, 2019. The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 years imprisonment.

Ms Higgins has alleged she was raped before the 2019 election in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds. Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins both worked for Senator Reynolds at the time of the alleged rape.

ACT police first received a report of the alleged assault in April 2019, and the investigation remained open until a formal complaint was made in February 2021.

Ms Higgins' allegations, which became public in February, led to a national reckoning about the handling of sexual assault allegations and the treatment of women in politics and other workplaces.

Mr Lehrmann will next appear in court on November 5.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-exliberal-staffer-accused-of-rape-appears-before-court/news-story/30c938bab4391c8fdda7cdff6373a38d

#14496027 at 2021-08-31 08:06:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

>>14496026

3/3

And there were the hacks. For the first time, the government was among the top five sectors with the most reportable data breaches last year, according to a government agency that tracks the activity. State government systems and email networks were attacked, at least one government entity was subject to a brute force attack, and cabinet ministers were victims of phishing scams that attempted to extort money and collect information on their connections with dissidents in Hong Kong.

Unlike ransomware or denial of service attacks - which paralyze network systems until payments are made - state actor activity often goes unnoticed by targets, who only find out they've been compromised from government officials or outside threat analysts, said Paul Nevin, chief technology officer at Canberra-based cybersecurity firm CyberMerc.

"Those initial discussions usually come as a shock, and it takes a while for that to sink in," Nevin said. Sophisticated cyber criminals or state actors may well be reading the emails of executives watching for breach notifications. "So one of the first things I would do is explain over the phone or a secure messaging system: do not mention this on email, do not talk about it, take it offline. You have to literally assume the actors are in there watching, and very often they are."

In September last year, as the government's cybersecurity agency released its first annual report, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said there was a "new normal" of cyberattacks on Australia that blurred the line between "peace and war."

While cyber criminals were taking advantage of the vulnerabilities laid bare by Covid, there were also "sophisticated and very well-resourced state-based actors who are seeking to interfere in our nation in this grey zone in any opportunistic way they can," she said.

The business community has also been affected, said Michelle Price, chief executive officer of AustCyber, a government-funded company focused on building the domestic cybersecurity industry. "Industry threat analysts in Australia and elsewhere were telling me that as lobster shipments and barley were being rejected, they were seeing a commensurate level of activity happening in the cyber domain coming from China," she said.

"We are going through the experience that other nations have before us, where it's not just retaliation aimed at the government, it spills out over into the broader economy and to the community," she said. "We become collateral damage in those kinds of government-to-government machinations."

Australian universities, which collect about A$10 billion a year from Chinese students, are reluctant to discuss the country's online behavior in any aspect. The cybersecurity research department at Monash University in Melbourne does not "get involved in any political stories relating to China" as their researchers "are not comfortable commenting on this issue," Hande Cater, the media advisor at Monash's Information Technology Faculty, wrote in an email.

Australia's circumstances may be unique. Nevertheless its situation shows the range of tactics experts say China can deploy against any country that falls foul of Beijing.

For now, Australia is in the freezer, says former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and it's unlikely either side will blink anytime soon.

"We have boundaries of trust with China, and there's nothing wrong with that, but what we've got to do is focus on the areas where we do have a level of trust," said Turnbull, who as prime minister banned Huawei from bidding to install Australia's 5G network.

"If I say I don't trust you enough to not misuse a capability that you would have if you built our 5G network, you are not going to persuade me by then beating me up in a whole lot of other areas."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-08-30/covid-origin-probe-calls-australian-government-businesses-universities-hacked

#13949411 at 2021-06-21 08:53:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

Police to consider brief on Brittany Higgins case

Samantha Maiden - JUNE 21, 2021

Prosecutors have received the police brief of evidence over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins and will now consider whether or not to lay charges.

News.com.au has confirmed today that police handed over the brief of evidence in recent days to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold.

"I confirm I have today received a partial brief of evidence, and a request to provide advice for consideration of prosecution," Mr Drumgold said.

News.com.au broke the story on February 15 that a Liberal staffer alleged she was raped at Parliament House in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' ministerial office by a colleague.

In explosive allegations detailing the Morrison Government's handling of the incident, media adviser Brittany Higgins told news.com.au that she spent the last two years "internalising the trauma".

She revealed that she was brought to a formal employment meeting about the incident in the room where the alleged incident occurred - a decision the Morrison Government has now accepted was an error by the then Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds.

Last month, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed that a brief of evidence would be sent to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins within "weeks".

The bombshell announcement in Senate estimates confirms that prosecutors will now shortly consider whether or not criminal charges will be laid against a man who Ms Higgins alleges sexually assaulted her at Parliament House in March 2019.

"A brief of evidence is likely to be submitted to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions in coming weeks," Commissioner Kershaw said.

But Commissioner Kershaw cautioned MPs over asking him questions over the allegations now that it would potentially go to "jury trial" if the matter is prosecuted in the courts.

Ms Higgins was just 24 at the time of the alleged incident and only months into her "dream job" of working at parliament.

The alleged incident occurred in the early hours of March 23, 2019, just weeks before Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election on April 10, 2019.

Commissioner Kershaw has also revealed the fallout from the Higgins matter had now sparked multiple reports of unrelated sexual misconduct allegations at Parliament House involving federal MPs and their staff.

"As at 17 May 2021, 40 reports have been received by the AFP since 24 February relating to 19 different allegations. Twelve reports were identified as sensitive investigations, 10 were referred to state and territory police for assessment, one is with the AFP for ongoing inquiries and one has been finalised,'' he said.

"Seven matters do not relate to electorate officers, ministerial staff or official establishments, of those five have been referred to state and territory police and two concluded with no criminal offence identified."

https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/act-director-of-public-prosecutions-to-consider-police-brief-on-brittany-higgins-case/news-story/9b4a9b0cbfa11c07966ec4c9ee0e84ef

#13877040 at 2021-06-11 08:09:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13788675
Dan Andrews' injury: inside the conspiracy theory around the premier's fall

Unfounded claims about the Victorian premier's hospitalisation were first aired by an obscure blog which pushes conspiracy theories

Michael McGowan - 11 Jun 2021

It started with an anonymous post on an encrypted messaging app favoured by far-right activists and conspiracy theorists and moved to a fringe website promoting QAnon and Port Arthur massacre misinformation.

Quite how a conspiracy theory about Victorian premier Dan Andrews' March fall at a Mornington Peninsula holiday home made its way from social media's backwaters to the mainstream has been the subject of intense speculation this week.

On Monday the Victorian opposition treasury spokeswoman, Louise Staley, gave new impetus to a complicated web of conspiracy theories about Andrews' fall by releasing a list of questions about the accident.

Staley has continued to insist she had simply been urging Andrews to "clear up" rumours when she released a list of 12 questions, which included whether Andrews had been interviewed by police after the accident and who had called the ambulance.

But her statement, which also called for the premier to answer the questions "if there is no cover-up", followed a long-running conspiracy narrative which emerged almost immediately after Andrews' announced his accident on 9 March.

In the hours following his statement, the encrypted messaging app Telegram, home to Australia's largest anti-lockdown, anti-vaccination and far-right groups, was alight with theories about the accident.

The timing of the fall - it came on the same day that the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, was hospitalised with cellulitis and shortly after Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds both took indefinite leave from cabinet - fed into a series of conspiracy narratives given oxygen by a string of prominent actors in Australia's convoluted conspiracy space.

A 9 March post by prominent anti-lockdown group Reignite Democracy Australia, run by former reality television contestant Monica Smit, noted a "strange trend" and fuelled a baseless rumour the MPs had all suffered adverse reactions to the Covid-19 vaccination. So too did a post by the far-right actor Blair Cottrell on the same day.

The next day, the first mentions of trucking tycoon Lindsay Fox in relation to the fall were made by a user in an anti-lockdown group known as Melbourne Freedom Rally. The Guardian has previously revealed links between the group's leader and a number of far-right organisations. The post, which claimed Andrews had been at Fox's home when he fell, was followed by a series of users advancing QAnon-flavoured claims he had "the shit kicked out of him" and been "taught a lesson".

Since then, conspiracy rumours have centred on trucking magnate Lindsay Fox and a former PricewaterhouseCoopers executive, Luke Sayers. Different iterations of the theories have centred on the false beliefs Andrews was with Fox at the time of the accident or that he was involved in an altercation with Sayers.

Andrews is a friend of Lindsay Fox's son, Andrew Fox, and some of the early posts on Telegram linked to a February article in the Age which examined the links between the premier and the family. The relationship was also subject to questioning by Staley in the Victorian parliament earlier this year.

The rumours that Andrews was with Fox at the time of the accident, though, have been roundly discredited. This week the Age reported Fox was considering legal action over the rumours - which he flatly denies - while the Australian Financial Review reported that Sayers was at an entirely different location having dinner with his wife on the night in question.

Staley's questions also prompted Victoria Ambulance to release a statement this week confirming the timeline Andrews had previously given for the accident. The state's police commissioner, Shane Patton, also confirmed police did not attend the home where Andrews fell, or interview him.

Outside of Telegram, however, the unfounded claims that Andrews' fall was the subject of a cover-up were first aired by an obscure Queensland blog which also pushes Port Arthur massacre conspiracies, QAnon theories and baseless claims that Covid-19 is a "psyop".

On 11 March - the day after the first Telegram posts - the website posted an article under the headline "Who bashed Dan Andrews?". It claimed, again without basis, that the injuries suffered by the premier were "consistent with having been kicked while prone on the ground".

(continued)

#13826855 at 2021-06-04 07:24:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins admitted to hospital over mental health concerns

RICHARD FERGUSON - JUNE 4, 2021

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins - who alleges she was raped in parliament - has been admitted to a Brisbane hospital over concerns for her mental health after months in the political spotlight.

Ms Higgins sparked a major reckoning over the treatment of women in Australian politics after she came forward last February to allege she was raped in Parliament House.

Her partner David Sharaz confirmed on Friday that she has gone to hospital and told other outlets that she was seeking support after "months of sustained political pressure."

Labor has focused a large period of budget estimates and question time in the past sitting weeks to continuing to probe the government's response to Ms Higgins' allegations.

Scott Morrison's chief of staff, John Kunkel, last month concluded a review of allegations that advisers in the Prime Minister's office were responsible for leaking negative information about Mr Sharaz and found no evidence for the claims.

"The evidence before me falls well short of the standard that would be needed to arrive at such a finding in conformity with due process," the report reads.

"While I am not in a position to make a finding that the alleged activity took place, the fact that those allegations have been made serves as an important reminder of the need for (Mr Morrison's) staff to hold themselves to the highest standard."

Mr Sharaz said on Twitter at the time that Mr Kunkel's findings were an example of government staffers "protecting themselves".

Ms Higgins has become a high-profile figure since she alleged she was raped in 2019 by a fellow Liberal staffer in then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds' parliamentary office.

Since then, she has signed a book deal with Penguin Random House and gave a major speech to a women's right rally outside Parliament House in March.

Senator Reynolds - who is now government services minister - also had to make a financial settlement with Ms Higgins after she called her former staffer a "lying cow" in front of staff.

If you or someone you know may need help call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

https://www.lifeline.org.au

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/exliberal-staffer-brittany-higgins-admitted-to-hospital-over-mental-health-concerns/news-story/5cbab6561c744468242aa4244ce5026a

#13717834 at 2021-05-21 08:33:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

>>13507484
>>13717832
'We are not pursuing a woke agenda': Dutton bans special morning teas at Defence after IDAHOBIT

James Massola and Anthony Galloway - May 21, 2021

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has ordered his department and serving military personnel to stop pursuing a "woke agenda" after Defence held morning teas where staff wore rainbow clothing to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia.

Mr Dutton, who has vowed to shake up his department and refocus on its core mission, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age he ordered Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell and Secretary Greg Moriarty on Friday to issue a note ending events with "particular clothes in celebration".

"I've been very clear to the chiefs that I will not tolerate discrimination. But we are not pursuing a woke agenda," Mr Dutton told this masthead.

"Our task is to build up the morale in the Australian Defence Force and these woke agendas don't help."

Earlier in the year a note was sent out from Defence to staff urging them to mark IDAHOBIT on Monday by wearing rainbow clothing and ally pins to morning tea events.

"Defence ADF and APS employees are encouraged to acknowledge IDAHOBIT in a COVID-safe manner. Examples for activity include hosting morning teas, encouraging discussions regarding the importance of IDAHOBIT, raising awareness of LGBTI rights and wearing visible rainbow clothing or ally pins," the note said.

The goal was to show "support for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) colleagues, friends and family by standing against prejudice and discrimination, and demonstrating inclusion".

But on Friday Mr Dutton ordered Mr Campbell and Mr Moriarty to issue a department-wide note banning events where staff celebrate by wearing particular clothes.

"Defence represents the people of Australia and must at all times be focused on our primary mission to protect Australia's national security interests. We must not be putting effort into matters that distract from this," the new note said.

"To meet these important aims, changing language protocols and those events such as morning teas where personnel are encouraged to wear particular clothes in celebration … are not required and should cease.

"We have made it clear to all Service Chiefs and Group Heads that combat and organisational capability is to be delivered through our well-developed training and education programs, exercises and operational experience, with respectful behaviours, underpinned by Defence values."

The directive, signed by General Campbell and Mr Moriarty, applied to all members of Defence across the armed forces and the public service.

A Defence People Group Communication Plan prepared for IDAHOBIT also told members to use the term partner instead of husband or wife and to check with colleagues "what is your pronoun".

"Do not assume that everyone is heterosexual (straight) or that this is the norm. Avoid using language such as 'wife' or 'husband' that assumes all relationships are heterosexual," the document said.

Mr Dutton has also reduced the number of public servants stationed in his office to an absolute minimum since taking up the Defence post, in contrast to former minister Linda Reynolds, who had several extra mandarins from the department in her personal office.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/we-are-not-pursuing-a-woke-agenda-dutton-bans-special-morning-teas-at-defence-after-idahobit-20210521-p57u2g.html

#13548262 at 2021-04-30 09:36:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

Brittany Higgins meets Scott Morrison, says he agreed system let her down over rape allegation

abc.net.au - 30 April 2021

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins says she had a "robust" discussion with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a meeting this afternoon.

Ms Higgins, who alleges she was raped by a colleague in a minister's office two years ago, said the conversation was "very difficult on a personal level" and that Mr Morrison had " acknowledged the system had let me down".

"It was an honest and frank discussion. It's important that we had it," she said.

Ms Higgins said the pair also talked about reforming the legislation that staffers are hired under, known as the Members of Parliament (Staff) or MoPS Act.

The act gives MPs the right to sack staffers on the spot if they lose trust or confidence in them, a rule Ms Higgins said created a power imbalance and did not protect employees who come forward with complaints.

"We had a discussion about what needs to happen in terms of the MoPS Act, where there needs to be better safeguards," the former staffer said.

"We had a robust discussion about the need for an independent authority [for] human resources.

"It was robust, but ultimately, in the end, I think there was a consensus that reform needs to happen.

"I think that's where we need to be, that's a starting point and that is encouraging."

PM: 'I acknowledged her courage'

In a statement, Mr Morrison said he was pleased to be able to meet with Ms Higgins "and listen to her views on how we can make parliamentary workplaces safe and more respectful".

"I look forward to her participating in the ongoing discussions on this matter through the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces," Mr Morrison said.

"Ms Higgins' views and experience will be invaluable to the work of (Sex Discrimination) Commissioner Kate Jenkins.

"I acknowledged her courage in coming forward and assisting in this work."

A number of reviews were called in the wake of Ms Higgins' allegations, including one by Commissioner Jenkins into the culture towards women in Parliament House, and how it could be improved.

Ms Higgins has made it clear that she thinks an independent body should be set up to handle staffers' complaints.

At the moment the Department of Finance is responsible for investigating any claims brought by parliamentary staffers, but even if a complaint is found to be true, it has no authority to sanction a parliamentarian or their staff.

"I am committed to achieving an independent process to deal with these difficult issues," Mr Morrison said.

'Progress moves slowly'

Ms Higgins said she was hopeful the meeting would lead to changes to the law and that Mr Morrison would "do the right thing by the women" at Parliament House.

"Progress moves slowly. I am hopeful that it's going to happen. I guess time will tell."

When asked what she thought Mr Morrison had taken away from their meeting, she replied that she thought he better understood how she was made to feel in the days after she told her then-boss Linda Reynolds that she had allegedly been assaulted.

"I think he fundamentally seemed to understand what had happened to me."

Ms Higgins has made a formal complaint to police about the alleged incident. An investigation is underway.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-30/brittany-higgins-meeting-scott-morrison/100107676

#13356362 at 2021-04-04 05:50:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

>>13355662
Dutton warns contractors on submarine, frigate deliveries

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 4, 2021

New Defence Minister Peter Dutton has warned the big prime contractors delivering the nation's new submarines and frigates that he expects the platforms to be delivered on time and on budget, and won't allow "slippage" on Australian industry content.

Mr Dutton has revealed he has requested full briefings on all of Defence's major programs, including the $90bn Attack-class subs and the $45bn Hunter-class frigates, "to make sure that everything is on track and on budget".

He said program costs and time frames would blow out "from time to time", given the huge cost of the Defence mega-platforms.

But he said he was determined to ensure Australia, and particularly Australian industry, received value for money from the investments.

"I want to make sure there is a very clear message to the primes here," Mr Dutton told Sky News in his first major interview in his new portfolio.

"We are not going to tolerate slippage in relation to the Australian content.

"And I've been very clear with the secretary of the Defence department, and the (Chief of Defence) as well. that we will work to budget, and if we need additional expertise, if we need additional resources, then they will be applied to deliver these projects on time and on budget."

The firm message to the defence multinationals follows criticism of his predecessor, Linda Reynolds, over her lack of public commentary on the projects.

Mr Dutton said the government was determined to ensure Australia's small and medium-sized defence firms benefited from the huge investments being made.

"Making sure they are taken care of is an important part of the spend as well because it creates jobs, it creates industry, it has a massive multiplier effect in the Australian economy," he said.

Mr Dutton also backed Australia's special forces community, which has been rocked by the Brereton inquiry's findings that up to 19 Australian soldiers murdered at least 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners.

"We have one of the most feared fighting machines in the world and we need to support them," he said.

Mr Dutton said there was "a relatively small number of people who have done clearly the wrong thing".

"I don't want to overshadow the very significant, outstanding work, particularly that the SAS and others have done within the Australian Defence Force in the Middle East and conflicts going back a long period of time," he said.

Mr Dutton said the government needed to do more to support veterans, and was "very open" to a royal commission into veterans' suicide.

But he said the government had made it clear it wanted "a standing royal commission" so that future veterans' suicides could also be given appropriate attention.

Mr Dutton said Australia would continue to work closely with the United States, together with "Quad" partners India and Japan and traditional ally the United Kingdom, to ensure regional peace.

"We don't support militarisation of ports, we don't support any foreign country trying to exert influence here by cyber other means, we don't want to see conflict in our region," he said.

He said China had "obviously" had a long-term ambition to take over Taiwan, but Australia would work with its international partners, and with the Chinese Communist Party, to prevent conflict from occurring.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/dutton-warns-contractors-on-submarine-frigate-deliveries/news-story/580e01582ec568e8325eee3a6d30a055

#13341728 at 2021-04-01 06:50:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

#14 - Part 3
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>13168673 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds delays her return to work, raising questions about her future
>>13173322 Video: Three women go public with allegations against MP Craig Kelly's senior aide, Frank Zumbo - ABC News In-depth
>>13177491 Former Labor staffer Anna Jabour reveals the sexual misconduct she faced working in Parliament House under Prime Minister Julia Gillard
>>13189962 Linda Reynolds to pay damages to Brittany Higgins over 'lying cow' comment
>>13216720 Video: Christian Porter launches defamation action against ABC and journalist Louise Milligan
>>13279431, >>13279439 Images show senior government staff performing sex acts at Parliament House

>>13279446 Video: Finance Minister warns other Coalition staffers involved in lewd Parliament sex acts will be sacked
>>13279459 Video: Scott Morrison on verge of tears addressing culture within parliament
>>13293704 Peta Credlin says she sacked staffer at centre of lewd video, alleges orgies in Parliament
>>13293721 Video: Peta Credlin reveals Canberra staffer incidents for first time - Sky News Australia
>>13294106 Warren Entsch contradicts Peta Credlin, claiming he sacked staffer accused of solo sex act
>>13301036 Dossier of lewd sex acts to spark sackings - Whistleblower passes on information to Simon Birmingham and Kristina Keneally
>>13320062 Video: Liberal MP Andrew Laming to quit politics at next election after allegations of harassing women online

#13341668 at 2021-04-01 06:33:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#14 - Part 3
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>13168673 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds delays her return to work, raising questions about her future
>>13173322 Video: Three women go public with allegations against MP Craig Kelly's senior aide, Frank Zumbo - ABC News In-depth
>>13177491 Former Labor staffer Anna Jabour reveals the sexual misconduct she faced working in Parliament House under Prime Minister Julia Gillard
>>13189962 Linda Reynolds to pay damages to Brittany Higgins over 'lying cow' comment
>>13216720 Video: Christian Porter launches defamation action against ABC and journalist Louise Milligan
>>13279431, >>13279439 Images show senior government staff performing sex acts at Parliament House

>>13279446 Video: Finance Minister warns other Coalition staffers involved in lewd Parliament sex acts will be sacked
>>13279459 Video: Scott Morrison on verge of tears addressing culture within parliament
>>13293704 Peta Credlin says she sacked staffer at centre of lewd video, alleges orgies in Parliament
>>13293721 Video: Peta Credlin reveals Canberra staffer incidents for first time - Sky News Australia
>>13294106 Warren Entsch contradicts Peta Credlin, claiming he sacked staffer accused of solo sex act
>>13301036 Dossier of lewd sex acts to spark sackings - Whistleblower passes on information to Simon Birmingham and Kristina Keneally
>>13320062 Video: Liberal MP Andrew Laming to quit politics at next election after allegations of harassing women online

#13320406 at 2021-03-29 06:59:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13320397

2/2

Amanda Stoker will become the assistant minister for women, while also assisting Michaelia Cash in the industrial relations and Attorney-General portfolios.

As expected, Mr Porter moves out of the Attorney-General's portfolio due to concerns about any conflicts of interest in the portfolio while he takes defamation action against the ABC over its reporting of allegations of rape, which he denies.

Mr Porter will become Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, replacing Ms Andrews. A key factor in the move was concern in the government that dropping Mr Porter from cabinet and the ministry would send a message that an accusation was enough for ministers to lose their job.

Mr Morrison also removed Linda Reynolds from the defence portfolio while she takes leave over a heart condition. When she returns from leave next week, Senator Reynolds will become Minister for Government Services, remaining in cabinet.

Senator Reynolds was admitted to hospital on February 23 after a week of intense criticism of her actions following the alleged rape of Ms Higgins in her ministerial office two years earlier.

Mr Morrison has criticised Senator Reynolds over some of her response to the alleged rape in her office, saying it was "disgraceful" she called Ms Higgins a "lying cow" over the adviser's claims she did not get enough support after the incident.

He also acknowledged that people in the government failed to give Ms Higgins enough support, even though they were trying to help.

Stuart Robert will move from government services to become Employment Minister, replacing Senator Cash.

In another key appointment, Mr Morrison restored Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price to cabinet in her existing portfolio.

The changes leave cabinet with seven women: Senator Payne, Senator Ruston, Senator Cash, Senator Reynolds, Ms Andrews, Ms Price and Environment Minister Sussan Ley.

Mr Morrison addressed calls for Andrew Laming to quit the Liberal National Party and move to the crossbench, saying Dr Laming had committed to undertake counselling, and that behavioural change is the preferred end result.

Dr Laming is facing calls to quit from within the Coalition, after allegations of online bullying and taking a photo of a woman's bottom at her workplace without permission.

Coalition senator Sarah Henderson told Channel 7's Sunrise on Monday that she was "not comfortable" being in the same party room as him.

The Queensland MP will leave politics at the next election and he will take immediate personal leave to undertake counselling after he conceded he did not understand how his actions affected other people.

Senator Payne said Mr Laming's "behaviour is clearly inappropriate and he is taking steps to address that".

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-announces-cabinet-reshuffle-20210329-p57exa.html

#13301036 at 2021-03-26 05:30:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13279431
Dossier of lewd sex acts to spark sackings

OLIVIA CAISLEY - MARCH 26, 2021

The whistleblower who exposed Coalition staff performing lewd sex acts in female MPs' offices says he has passed on information to Finance Minister Simon Birmingham and Labor senator Kristina Keneally that could lead to further staff sackings and expose serving MPs.

The revelation came as Scott Morrison, after weathering a month of criticism over his handling of the Brittany Higgins' rape allegation, conducted two extensive interviews with female journalists - the ABC's Sabra Lane and Nine's Tracy Grimshaw - in a bid to reset the political optics for the government and demonstrate he was listening to the nation's women.

The Prime Minister told Nine's A Current Affair he would be happy to "sit down and have a chat" with Ms Higgins, arguing that her allegation of rape in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019 had sparked a deeper national conversation about women.

"What has become, I think, more crystallised in this last five weeks (is) Brittany standing up has caused a very deep and confronting conversation in Australia," Mr Morrison said.

"We have gone way deeper, we have gone beyond the sheer shock of violent acts. We are starting to deal with some real home truths."

As a tumultuous sitting fortnight dominated by further allegations of sexual misconduct came to a close, a government bill aimed at protecting the privacy of those involved in Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' review into workplace culture within parliament passed the House of Representatives.

Senator Birmingham on Thursday labelled as "disgusting and inappropriate" the behaviour revealed by The Australian and Network Ten on Monday, in which staffers swapped graphic videos of their sexual exploits in parliamentary offices. The revelations led to the sacking of one of the male staffers in the group.

Senator Birmingham said further investigations were underway to find out whether other staffers were involved. He said the government was "working to resolve these issues and get to the bottom of these allegations."

"I assure everyone that we are not going to tolerate the behaviour that has been alleged and are taking all steps possible to ensure appropriate consequences," the Finance Minister said.

Senator Birmingham's portfolio also includes responsibility for parliamentary standards.

Senator Keneally took to Twitter to reveal that someone in her office had spoken with the whistleblower - who calls himself Tom the Whistleblower on social media - and had been given a "verbal briefing".

The whistleblower, whose Twitter handle is @BlowingTom, has also admitted to some of the conduct he was revealing and said MPs often had sex in a Parliament House room reserved for meditation or prayer.

Material provided by the whistleblower and seen by The Australian shows at least four Coalition staffers swapping images and videos on Facebook Messenger over a two-year period ending last year.

In a video shared among the group, one Coalition staffer performs a sex act on another man in a room he claims is the Parliament House office of an MP for whom he works.

Tom the Whistleblower on Thursday disputed claims made by Mr Morrison that the lewd sexual acts had not occurred under his leadership.

"First of all, the PM lied when he said that he was not PM when these matters occurred," he tweeted. "These events happened from 2015-2020. They happened during his tenure. Today I have met with @birmo chief of staff and given ALL evidence in relation to the matter, including evidence that one of the staffers involved works in @DaveSharma office."

Senator Birmingham's office would not confirm whether that meeting had taken place. Mr Sharma's office declined to comment on the claim one of its staffers was in the group.

Tom the Whistleblower said he had handed over "names, dates, pics, vids" and evidence in relation to alleged use of male sex workers at Parliament House.

Ms Jenkins' review is being conducted at the request of Mr Morrison and Senator Birmingham. It is due to conclude in November.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/dossier-of-lewd-acts-to-spark-sackings/news-story/4de0a8127ef033453b87895a491600b1

#13293704 at 2021-03-25 05:57:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13279431
Peta Credlin says she sacked staffer at centre of lewd video, alleges orgies in Parliament

Latika Bourke - March 25, 2021

Sky News presenter and former federal parliamentary staffer Peta Credlin has revealed that she sacked the Coalition staffer featured in a video masturbating on the desk of a federal MP at Parliament House.

During her segment on Sky News on Wednesday night, Credlin also alleged that, in a separate case, evidence was found showing that another staffer had held orgies inside Parliament, including during question time when their boss was in the chamber.

Credlin, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Tony Abbott, said she was collecting evidence for the review being carried out by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins into Parliament's workplace culture.

She said on Sky News that, years earlier, she had dismissed the staffer featured in the lewd video for disloyalty and leaking against his boss.

After terminating the staffer's employment, the man backgrounded journalists against her, Credlin said. She alleged that the man called her a "bitch" and said that she was "too tough".

"That bloke I demanded to be sacked years earlier for disloyalty, for lying, for leaking against his boss," she said.

"I sacked him and I said he would never be back while I worked in that building."

The staffer was rehired when Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister, she said, only to be dismissed this week following the publication of the lewd videos.

"The bloke I sacked came back and dozens more like him. Mid-career women, women of ability, lost out in roles to well-connected factional twenty-somethings with not much on their CV of note other than the ability to stack branches," Credlin said.

"Much of the current mess on the ministerial blue carpet for the Coalition is a legacy from the Turnbull years.

"These are my first comments on incidents in the past. They will not be my last."

Credlin said she would be "getting out every file note, every document, every bit of paper … I'll do my best to drive change" in relation to Ms Jenkins' review.

She sent a message to the three other men in the video, saying: "I know who you are. I see you."

Credlin added: "The former minister who it is alleged had his male prostitutes delivered to Parliament House by this spiteful gang - signed in and all kept quiet - former minister I see you too."

She said that while she had never had to deal with an allegation of rape during her time working for Mr Abbott, she would have dealt with it very differently to the way Prime Minister Scott Morrison had handled the issue.

In a separate case, Credlin said evidence was found showing that another staffer held gay orgies inside Parliament House.

She claimed that the evidence showed the orgies included Labor staffers as well as the Coalition man, and "a number of others, too".

"When the MP cleaned out the former staffer's desk, and the computer, that MP uncovered evidence that for many months, that staffer had regularly met with other men during the middle of the day - while the MP was in question time - for orgies in political offices," she said.

Quotas not the answer

Credlin also criticised Mr Morrison's change of heart on quotas to boost the number of female MPs.

She said that in the case of Brittany Higgins, three women - cabinet ministers Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash and Senator Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown - "mishandled" the case despite all being female.

"I'm not so sure what they could have done here to improve things," she said.

"Of course, I want to see more women in public life but I want them to advance on merit, not gender."

National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline: (13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au)

https://www.1800respect.org.au

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/peta-credlin-says-she-sacked-staffer-at-centre-of-lewd-video-alleges-gay-orgies-in-parliament-20210324-p57dtj.html

#13279431 at 2021-03-23 03:42:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Images show senior government staff performing sex acts at Parliament House

Natalie Brown - MARCH 23, 2021

1/2

Scott Morrison has lashed out over the "disgusting and sickening" reports of male senior government staff performing sex acts inside Parliament House in Canberra.

The Prime Minister said it was "not good enough" and "totally unacceptable" after the graphic images and videos of staff performing lewd acts - in one instance, on the desk of a female MP - were shared with Network 10.

"The people who come to work in this building are better than this," Mr Morrison said in a statement. "The actions of these individuals show a staggering disrespect for the people who work in Parliament, and for the ideals Parliament is supposed to represent."

He said the Government had "identified the staff members at the centre of these allegations and terminated his employment immediately".

Mr Morrison urged anyone with further information to come forward or call the incident support line on 1800 APH SPT and said he will have more to say on the matter "and the cultural issues we confront as a parliament" in the coming days.

In the weeks since news.com.au broke the story of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins' alleged rape by a colleague inside Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' office, a spotlight has been shone on the sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying many women encounter inside the Canberra bubble.

Now, another Parliament House insider has come forward under the condition of anonymity, telling 10's Political Editor Peter van Onselen that "the culture needs to change".

"Now is the time to speak up, now is the time to put it on the record. It is a culture of men thinking that they can do whatever they want," the man, identified only as Tom, said.

He provided the network with a number of photographs and videos recorded inside Parliament House, depicting male staff proudly filming themselves while engaged in blatant sex acts.

News.com.au understands that a staffer has now been fired following the publication of the images and videos.

One of the images shows a man sitting at a desk and exposing himself, with a copy of the Parliament House rule book behind him.

Another showed a male pointing to the desk of a female Liberal MP, before performing a solo sex act on it.

"The fact that it is a female MP only adds to the disgrace that it is," Tom said.

Other images were "so bad" and "shocking" that they couldn't be shown by the network at all.

"It is surprising and I think a lot of people will be stunned," he said, of the fact the acts could take place in a building that's upheld as a paragon of decency and democracy.

(continued)

#13216720 at 2021-03-15 05:04:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Christian Porter launches defamation action against ABC and journalist Louise Milligan

SHARRI MARKSON - MARCH 15, 2021

1/3

Attorney-General Christian Porter has commenced defamation action in the Federal Court against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan in a bid to clear his name and save his political career.

Mr Porter is suing the ABC for publishing "false allegations against him" in an online story that claimed he was the subject of historical rape allegations and, in a statement of claim, has also cited a Four Corners report in November last year.

A powerhouse legal team of Bret Walker SC, Sue Chrysanthou SC and Rebekah Giles commenced proceedings in the Federal Court today against the ABC, accusing the public broadcaster of "trial by media" and Milligan of acting with "malice" and engaging in a campaign against Porter in order to harm his reputation and have him removed as Attorney-General.

Chrysanthou and Giles together represented Brittany Higgins in her settlement against Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

"Over the last few weeks, the Attorney-General has been subjected to trial by media without regard to the presumption of innocence or the rules of evidence and without any proper disclosure of the material said to support the untrue allegations," Giles of reputational risk firm, Company Giles, said in a statement.

With Labor and the friends of the woman who made the allegations campaigning for a public inquiry, Ms Giles said the claims made by the ABC will be "determined in a court in a procedurally fair process".

"The trial by media should now end with the commencement of these proceedings," she said.

"Mr Porter will have and will exercise the opportunity to give evidence denying these false allegations on oath.

"The ABC and Ms Milligan having published these allegations have damaged the reputation of the Attorney-General. This Court process will allow them to present any relevant evidence and make any submissions they believe justifies their conduct in damaging Mr Porter's reputation.''

It was open to the ABC and Milligan to "argue the truth of the allegations", Ms Giles said, and under the Defamation Act they can plead truth in their defence to this action and prove the allegations to the lower civil standard.

The statement of claim accuses the ABC and Milligan of selecting portions of the woman's dossier that made the "allegations appear as credible as possible when there were other significant portions of the Dossier which demonstrated that the allegations were not credible."

This along with the ABC and Milligan's failure to contact Mr Porter prior to publishing the article, giving him no warning or opportunity to respond, despite being aware of the allegations for months, forms part of the claim for aggravated damages.

Milligan is also accused of failing to disclose in the course of her reporting "her close personal friendship" with a friend of the woman who claimed Mr Porter raped her.

"Milligan acted with malice knowing of the impossibility of any finding of guilt or civil liability in the circumstances and believing that a public campaign designed to damage his reputation would be a more effective substitute against Porter in replacement of the process of the justice system," the statement of claim states.

(continued)

#13189962 at 2021-03-12 06:13:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13168673
Linda Reynolds to pay damages to Brittany Higgins over 'lying cow' comment

SHARRI MARKSON - MARCH 12, 2021

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will pay damages to alleged sexual assault survivor Brittany Higgins as part of a defamation settlement for calling her a "lying cow," The Australian can reveal.

In a statement this afternoon, Ms Reynolds, who is on medical leave, publicly retracted the comments she made in her Parliamentary office and unreservedly apologised to Ms Higgins for the hurt and distress her remarks caused.

The senior cabinet minister has also had to pay a sizeable damages to Ms Higgins, out of her own pocket, under the terms of the settlement brokered by her lawyers.

Ms Higgins said she plans to donate the money to a charity that assists victims of sexual assault and abuse.

The legal action comes after revelations in The Australian that Senator Reynolds called Ms Higgins a "lying cow" in an open-plan area of her parliamentary office on the day Higgins' revelations she was sexually assaulted in Parliament House went public.

"On Friday 5 March I publicly apologised to Ms Brittany Higgins about the comment about her to my staff on 15 February 2021," Senator Reynolds said in a statement today.

"I wish to further address that comment that I made. I did not mean it in the sense it may have been understood.

"Given that the comment was made public, which I never intended, I also want to retract it and unreservedly apologise to Brittany Higgins and acknowledge the hurt and distress it caused to her."

In her own statement, Ms Higgins said she accepted the Minister's apology for the comment which is understood to have devastated her.

"Today Minister Reynolds issued a public statement in relation to her comments about me made to her staff on 15 February 2021," Ms Higgins said.

"I am pleased that the minister has now withdrawn her comments and I accept her apology to me.

"This has been an immensely challenging period to me and I wish to reiterate that the only reason I have chosen to come forward is to help others.

"Finally, any monies I have received from the Minister, as part of this settlement of my claim against her over and above my legal costs will be paid in full to an organisation that provides counselling and support for survivors of sexual assault and abuse in the Canberra area.

"These funds will assist them in this important work."

Ms Higgins came forward to News Corp with allegations that she was raped at Parliament House by a former Liberal Party adviser in 2019.

She was critical of Senator Reynolds' handling of the alleged assault in the immediate aftermath.

Higgins hired lawyer Rebekah Giles of reputational risk firm Company Giles, who also represented Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young in her defamation action against former Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm.

When The Australian published the remarks Senator Reynolds had made about Ms Higgins, Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the comments as "offensive and wrong".

He is under pressure to replace Senator Reynolds in the defence portfolio with Peter Dutton, should Reynolds not be well enough to return this parliamentary term.

The Defence Minister took medical leave on advice of her cardiologist following the Brittany Higgins scandal and has extended her leave until April 2.

But there are concerns she may not be well enough to return after that and potentially not even before the next election.

If this turns out to be the case, there are discussions underway about Mr Dutton moving to the role of defence minister - a shift that was canvassed before the last reshuffle.

The speculation is that Stuart Roberts would become the home affairs minister.

Ahead of the last reshuffle, there was a push to oust Senator Reynolds but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg fought to keep her in the defence portfolio.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/Linda-Reynolds-to-pay-damages-to-brittany-higgins-over-lying-cow-comment/news-story/675f8356a79830d73a0e41b5acbd4fb4

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1370200482086461442

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1370213290022895621

#13183855 at 2021-03-11 04:18:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Scott Morrison says he will act as health minister but Greg Hunt will return to work next week

abc.net.au - 10 March 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Health Minister Greg Hunt will be back at work when Parliament sits next week, after a brief hospital stint for a bacterial infection.

Mr Hunt was admitted to hospital yesterday with a suspected infection.

In a statement today his office said testing overnight had led to a diagnosis of Cellulitis, a bacterial infection in his leg.

It said the Minister was improving and was expected to be discharged from hospital "in the coming days".

"He'll be fine by next week, he'll be back up on his feet," Mr Morrison said.

"Minister Hunt and I have worked hand in glove over this last year and until he returns I will be personally addressing the ministerial responsibilities on health and aged care."

The Prime Minister said he had total confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine. Mr Hunt's office said his condition "is not considered to be related to the vaccine".

He is expected to make a full recovery.

Fellow Cabinet minister Dan Tehan said he spoke to the Health Minister yesterday and that Mr Hunt was confident he would be out of hospital "sooner rather than later".

"I don't think there is a fitter or more active member than Greg," Mr Tehan said.

"So if there's anyone who can bounce back it will be Greg, but when I spoke to him yesterday he was going well."

Mr Hunt is the third senior Cabinet minister now on sick leave, with Attorney-General Christian Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds also currently on leave.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne is acting Defence Minister and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash is filling in for Mr Porter.

The next Parliament fortnight kicks off next week.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-10/greg-hunt-sick-leave-hospital-infection-prime-minister/13233056

#13168673 at 2021-03-08 00:49:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds delays her return to work, raising questions about her future

James Massola - March 7, 2021

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has delayed her return to work following medical advice from her doctors in a move that will raise fresh questions about her political future.

Senator Reynolds was admitted to hospital on February 24 because of a pre-existing heart problem.

The hospital admission came after her former staffer, Brittany Higgins, went public with allegations that she was raped by a former colleague in the minister's office in March 2019. In the lead-up to her taking medical leave, Senator Reynolds became visibly distressed in question time while under pressure from Labor over her handling of the matter.

There is growing speculation in some quarters of the Morrison government about whether Senator Reynolds - who was initially due back at work on March 8 - will ever return to her post, though her friends and allies in the government insist she will return.

Ms Higgins' allegations sparked a national conversation about the workplace culture in Parliament House and the treatment of women in federal politics, and triggered three separate reviews.

The Defence Minister has faced growing questions over her handling of the matter, especially after The Australian revealed last week that she had described Ms Higgins as a "lying cow" in remarks to staff in her office when the allegations became public.

Senator Reynolds has since apologised to Ms Higgins for the comment and indicated her off-colour remark was not in relation to the rape allegation but to reports in the media.

A source close to the Defence Minister said the medical certificate extending Senator Reynolds' medical leave of absence was issued before the "lying cow" comment was made public.

That source, who asked not to be named so that they could provide additional context about her condition, said the minister had been given new medication by her cardiologist, who wanted to delay her return to politics in order to judge the efficacy of the new treatment.

"[The decision] is being taken on a week-by-week basis," the source said. "She wants to be back as soon as she can be."

Senator Reynolds' spokeswoman confirmed the delayed return to work in a short statement.

"Defence Minister Linda Reynolds continues to take sick leave which is being regularly assessed in consultation with her cardiologist,," she said. "The Prime Minister is being kept updated."

The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age spoke to six members of the Morrison ministry to better understand Senator Reynolds' situation and the potential for her to resume her senior position.

Though a decision has not been taken on when or if Senator Reynolds will return to duty, those ministers suggested that a return was unlikely to be in the next three weeks.

That is because Senator Reynolds would face another week of being grilled in question time in the week beginning March 15 and then, in the following week, she would face more detailed and sustained questions during Senate estimates hearings about her knowledge of Ms Higgins' allegations.

One minister - who asked not to be named so they could discuss the situation - said Prime Minister Scott Morrison's disposition was to always stand by, rather than move on, ministers in political trouble, as also evidenced by his support for Attorney-General Christian Porter.

Mr Porter has also faced calls to step down from some political opponents after he last week came forward to deny a historical rape allegation. He has since taken two weeks' leave.

"The PM really doesn't like moving people on, he values continuity, especially in a big portfolio like defence," the minister said.

A second minister, who also asked not to be named, said Senator Reynolds had "shot herself in the foot" with the "lying cow" comment about Ms Higgins but "the ball is in her court" on whether to stay or quit the frontbench.

A third minister said Senator Reynolds had done an excellent job in a huge portfolio that included managing issues such as Australia's $80 billion build of 12 submarines, and the Brereton report into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

If Senator Reynolds were to quit her ministry or even Parliament, cabinet ministers Peter Dutton and Stuart Robert would likely be among the frontrunners for the defence portfolio.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/Reynolds-delays-her-return-to-work-raising-questions-about-her-future-20210304-p577yu.html

#13164833 at 2021-03-06 23:29:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Notables are NOT Endorsements

#13b
>>12886917 Trump loyalist Sebastian Gorka launches tirade on Australian TV
>>12889276 Outrage as Melbourne's Anzac Day march is CANCELLED due to Covid despite there being just 11 people in hospital nationwide
>>12889582 The ABC is poison for Australia-China relations
>>12889590 City of Fear: The Death of Democracy in Hong Kong
>>12899049 Melbourne slavery claims 'extraordinary' and 'colourful', defence lawyers tell Supreme Court
>>12899180 Microsoft urges US to copy Australia's media code
>>12908019 Biden confronted China in call to Xi - and that's good for Australia
>>12908752 Christiane Amanpour Tweets about the second Trump Impeachment Trial
>>12909359 Warnings over PNG's Chinese hydro project
>>12910458 Bill Michael quits as chair of KPMG UK after telling staff to 'stop moaning'
>>12917421 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet, US Marines arrive in Darwin
>>12920682 China taps LinkedIn to steal state secrets
>>12930228 National security an issue in foreign interference case
>>12942628 Cardinal Pell: "I pray for those who wanted to bring me down."
>>12942846, >>12942852, >>12942857, >>12942863 How Australia became fertile ground for misinformation and QAnon
>>12942916 Kylie Moore-Gilbert thanks Scott Morrison after release from Iran prison
>>12946271 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern criticises Australia for stripping dual national terror suspect's citizenship
>>12951912 EXCLUSIVE: Trump aide speaks of fateful meeting linked to Russia investigation
>>12952517 Diplomat Long Zhou wants more 'respect' for China
>>12952556 Consul General Long Zhou accepted a joint interview with Chinese media
>>12952871, >>12952875 Media await judge's penalties for contempt over early Pell reports
>>12953337, >>12953343 Scott Morrison expected to tear up Victoria's Belt and Road deal with China within weeks
>>12953345, >>12953350 Morrison's threat to rip up Victoria's BRI deal is all bark and no bite
>>12996122, >>12996128 China fears spark grant knockbacks
>>13002303 Headline Links
>>13003421 Canberra's 'chronic sinophobia' harms Aussie scientists
>>13004702 Chinese influence heads agenda in Quad's regional security talks
>>13005953 'South Park' Looks Set To Tackle QAnon With 'South ParQ The Vaccination Special'
>>13013053, >>13013062 Christian Brother Rex Elmer jailed for sexually abusing boys
>>13013072, >>13013078, >>13013084 'Jesus is coming to get you': Brother's threat to boy he abused
>>13013232, >>13013246 The Nurse: Midnight paedophile strikes in children's ward, explosive corruption allegations
>>13013296 Singapore student sentenced over child-like sex doll & child abuse material
>>13013334 Court hears alleged 'slave' was locked in house and only slept an hour each night
>>13014430 Intelligence officer's death in carpark had links to Brereton report into war crimes in Afghanistan
>>13020499 Trump may establish social media company
>>13023237 Aussie paedophile to stay in SA jail while he fights extradition
>>13023293 Former Liberal Party staffer brainwashed girl, 13, into becoming his sex slave
>>13029257 Timor-Leste starts child abuse trial of former US priest
>>13029302 Craig Kelly resigns from the Liberal Party to move to the crossbench
>>13029413 Australia calls Myanmar's Vice-Senior General in attempts to free detained academic Sean Turnell

#13164828 at 2021-03-06 23:27:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Parliament Rape Case Bun
>>12941464, >>12941480 Parliament Rape Claim Roils Australian Government
>>12941507 Scott Morrison 'distressed' by Brittany Higgins' alleged rape
>>12941532, >>12941556 Brittany Higgins alleged rape: Parliament office steam cleaned after alleged attack
>>12996560 Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins takes rape complaint to AFP
>>13003107, >>13003118 New allegations: former Liberal adviser 'raped' second woman
>>13016686, >>13016697 Third woman alleges sex assault by staffer as Brittany Higgins to make formal statement to police
>>13020751 Fourth woman makes complaint about former staffer who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins
>>13029324, >>13029329 Man accused of Parliament rape stood down from current job
>>13036188 Linda Reynolds admitted to hospital, cancels Press Club appearance
>>13036769 Brittany Higgins makes formal police complaint about alleged rape at Parliament House
>>13037448 Mysteriously, a serial rapist narrative amongst the Green Party in 2018
>>13050373 Federal parliament rape scandal continues as tensions boil over
>>13050955, >>13050961 Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegation against Cabinet Minister
>>13058821 Senator Simon Birmingham says allegation in letter accusing Cabinet Minister of rape should be left to police
>>13058939, >>13058943 Undercover cop's splurge on Aussie identities
>>13059545 HBO Docuseries 'Q: Into the Storm' Wants to Solve the Mystery of QAnon
>>13061485 France considers slowing vaccine rollout for hospital staff, with many unable to work following jab
>>13065461 Penny Wong says she met woman who accused minister of rape
>>13065660, >>13065665, >>13065677 Rape revelations lay bare the Canberra bubble's dark heart
>>13076739 Labor MP accused of rape in new email
>>13076849, >>13076855 Workplace lawsuit against two cabinet ministers looms
>>13083780, >>13083788 Photo emerges of alleged rape victim and minister on night of claimed incident
>>13083804 NSW Police close investigation into historical rape allegation against federal Cabinet Minister
>>13084897 NSW police rape case closure means there is clear precedent on how to behave
>>13084918 Cabinet Minister at the centre of historical rape allegation to break silence
>>13100741 Attorney-General Christian Porter steps forward as Cabinet Minister accused of historical rape
>>13100750 Attorney-General Christian Porter denies historical rape allegation
>>13107252 Lawyers for Brittany Higgins serve defamation letters to Linda Reynolds after 'lying cow' comment
>>13107256, >>13107259 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds 'deeply sorry' for calling Brittany Higgins a 'lying cow'
>>13107413 Kate Jenkins to lead independent inquiry into Parliament House culture following Brittany Higgins allegations

#13164482 at 2021-03-06 21:23:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 4
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>12941464 Brittany Higgins' Federal Parliament rape claim roils Australian government
>>12941507 Scott Morrison 'distressed' by Brittany Higgins' alleged rape
>>12941532 Brittany Higgins alleged rape: Parliament office steam cleaned after alleged attack
>>12996560 PDF: Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins takes rape complaint to AFP
>>13002303 Police investigating cocaine sex scandal allegations implicating Labor NT members
>>13002303 Sexism and harassment: Dirty habits of Australian politicians revealed by insider
>>13003107 New allegations: former Liberal adviser 'raped' second woman
>>13016686 Third woman alleges sex assault by staffer as Brittany Higgins to make formal statement to police
>>13020751 Video: Fourth woman makes complaint about former staffer who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins
>>13029324 'Not a nice person': Man accused of Parliament rape stood down from current job

>>13036188 Linda Reynolds admitted to hospital, cancels Press Club appearance in the wake of Parliament House rape allegation scandal
>>13036769 Video: Brittany Higgins makes formal police complaint about alleged rape at Parliament House
>>13037448 (2018) Embattled NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham demands federal leader Richard Di Natale back down on calls for him to resign amid "sexual violence" allegations
>>13043731 AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw writes to Scott Morrison to warn against delays in reporting allegations of criminal conduct
>>13050373 Video: Rape scandal tensions boil over - Greens Senator Larissa Waters accuses Peter Dutton of being a 'rape apologist'
>>13050955 Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegation against Cabinet Minister
>>13058821 Video: Senator Simon Birmingham says allegation in letter accusing Cabinet Minister of rape should be left to police
>>13065461 Penny Wong says she met woman who accused minister of rape
>>13065660 Rape revelations lay bare the Canberra bubble's dark heart
>>13076739 Federal Labor MP accused of rape in new email sent to Liberal senator Sarah Henderson and forwarded to Australian Federal Police

>>13076849 Former Coalition media adviser Rachelle Miller prepares workplace lawsuit against two cabinet ministers, Alan Tudge and Michaelia Cash
>>13083780 Photo emerges of alleged rape victim and minister on night of claimed incident
>>13083804 NSW Police close investigation into historical rape allegation against federal Cabinet Minister
>>13084897 NSW police rape case closure means there is clear precedent on how to behave
>>13084918 Cabinet Minister at the centre of historical rape allegation to break silence
>>13100741 Video: Attorney-General Christian Porter steps forward as Cabinet Minister accused of historical rape - 7NEWS Australia
>>13100750 Video: Attorney-General Christian Porter denies historical rape allegation (full press conference) - SBS News
>>13107252 Lawyers for Brittany Higgins serve defamation letters to Linda Reynolds after 'lying cow' comment
>>13107256 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds 'deeply sorry' for calling Brittany Higgins a 'lying cow'
>>13107413 Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins to lead independent inquiry into Parliament House culture following Brittany Higgins allegations

#13164467 at 2021-03-06 21:21:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#13 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 1
>>12775241 'Pete Evans in the party room': Liberals, independents line up to take on Craig Kelly - James Massola - smh.com.au
>>12775406 Australian Secret Intelligence Service accused of being the "gold standard" for covering up mental health issues in its ranks - Cydonee Mardon - themercury.com.au
>>12796913 Craig Kelly backs Pete Evans' right >>12797160 Top doctors' body hits out at Liberal MP Craig Kelly for appearing on Pete Evans' podcast - Nick Pearson - 9news.com.au
>>12808065 Scott Morrison delivers first public rebuke of Craig Kelly over controversial opinions on coronavirus vaccination - abc.net.au
>>12808137 Video: Craig Kelly puts the gag on ... for now - Jack The Insider (Peter Hoysted) - theaustralian.com.au
>>12815543 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison in talks with Google boss Sundar Pichai following tech giant's threat to shut down search in Australia
>>12817974 Coalition deletes references to rising far-right extremism in Senate motion, references to far-left anarchism and communism added
>>12818226 Opinion: Rod Sims' big tech fixation blinds him to Murdoch's monopoly - Kevin Rudd - afr.com

>>12835067 Craig Kelly MP grows anti-vax COVID support base after Scott Morrison reprimand - Ellen Whinnett - heraldsun.com.au
>>12836590 Thousands of US marines to touch down in Darwin before June 2021: Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D)
>>12836663 Media Release - Defence Minister Linda Reynolds: Arrival of the 2021 Marine Rotational Force-Darwin
>>12846304 Kylie Moore-Gilbert's marriage breakdown after husband Ruslan Hodorov had secret affair with her colleague, Kylie Baxter
>>12866521 Sean Turnell, Australian academic and economic policy adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, detained by Myanmar military - Family calls for his immediate release
>>12866540 Judge rules Australian government's attempt to obstruct Bernard Collaery's use of highly respected barrister Bret Walker SC 'unfair'
>>12867040 Crown Resorts deemed unsuitable to operate new Sydney casino at Barangaroo - inquiry exposes allegations of money laundering
>>12878012 PDF: Kevin Rudd says Sky News is using Fox model to radicalise politics in Australia

>>12878019 Senate Inquiry into Media diversity in Australia - Submissions
>>12883469 'Get to higher ground': Tsunami warning is issued for parts of Australia and New Zealand after TWO huge earthquakes - one measuring 7.7 - hit the Pacific Ocean
>>12883484 Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology - CANCELLATION OF TSUNAMI WARNING FOR LORD HOWE ISLAND
>>12884317 'Hollywood Australia' a $1.5bn movie blockbuster extravaganza - Chris Hemsworth, Ron Howard, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Natalie Portman, Dwayne Johnson
>>12887673 INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH OUTBACK SALESPERSON IN AUSTRALIA
>>12899025 Celebrity chef Pete Evans announces he will run for the Senate as a Great Australia Party candidate - Evin Priest, Jade Gailberger and Finn McHugh - news.com.au
>>12899180 Microsoft president Brad Smith urges US to copy Australia's media code
>>12899180 Brad Smith - Why an Australian proposal offers part of what's needed for technology, journalism and American democracy itself

>>12917421 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Touch down! @USMC personnel from the tenth Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) have landed in the NT
>>12930175 Seven West Media strikes partnership with Google that will see tech giant pay for news content
>>12930885 Meteor flashes in the sky above Melbourne
>>12942916 Kylie Moore-Gilbert thanks Scott Morrison after release from Iran prison
>>12946271 Video: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern criticises Australia for stripping dual national terror suspect's citizenship
>>12946320 Google closing in on news content deals with ABC, Nine, Guardian
>>12952105 PDF: Twitter deems Australia's account takeover warrant as antithetical to democratic law
>>12952105 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security - Review of the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020

#13107256 at 2021-03-05 05:51:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13107252
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds 'deeply sorry' for calling Brittany Higgins a 'lying cow'

Linda Reynolds is in talks with Brittany Higgins' legal team after she issued an apology for calling her a "lying cow".

Jessica McSweeney, Katy Hall and Merryn Johns - March 5, 2021

1/2

Linda Reynolds has said she is "deeply sorry" to Brittany Higgins for her "lying cow" comment and has confirmed her office has received a letter from Ms Higgins' legal team.

The Minister for Defence, who is on medical leave, made the comments in her office on the same day Ms Higgins went public with her allegation of rape, The Australian reported.

Senator Reynolds was yesterday afternoon sent a letter from Ms Higgins' lawyers demanding an apology for the comments.

"A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins," Senator Reynolds said.

"I have never questioned Ms Higgins' account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter," she said.

"In response to a letter from Ms Higgins' lawyers yesterday afternoon, discussions are now underway through our legal representatives in an effort to resolve this matter as soon as possible, with any resolution to include an apology.

"However, in the meantime, I want to express how deeply sorry I am for these remarks and for any hurt and distress they have caused."

Minister for Women Marise Payne has said she is distressed and disturbed by the accusations of assault and harassment in parliament.

Speaking at the UN Women Australia event in Sydney, Senator Payne said she believes parliament has the capacity to work together to improve the workplace culture.

"The events of recent weeks have been disturbing, distressing and horrifying to me and to so many Australians," she said.

"But my concern, my distress is irrelevant and nothing compared to the concern, the distress and the deep, deep damage done to those who have been assaulted or harassed at a workplace."

Speaking ahead of headline speaker Grace Tame, Senator Payne said she welcomed the announcement of an independent review into the workplace culture.

"The National Parliament is clearly not immune from the sorts of issues that are impacting workplaces around our country … it has to change, it must change, and the only way it will change is if we as parliamentarians own the problems and failings, and make the necessary changes," Senator Payne said.

Yesterday Ms Higgins said the comments were "incredibly hurtful" and said the Senator's language was "inexcusable".

"It's just further evidence of the toxic workplace culture".

That was Ms Higgins' response to Ms Reynolds.

Staff reported hearing Ms Reynolds making the comments in her office, where Ms Higgins was formerly employed and claims she was sexually assaulted by a colleague in 2019.

"The comments made by Minister Reynolds are incredibly hurtful,'' Ms Higgins told news.com.au.

"I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the Defence Minister as "offensive" and said her behaviour was "inappropriate and wrong".

He told The Australian he had spoken to Ms Reynolds, saying, "she knows those comments to have been inappropriate and wrong ... And I share her view, obviously, about that."

But he defended his minister, and said Ms Reynolds had made the comments "in her private office in a stressful week. They weren't made in a public place and nor were they intended for that. That doesn't excuse it, not for a second. She made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that."

Mr Morrison also stressed that Ms Reynolds had not made the comments in relation to Ms Higgins' claims of sexual assault.

"She was not saying that about that, at all," Mr Morrison said.

"Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support. Clearly, over a period of time there was a very different view about that. And we've acknowledged that, and that's why we're addressing the issues the way that we are."

Following the revelation, Ms Reynolds has apologised to staff, however her future within the Cabinet now appears uncertain as more a growing number of key government figures condemn the comments.

(continued)

#13107252 at 2021-03-05 05:50:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Lawyers for Brittany Higgins serve defamation letters to Linda Reynolds after 'lying cow' comment

Pip Christmass - 4 March 2021

Lawyers for Brittany Higgins have confirmed they've served letters threatening to sue Linda Reynolds for defamation after the Defence Minister called Higgins a "lying cow."

Reynolds reportedly made the slur against Higgins on February 15 after her former staffer alleged that she was sexually assaulted in the minister's office in March 2019.

In a letter obtained by 7NEWS, Higgins' lawyers intend to sue Reynolds for "hurt and distress" caused by "malicious remarks" unless the minister makes a full public apology.

Lawyers for Higgins accuse the Senator of making a "demeaning and belittling" statement that was "highly defamatory".

"The cavalier manner in which those words were spoken make it plain that they were not spoken privately or in confidence," the letter states.

"You are also aware that this distasteful character assassination of our client has been republished widely, causing her immense hurt and distress.

"Our client is appalled that an apology has not been extended to her."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier on Thursday said Reynolds "deeply regretted" making the remarks.

He said she made the comment in her private office to staff members after "a stressful week".

"That doesn't excuse it, not for a second," he said.

"And she made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that."

Morrison said the comment was made following reports that Higgins didn't feel supported by the government following her alleged rape.

"She was not making those comments, as she said to me this morning, in relation to the allegation of sexual assault," he said.

"Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support.

"Clearly, over a period of time, there was a very different view about that."

Reynolds is facing calls to resign.

Senator Jacqui Lambie said on Thursday that Reynolds' career was "done."

"She will have to come out and she'll either have to defend herself or say whether or not she made those comments," Lambie told Sky News.

"If she did, she'll have to resign at the same time.

"I think Reynolds is gone.

"If she's not coming out and denying that and now she's trying to smooth it over ... her career is done."

Senior Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said it was "clearly not an acceptable comment," while independent MP Zali Steggall said Reynolds' position was now "untenable."

PM responds

However, Morrison said on Thursday that he did not expect Reynolds' resignation over the comment.

"She has deeply regretted them. She made them in a private office. She immediately apologised," he said.

Reynolds is currently on health leave after being admitted to hospital for a pre-existing condition.

She was discharged from hospital on Friday.

Higgins' lawyers are requesting "an immediate and unequivocal public withdrawal of your comments and apology to our client for the hurt and distress caused."

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

https://7news.com.au/politics/federal-politics/lawyers-for-brittany-higgins-serve-defamation-letters-to-Linda-Reynolds-after-lying-cow-comment-c-2286422.amp

#13065665 at 2021-02-28 03:28:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13065660

2/3

For good or ill, Higgins' claims were revealed in a carefully orchestrated media barrage which coincided with the first day of a parliamentary sitting fortnight. Central in these arrangements was Higgins' partner David Sharaz, a former SBS and Sky News journalist. Sharaz and Higgins cannot be criticised for choosing to deal with the issue and the media in this way. But it is reasonable to expect that journalists would be more open about the way this unfolded.

The context is important and would have been known by most of the gallery. Sharaz, who was a work colleague of mine for a time at Sky, discussed his role with me this week.

He and Higgins spent a month compiling and planning the revelations and chose to take the initial story to Lisa Wilkinson at Channel 10 and Samantha Maiden at news.com.au. Other media, including senior gallery reporters at the ABC and commercial media, were provided with a dossier, including a timeline, lists of people who were aware of the allegations, photos of Higgins with politicians, suggested events where networks might find video footage of her in their files, notes about meetings, and copies of emails, texts and other relevant communications.

The inescapable and presumably intended takeout from the dossier is that much was known by many and not enough was done. Yet this overlooks the crucial reality that until two weeks ago, Higgins demanded privacy and, although she met with police, had chosen not to pursue action.

Higgins and Sharaz wanted to ensure that journalists had supporting materials for these explosive revelations, and did not want to be overwhelmed with queries. Sharaz knew what it was like to open up; in 2018, he detailed personal traumas and mental health issues in The Canberra Times and espoused the benefits of confronting them publicly.

This background helps to explain how, seemingly out of the blue, a young woman's rape allegation became the dominant media and political issue of a sitting period in Canberra. Sharaz seems genuinely shocked at how all-consuming the controversy has become - and if he is surprised, then it must be worse for Higgins.

Their efforts have flushed out more information; journalists have probed other aspects of the case and brought to light crucial new facts, such as the repercussions among security staff and the prompt cleaning of the office. One concern will be whether the publicity compromises the investigative and judicial processes, a concern raised obliquely by AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw in his letter to the Prime Minister on Thursday.

The most important step in this case came on Wednesday when Higgins met with the AFP to reactivate an investigation. On the same day, her former employer, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, was hospitalised just hours before she was due to appear at the National Press Club, where she would have been questioned about the episode.

On April 1, 2019, nine days after the alleged crime, Higgins told Reynolds she was raped in her office. The alleged victim declined to pursue police action and asked for privacy, yet Reynolds has been widely criticised for not reporting the episode to others, including the Prime Minister.

This seems an extraordinary attack - to condemn someone for respecting the wishes of an alleged rape victim. The presumption of the media and political attack has been that a crime was committed, and it was not taken seriously enough.

On the ABC on Tuesday night, Leigh Sales asked Social Services Minister Anne Ruston: "Are you seriously saying if a serious crime was committed in your office in Parliament House that you wouldn't think that you were obliged to tell the Prime Minister?" The following night she asked the government's Senate leader, Simon Birmingham: "As a minister, if a criminal incident took place in your office, would you feel it your obligation to inform the Prime Minister?"

Such questioning either deliberately or unthinkingly ignores how the alleged victim had decided not to pursue police action - so there was no "crime" as such - and had understandably requested confidentiality. Under these circumstances, Reynolds could not have referred this ­matter to anyone.

The alleged perpetrator had lost his job for other, related reasons. Higgins' employment was continued and progressed.

(continued)

#13043731 at 2021-02-25 06:54:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
AFP writes to Scott Morrison to warn against delays in reporting allegations of criminal conduct

The letter from the Australian Federal Police commissioner comes in the wake of sexual assault allegations made by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

TOM STAYNER - 25 February 2021

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, warning that allegations of criminal conduct should be reported without delay.

His letter comes in the wake of serious allegations made by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who says she was raped inside Parliament House in March 2019.

The Morrison government has been sharply criticised for its handling of the allegations, including apparent failures to report the accusations to Mr Morrison.

"I cannot state strongly enough the importance of timely referrals of allegations of criminal conduct," Mr Kershaw said.

"Failure to report alleged criminal behaviour in this manner, or choosing to communicate or disseminate allegations via other means, such as through the media or third parties, risks prejudicing any subsequent police investigation.

"Any delay in reporting criminal conduct can result in the loss of key evidence, continuation of the offending and/or reoffending by the alleged perpetrator."

Ms Higgins chose not to take a complaint over the alleged incident further with police at the time over concerns this would impact her career.

Mr Kershaw said members, senators and their offices should refer any such matters referred to them "taking into account the rights and privacy of the victim".

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister says he requested the letter from the AFP commissioner so guidance could be provided to MPs and Senators.

Mr Morrison has also written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President asking for Commissioner Kershaw's advice to be circulated among politicians.

"As we all appreciate, these are serious and traumatic events for anyone to deal with," he said.

"The events of the past fortnight have demonstrated why it is so important that all Members and Senators are informed of their responsibilities in these situations, both to provide compassionate support to those who are affected and to ensure that we uphold the rule of law in dealing with these issues."

A number of federal government ministers were aware of the allegations before they were made public last week.

Ms Higgins's employer at the time of the alleged rape, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, has since apologised over her handling of the alleged incident.

She says she encouraged Ms Higgins to go to the police when she learned of the alleged crime - as does Ms Higgins' next boss Michaelia Cash.

Mr Morrison has consistently said his office first knew of the allegation on 12 February but his staff then took almost three days to notify him.

He has expressed disappointment that cabinet ministers did not notify him about the alleged incident earlier.

Ms Higgins has since reinstated her formal police complaint over the alleged incident.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/afp-writes-to-scott-morrison-to-warn-against-delays-in-reporting-allegations-of-criminal-conduct

#13036769 at 2021-02-24 07:25:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Brittany Higgins makes formal police complaint about alleged rape at Parliament House

abc.net.au - 24 February 2021

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has made a formal complaint to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) about her alleged rape in March 2019.

Ms Higgins alleges she was sexually assaulted by a colleague inside then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds's office two years ago.

The ABC has been told she has now reported the alleged assault to police.

Ms Higgins originally met with the AFP shortly after the incident but asked officers not to pursue an investigation in April 2019.

Last week she said she decided not to push forward with the complaint at the time because she was made to feel that it would affect her job.

But on Friday she revealed she would re-engage with police, saying she had "waited a long time for justice" and wanted the alleged perpetrator to "face the full force of the law".

"Firstly, I want a comprehensive police investigation into what happened to me ... and for my perpetrator to face the full force of the law," she said.

Earlier today Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton revealed to Parliament he was only notified by the AFP about the alleged rape a few days before Ms Higgins went public.

Under its guidelines, the AFP has to report "politically sensitive" investigations to the Home Affairs Minister.

Ms Higgins has called for major changes to the way federal political staffers are treated and how complaints at Parliament House are handled.

"I was failed repeatedly but I now have my voice and I am determined to use it to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again," she said.

As well as her formal police complaint, a number of investigations have been sparked in the wake of her allegations.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked for a review into what support is available to political staffers and what processes are in place for dealing with complaints, as well as a cross-party independent review into the workplace culture at Parliament House and what can be done to improve it.

Mr Morrison has also ordered an internal investigation into who in his office knew about the allegations, and when.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-24/brittany-higgins-makes-formal-police-complaint-alleged-rape/13189046

#13036188 at 2021-02-24 04:34:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Linda Reynolds admitted to hospital, cancels Press Club appearance

FINN MCHUGH - FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Under-fire senator Linda Reynolds has been admitted to hospital and cancelled a highly anticipated appearance at the National Press Club in the wake of the Parliament House rape allegation scandal.

The Defence Minister was set to face a grilling from journalists on Wednesday over her handling of Brittany Higgins' rape claim.

Ms Higgins, a former staffer to Ms Reynolds, alleged she was raped in the Minister's office by a colleague in 2019.

A statement from Ms Reynolds said she would take a period of medical leave.

"This follows advice from her cardiologist relating to a pre-existing medical condition," the statement read.

"As a precautionary measure, Minister Reynolds has this morning been admitted to a Canberra Hospital."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison phoned Ms Reynolds to "express his concern and sympathy, and wish her a quick recovery".

Health Minister Greg Hunt denied the revelation was an attempt to dodge the Press Club grilling.

"Linda was desperate to appear before the national Press Club today, desperate to appear," he said.

"And it was only on the strongest medical advice that she took the reluctant decision not to do it."

Ms Reynolds has faced a week on intense scrutiny over the rape allegation, after failing to disclose the information to the prime minister.

She has consistently cited Ms Higgins' privacy to dodge questions over her timeline of events.

She broke down in the Senate question time on Friday, asking to take an unrelated question on notice.

Mr Hunt said on Wednesday Ms Reynolds was "a good person" and called on reporters to show "compassion ... (and) focus on the needs of others".

"We have to remind ourselves that this is the most intense, arguably, environment in Australia," he said.

"There are many intense environments, and all of us need to be aware of the pressures and pains, the impact of each of us on each other.

"She is a good person and so she needs our support. She has our support."

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne will act on her behalf until she returns to work.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/Linda-Reynolds-admitted-to-hospital-cancels-press-club-appearance/news-story/11326876235276bb79d103e46ffdb691

#13029324 at 2021-02-23 08:40:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
'Not a nice person': Man accused of Parliament rape stood down from current job

Katina Curtis, Nick Bonyhady and Alexandra Smith - February 23, 2021

1/2

The former Liberal staffer accused of rape by three women and sexual harassment by another has checked himself into a private clinic after being stood aside from his job at a large corporation.

Former government staffer Brittany Higgins has alleged the man raped her in the office of their boss, then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, in March 2019, three weeks after she started the job. Three other women have since come forward with allegations of assault or harassment by the same man.

Ms Higgins intends to make a formal statement to police on Wednesday afternoon to reactivate an investigation into the incident.

Numerous former employers, colleagues, and university peers have described the man as ambitious, self-important and "a real lad's lad" but said they were shocked by the revelations of the past week.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have confirmed the man is in a private rehabilitation clinic, days after staying overnight in a Sydney hospital.

A spokesman for the large corporation has confirmed the former staffer started working for the company in July 2020. He would not confirm whether the company was asking its staff if they had experienced any misconduct.

"Given the nature of your inquiry it is not appropriate to comment further," the spokesman said.

Since Ms Higgins went public with her allegations last Monday, The Australian has reported two more women have made allegations of sexual assault by the same man, one relating to an incident during the 2016 federal election campaign and the other in 2020. On Monday, ABC's Four Corners reported another woman had made a complaint to police over the weekend alleging the same man had stroked her thigh under the table at Canberra bar Public in 2017.

The man worked for four federal Coalition politicians over four years before landing in Senator Reynolds' office.

One former politician who knew the man, but spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the man was among the ranks of staffers who filled the corridors of Parliament House "like clones with their pointy shoes and skinny ties".

Another politician said the man was "uber-ambitious" and had moved on quickly to another job, giving only one day's notice of his departure.

Ms Higgins said last week the alleged perpetrator had been a "rising star" in Senator Reynolds' office and a favourite of the minister, but others painted a picture of a man who had moved swiftly between offices.

One said he had been reasonably good at his job but probably a rising star only in his own mind.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have established the name of the alleged rapist but have chosen not to name him on legal grounds. In a series of interviews with politicians and advisers, those who knew him in Parliament House described him as ambitious but relatively junior.

He began his career in Parliament as a staff member for a Coalition backbencher in 2014 before moving into a low-ranked position in a cabinet minister's office, where colleagues said he manned the front desk and answered phone calls.

By the end of 2017 he had moved out of the cabinet minister's office and into a position with a minister outside cabinet, a transfer that did not appear to be a promotion. He moved quickly to another minister's office before joining Senator Reynolds.

Senator Reynolds became assistant minister for home affairs at the end of August 2018, starting a process to hire her first ministerial team. She was made minister for defence industry the following March, then Defence Minister in May.

The staffer was sacked on March 26, 2019, four days after the alleged rape, for breaching security at the office.

(continued)

#13020751 at 2021-02-22 07:13:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>13016686
Fourth woman makes complaint about former staffer who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins

Louise Milligan - 22 February 2021

A fourth woman has made an allegation about the man at the centre of what is currently Australia's biggest political scandal - the alleged rape of former staffer Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House.

The woman, who made a formal report at a police station in Canberra on Sunday, has come forward after Ms Higgins alleged last week that she was raped in the office of the then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds after drinks with the man in March 2019.

Two other women - a Liberal staffer and a former Coalition volunteer - also made allegations to The Australian newspaper that they were sexually assaulted by the same former staffer.

The fourth woman, who for now wishes to remain anonymous, told the ABC that when she learned the identity of Ms Higgins's alleged rapist through staffer networks, she winced - she remembered him as being "really sleazy".

Socialising after work in 2017 with colleagues at Canberra's Public Bar, the favoured drinking hole of the political class, the woman said she was startled when the man who would later be identified as the staffer who allegedly raped Ms Higgins reached his hand under the table and stroked her thigh.

The woman said this was completely uninvited and the incident made her angry.

She said it wasn't the first time she received unwanted attention or advances from men she worked with at Parliament, and it wasn't the last.

"By that time, I was just so used to sexual harassment I just brushed it off," she said.

She made her statement late yesterday afternoon at a local police station, and says within the hour she had been telephoned by a detective from the Australian Federal Police's Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team.

She says the officer asked her to come in and make a formal statement later in the week.

The woman said she was coming forward to support Brittany Higgins because, now that Ms Higgins has called in police, she knows what a hard road lies ahead in the criminal justice system.

Ms Higgins has said she felt pressure not to proceed with a formal complaint for fear of losing her job.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised for the way the matter was handled and said he had asked his staff what they knew about the incident.

These latest allegations follow a Four Corners report in November about the culture of Parliament House, including unrelated allegations against two government ministers.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-22/fourth-woman-accuses-staffer-in-brittany-higgins-case/13178190

—

Brittany Higgins: Fourth woman comes forward about former Liberal staffer

news.com.au

22 Feb 2021

A fourth former Liberal staffer has accused the man who Brittany Higgins said assaulted her of making unwelcome advances in a bar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNPaUHv1VA

#13016686 at 2021-02-21 17:54:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Third woman alleges sex assault by staffer as Brittany Higgins to make formal statement to police

MICHAEL MCKENNA and ROSIE LEWIS - FEBRUARY 21, 2021

1/2

A third woman alleges she was sexually assaulted almost five years ago by the same former Morrison government adviser accused of the 2019 rape of a female colleague in Parliament House.

The woman, a Coalition volunteer during the 2016 election campaign, alleged she was assaulted after a night drinking with the then political staffer.

The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity but supported her allegations with a statutory declaration, said she was barely out of school when she went out with campaign volunteers just days before the election.

The Australian has agreed to withhold the city and location of the alleged incident to prevent the woman from being identified.

The new claim comes as Brittany Higgins - who alleges she was raped in the office of -Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019 - prepares to make a statement to the Australian Federal Police on Wednesday.

Ms Higgins accused Scott Morrison last week of using "victim blaming" language and felt she had been forced to choose between reporting the allegations and keeping her job.

Senator Reynolds and the Prime Minister's Office have been engulfed in a political crisis for days over when they first found about the rape allegations and what they did to assist Ms Higgins.

There are now several inquiries into the workplace culture in parliament and in the Coalition.

According to the account of the latest woman to come forward, the former male staffer - who was working in a minister's office - bought several rounds of "double strength" vodkas and three tequila shots for the woman over the course of a night. She says she had never been drunk before and vomited in the nightclub bathroom. Soon after she was alone with the staffer and told him she was going to call an Uber and go home.

According to her account, the then staffer told her his hotel was "around the comer" and he could "look after me". They went back to his room and, while laying on his bed, she passed out.

She alleges that she woke up, with her button-up blouse opened and her jeans pushed down and the staffer "lying on top of me" although she can't be clear as to whether he was "conscious or sleeping". She fled the room and went to the hotel lobby toilet and noticed "I was bleeding", before going home.

"I believe his actions on the night of 29 June and the morning of 30 June constitute sexual assault, because he performed or tried to perform sexual acts on me whilst I was severely intoxicated and unable to provide valid and informed consent,'' she said.

The young woman - who had not had sex before - did not go to police or tell friends or family.

"I was severely embarrassed about it and felt dirty and ashamed and I didn't want to tell anyone,'' she told The Australian.

"I later realised I was so drunk, I was not able to give any consent.

"Hearing Brittany Higgins' story, it was so eerily similar, it made me think this person has a pattern of behaviour.''

(continued)

#13003107 at 2021-02-19 21:32:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
New allegations: former Liberal adviser 'raped' second woman

MICHAEL MCKENNA and ROSIE LEWIS - FEBRUARY 19, 2021

1/2

A second woman has come ­forward to allege she was sexually assaulted late last year by the same former Morrison government ­adviser ­accused of raping a junior female colleague in the Parliament House office of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

The woman, a former Liberal staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she would not have suffered her alleged assault if the government had supported the original complainant over her alleged rape. "If this had been properly dealt with by the government in 2019 this would not have happened to me,'' she said.

"I am telling my story because I want to support Brittany (Higgins) and I want to help shine a light on this awful culture."

A family friend of the woman told The Weekend Australian that the woman had made the same ­allegations to her in the weeks after the alleged incident.

Ms Higgins publicly disclosed the alleged March 2019 rape on Monday, and said she felt she was forced to choose between reporting it to police or keeping her job.

She has since accused Scott Morrison of "victim blaming" and on Friday said she had asked the Australian Federal Police to proceed with a complaint against the alleged perpetrator.

An internal inquiry into whether anyone in the Prime Minister's office knew about the alleged rape before February 12 has narrowed to focus on three of his most senior aides, including his chief of staff and principal private secretary.

The Prime Minister has also asked Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Philip Gaetjens to look into an explosive text message, revealed in The Australian, that cast doubt on his claim his office first found out about the alleged sexual assault on that date.

Mr Gaetjens is expected to question at least three senior staffers who Ms Higgins claims had prior knowledge of her alleged rape, government sources said.

The staffers are Mr Morrison's chief of staff, John Kunkel, his principal private secretary, Yaron Finkelstein, and senior adviser ­Julian Leembruggen.

The second woman, who asked not to be identified, said she had met Senator Reynolds' former ­adviser during the 2016 federal election campaign. Following Ms Higgins' alleged rape, the man was sacked and employed in the private sector. But the pair had kept in contact and met again last year.

"We went out to dinner and he kept buying me drinks, and I'm a lightweight when it comes to that,'' she said. "We went back to my place and we were kissing ... we were going to have sex and I said he had to wear a condom. He refused and we argued and I told him five or six times that we couldn't have sex unless he wore a condom. I was drunk and he just got on top of me, I said no, and then he was ­inside of me and I kept saying no."

The woman said the man left in the early hours of the morning and she later consulted her doctor.

The Weekend Australian could not reach the alleged perpetrator on Friday.

(continued)

#12996560 at 2021-02-19 08:16:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins takes rape complaint to AFP

ROSIE LEWIS - FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer who was allegedly raped in a ministerial office at Parliament House, has "re-engaged" with the Australian Federal Police to proceed with a formal complaint against her alleged perpetrator.

Five days after she went public with her story, which has embroiled the Morrison government, Ms Higgins said she expected the AFP would handle her complaint "in a timely manner" and demanded she be able to participate in drafting the terms of reference for an independent review in parliament's workplace culture.

Ms Higgins alleges she was sexually assaulted in then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' parliamentary suite on March 23, 2019, after a night out drinking.

She made a complaint to police soon after but did not pursue it, saying she felt her job with the Liberal Party would be put at risk.

"Today I have re-engaged with Australian Federal Police and will proceed with a formal complaint regarding the crime committed against me in what should be the safest building in Australia," she said.

"By publicly coming forward with my experience in Parliament House, I've sought to achieve two things. Firstly, I want a comprehensive police investigation into what happened to me on 22/23 March 2019 and for my perpetrator to face the full force of the law.

"The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently. I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date, I have waited a long time for justice.

"Secondly, given my experience, I am determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally."

As Special Minister of State Simon Birmingham prepares to meet with Labor and the crossbench next week to begin work on establishing the independent review into parliament, Ms Higgins said she expected a "truly independent" investigation to what happened to her, including how her alleged rape was handled by her employers and by other offices and parties that had knowledge of her circumstances.

"I believe that getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores the trust of staff," she said.

"In addition to an independent investigation into what happened to me, I demand a significant review into the conditions under which ministerial and parliamentary staff are employed and how we can do better.

"Political advisers have very few protections, resources and confidential reporting mechanisms to address any workplace issues. They are not public servants and work in an extremely high-pressure environment.

"Too often, a toxic workplace culture can emerge that enables inappropriate conduct and this is exacerbated by the disparity in the power dynamics.

"How ministerial and parliamentary staff are treated is a bipartisan issue that impacts staff from across the political spectrum and must be treated as such."

Ms Higgins said she would use the "agency" given to her this week - and which Scott Morrison said she should have - to work on the independent review of parliament's workplace culture.

"(I) have advised the Prime Minister's office that I expect a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff. It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with just what happened to me, and how the system let me down," she said.

"From the outset, I have driven by my desire to ensure that no other person would have to go through the trauma that I experienced during my time in Parliament House.

"I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again."

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, who employed Ms Higgins after the 2019 election, said she offered in early February this year to go with her to the police and to the Prime Minister's office after learning about the alleged rape but she did not want to.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/exliberal-staffer-brittany-higgins-takes-rape-complaint-to-afp/news-story/06f7ef4816f20f4a10b5bff8f0984240

https://origin.go.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/STATEMENT-FROM-BRITTANY-HIGGINS.pdf

#12941532 at 2021-02-16 04:21:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12941464
Brittany Higgins alleged rape: Parliament office steam cleaned after alleged attack

The Department of Finance sent in the cleaners to the office where a staffer was found half-naked on the couch, sparking a police inquiry.

Samantha Maiden - FEBRUARY 16, 2021

1/2

The Department of Finance sent in the cleaners to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' office after a Liberal staffer was found half-naked on the couch sparking a police inquiry into whether there had been an attempt to "interfere with a suspected crime scene."

News.com.au has confirmed that police investigated the matter after concerns were raised about the decision to send in the cleaners on the same day the woman, 24-year-old Brittany Higgins, was found in a disorientated state.

But the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) says the Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation found that because it did not know at the time it was a potential sexual assault that no "criminality" was involved in the clean.

Ms Higgins alleges she was raped in the then Defence Industry Minister's office by another Liberal staffer after a night out drinking.

News.com.au raised questions with Parliament's presiding officers about the clean after being contacted by a whistleblower who claimed the office was "steam cleaned" on the day of the incident.

"The AFP has advised DPS that it had conducted enquiries into the action of DPS staff in the initial handling of the incident, including whether there was any criminality identified, such as attempts to conceal or interfere with a suspected crime scene,'' the DPS spokesman told news.com.au

"The AFP advised that there were no disclosures of sexual assault made by the complainant on the day of the incident and therefore actions taken by them (DPS) were not in response with a suspected crime".

The DPS also reveals in the statement that they entered the office of the then Defence Industry Minister on the weekend to clean it "at the request of the Department of Finance" which is responsible for managing the ministerial wing.

This was immediately after the DPS informed the Department of Finance that two staffers had been found after hours in breach of the rules.

"DPS advised the Department of Finance, administrator of the Ministerial Wing of APH, on the morning of the incident,'' a DPS spokesman told news.com.au.

"At the request of the Department of Finance, DPS cleaners were granted access to the suite to conduct a routine office clean on the late afternoon of 23 March 2019.

Despite claims that the finance department told Senator Reynolds' office that an ambulance was offered to Ms Higgins, the DPS said this was not the case.

"DPS is not aware of any ambulance being offered. DPS has had extensive consultation with the AFP on this matter,'' a spokesman said.

This new account accords with Ms Brittany's own recollection that she was never offered medical assistance or an ambulance.

(continued)

#12941464 at 2021-02-16 04:14:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Parliament Rape Claim Roils Australian Government

A former government staff member said she had been made to choose between going to the police and keeping her job. Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized.

Livia Albeck-Ripka - Feb. 15, 2021

1/2

MELBOURNE, Australia - A former government staff member's account of being raped in Australia's Parliament building sent shock waves through the country's halls of power on Monday, with the governing conservative party coming under intense criticism for the way it had handled the case.

Women's rights advocates called it an extreme example of what has long been described as a culture of misogyny that has pushed several women out of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's coalition government.

They said the case reflected an environment that was stubbornly resistant to change driven by the global #MeToo movement, one where men make sexist remarks about women's appearance and bully female co-workers, or worse.

The former staff member, Brittany Higgins, now 26, said she was attacked nearly two years ago after a night out drinking with colleagues. Ms. Higgins, who came forward in an interview published on the news site news.com.au on Monday, had been weeks into a new job as a media adviser for the defense minister, Linda Reynolds.

She said she had been offered a ride home by a male colleague widely regarded as a rising star within the Liberal Party. Instead, he redirected the taxi driver to Parliament House, where, she said, he assaulted her after she had fallen asleep on a couch in the defense minister's office.

Ms. Higgins, who told news.com.au that she had been drinking heavily that night, woke up "mid-rape," she said. She told her assailant to stop, but he did not look at her, she said. She has not publicly identified the man.

She said she had quickly informed Ms. Reynolds, along with more than a dozen others, including Parliament House staff members.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologized for the way her case was handled, telling reporters: "This should not be an environment where a young woman can find herself in such a vulnerable situation. That is not OK."

In response to a phone call from The New York Times, Ms. Higgins's partner relayed comments from her by email. Ms. Higgins said that although she had initially pursued charges with the police, she later dropped them because of internal pressure from the party. She said she had been made to choose between going to the police and keeping her job.

"They intentionally made me feel as if I was going to lose my job so I wouldn't go to the police," Ms. Higgins wrote. "They were trying to silence me, and I think that's so wrong," she added, describing a workplace where victims were often blamed when they spoke out. "It was so gross, and it was so disparaging," she added.

Documents reviewed by The Times confirmed that Ms. Higgins had ceased pursuing the case with the police in April 2019, citing "current workplace demands."

The case remains open, but it is not under active investigation given that there has been no formal complaint from Ms. Higgins, according to the police in the Australian Capital Territory.

(continued)

#12917421 at 2021-02-13 22:05:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12836590
>>12836663
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Touch down! @USMC personnel from the tenth Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) have landed in the NT. Personnel will quarantine at a defence facility & undergo #COVID19 testing before commencing training with #YourADF. Around 2,200 MRF-D will arrive in Darwin by June.

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1360187881621311495

#12836663 at 2021-02-06 03:09:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

>>12836590
Arrival of the 2021 Marine Rotational Force-Darwin

6 February 2021

United States Marines from the tenth Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) will soon begin arriving in Darwin. They are the first group arriving in the Northern Territory over the next five months. Each group to arrive will be between 200-500 personnel.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the rotation would build on the success of last year's modified deployment.

"The ability for this year's MRF-D to go ahead under challenging global circumstances, is a testament to the endurance and adaptability of the Australia-US Alliance," Minister Reynolds said.

"The annual rotation demonstrates Australia's and the United States' commitment to Indo-Pacific stability and security.

"The MRF-D and Australian Defence Force (ADF) will conduct a comprehensive range of training activities, including humanitarian assistance, security operations and high-end live-fire exercises.

"COVID-19 permitting, the ADF and MRF-D will also train with partner countries throughout the year, including exercise Talisman Sabre. These opportunities are a priority for the US Force Posture Initiatives, developing people-to-people links, interoperability and the sharing of expertise."

A total of around 2,200 personnel will arrive in Darwin by June.

The procedures for managing the MRF-D's arrival, quarantine and possible cases of COVID-19 have been developed and agreed in full consultation with NT Health authorities and will strictly adhere to all Australian Government requirements to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Measures in place include:

- A comprehensive COVID-19 risk management plan, agreed to by the Northern Territory Chief Health Officer;

- All US personnel undergoing COVID-19 testing within 72 hours of departure for Australia and presenting a negative result before boarding;

- All US personnel completing mandatory 14-day quarantine, including COVID-19 testing on arrival in Australia and again before exiting quarantine; and

- MRF-D and ADF medical personnel monitoring the health of personnel.

To accommodate the US Marines this year, the MRF-D has leased a secure facility outside Darwin for the majority of personnel to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine. However, the first two groups will quarantine in isolated accommodation on a Defence base.

The use of the leased facility and Defence base will ensure the MRF-D's arrival has no impact on repatriating Australians from overseas, which remains a key national priority for the Australian Government.

"Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner and I have discussed the extensive arrangements that have been put in place to manage the risk of COVID-19. I have also reaffirmed the Morrison Government's commitment to Defence investment in the Northern Territory," Minister Reynolds said.

"I thank the Northern Territory Government for their continued support in facilitating these strategically important activities for our nation."

The extent of COVID-19 mitigations implemented underscores the seriousness with which the Australian, Northern Territory and US Governments are prioritising the health and safety of all Australians.

"Additionally, this year marks 10 years since the United States Force Posture Initiatives were announced by Australia and the United States, and 70 years of the ANZUS treaty. During my discussions with Secretary Austin last week, I conveyed that my focus for this year included progressing bilateral force posture initiatives," Minister Reynolds said.

The MRF-D's arrival will have no impact on the return of Australians from overseas, and Defence is working closely with other relevant government agencies to ensure no disruption to repatriation efforts.

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lReynolds/media-releases/arrival-2021-marine-rotational-force-darwin


>Talisman Sabre

>Magic Sword

#12836590 at 2021-02-06 03:03:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Thousands of US marines to touch down in Darwin before June 2021

Lauren Roberts - 6 February 2021

Thousands of US marines will begin arriving in the Northern Territory within days as part of an annual training rotation, the Department of Defence has confirmed.

About 2,200 marines will arrive in Darwin from the United States between now and June this year, arriving in batches of 200-500 marines.

The Department of Defence says each marine will have to do a coronavirus test within 72 hours of their departure and show a negative result before boarding the plane to Australia.

After they touch down in the Northern Territory, the marines will have to do another COVID-19 test and then undertake 14 days of quarantine. Before leaving quarantine, each person will be tested again for COVID-19.

To accommodate the large group, the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) unit has rented a secure facility outside the NT capital for most of the US arrivals to quarantine in.

The first two groups, however, will quarantine in isolated accommodation on an unnamed Australian Defence base.

Earlier this year, the use of a Darwin CBD hotel as a quarantine facility for international military arrivals was the subject of significant criticism from health groups, including the Australian Medical Association and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the use of the leased facility and Defence base would ensure the marines' arrival had no impact on repatriating Australians from overseas, which remained a key national priority for the Australian Government.

Ms Reynolds said the rotation would build on the success of last year's modified deployment.

In 2020, the annual rotation of marines was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, and a modified rotation of about 1,200 - roughly half the usual numbers - trained in the Northern Territory.

"The ability for this year's MRF-D to go ahead under challenging global circumstances, is a testament to the endurance and adaptability of the Australia-US Alliance," Ms Reynolds said.

While in the Northern Territory, the US marines and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will do training activities including security operations and high-end live-fire exercises.

"COVID-19 permitting, the ADF and MRF-D will also train with partner countries throughout the year, including exercise Talisman Sabre," Ms Reynolds said

Exercise Talisman Saber is the largest bilateral combined training activity between the US and Australian militaries and is planned to run from June to August this year along the Queensland coast.

The arrival of the 2021 cohort will be the 10th annual rotation of US marines in Darwin.

MRF-D Commanding Officer Colonel David Banning described the alliance between the US and Australia as "outstanding".

"We are excited to commemorate the 10th anniversary with two highly capable and interoperable forces that advance our shared goals, demonstrate the strength and endurance of our alliance, and contribute to regional security," he said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-06/united-states-marines-to-arrive-in-darwin-amid-coronavirus/13128778

#11829981 at 2020-11-29 17:46:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11829964

2/2

The Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force inquiry undertaken by NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton found the alleged murders involving 25 current or former ADF personnel did not take place in "the heat of battle" and were instead the result of a perverted "warrior culture".

While there was no credible information that troop, squadron and task group commanders knew or suspected that a particular alleged war crime was occurring, Justice Brereton concluded they should "bear moral command responsibility and accountability for what happened under their command and control".

The report notes that "some domestic commanders of (the) SASR bear significant responsibility for contributing to the environment in which war crimes were committed" by allowing a "warrior culture" to develop.

At least 30 senior officers occupied command roles over the course of the war, either in Afghanistan or in Australia as SOCAUST or SASR commanders. The Brereton report found responsibility for the alleged war crimes he identified "does not extend to higher headquarters", including the position of Middle East commander held by General Campbell from 2011-12. Defence last week issued "show cause" notices to 13 SASR soldiers implicated in alleged war crimes identified in the Brereton report - a right of reply before they are sacked.

But a Defence spokeswoman on Sunday said it would take time to deal fully with the complex matters set out in the report. "Where the inquiry report identifies credible information of alleged misconduct, disciplinary or administrative action may be taken," she said.

"This may include actions to address command responsibility, culture, leadership and accountability at all levels in the chain of command."

A spokesman for Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the process "requires comprehensive consultation across government and relevant agencies".

The now-retired Major General Sengelman, who declined to comment, identified cultural and command problems in SASR soon after he took the role of SOCAUST in December 2014 and relayed them to Lieutenant General David Morrison, the then-chief of army.

In an email to General Morrison in May 2015, General Sengelman warned of "serious endemic problems" with SOCOMD.

"This exposes Defence to a risk of not being able to undertake the range of special operations missions required to support Australia's national interests," General Sengelman wrote.

In a September 2015 letter to General Campbell, General Sengelman noted a longstanding culture of alcohol abuse in SASR had been tolerated by commanders. It included anonymous comments volunteered by soldiers detailing "systemic" consumption of alcohol on operations by soldiers and senior officers, and revealed the existence of an on-base pub known as the Fat Lady's Arms.

One soldier said: "I drank alcohol contrary to army policy ... I witnessed this behaviour at all levels of command and therefore was not of the opinion that what I was doing was wrong."

The ADF has already abolished the SASR's troubled 2 Squadron - one of four - after it was singled out amid.

But the Prime Minister said last week he wanted accountability not only for individual alleged war crimes "but also in the chain of command". "That's what I've made very clear through the Defence Minister, who has made that point to both the Chief of the Defence Force as well as the oversight panel," Mr Morrison said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/exsas-leaders-face-scrutiny-by-defence-chief-angus-campbell/news-story/b701fa2789f6c8d67e2fb9e626af98d8

#11702983 at 2020-11-19 06:18:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11702658
Tweet

@ARG_AFG - Official Account of the Office of the President of Afghanistan - ARG Presidential Palace.

President Ashraf Ghani and Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia spoke by phone today.

https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG/status/1329088770260365314

—

In this telephone call, the Prime Minister of Australia expressed his deepest sorrow over the misconduct by some Australian troops in Afghanistan and assured the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan of the investigations and to ensuring justice.

https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG/status/1329088773267681283

—

Also, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has extended apologies for the misconduct identified by the inquiry, by some Australian military personnel in Afghanistan.

https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG/status/1329088775616532480

—

The letter reads, "The Australian Minister for Defense, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC and the Chief of the Defense Force, General Angus Campbell AO DSC, are now considering the inquiry's extensive findings and recommendations and will make public statements subsequently."

https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG/status/1329088778003103745

#11610740 at 2020-11-12 17:50:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Ten SAS soldiers under investigation by war crimes investigators over 12 Afghan deaths

1/2

Federal police, Commonwealth prosecutors and a special counsel appointed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison will investigate the summary execution of at least 12 Afghan non-combatants or prisoners in what is shaping to be among the most complex law enforcement inquiries in Australian history.

Allegations about the conduct of an estimated 10 Australian Special Air Services Regiment (SAS) veterans who served in Afghanistan, including five still-serving members, have been or will soon be referred to authorities, according to Defence sources and special forces insiders.

But it is unclear how many commandos - another arm of Australia's special forces - will be referred to police as a result of the recently completed four-year investigation by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have previously reported that a former commando confessed to executing a prisoner in southern Afghanistan in 2012.

The investigation, conducted by senior judge Paul Brereton, canvassed alleged war crimes committed by special forces troops between 2005 and 2016. A public summary, which names no individual soldiers, is set to be released by Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell next week.

Special forces sources who are not authorised to speak publicly have confirmed that the inquiry heard a number of confessions from soldiers. This poses a potentially significant but not insurmountable challenge for investigators seeking to turn Justice Brereton's findings into evidence that can be admitted to court in a criminal prosecution. Confessions obtained during compulsory questioning, and evidence derived from these confessions, cannot be used to prosecute the confessor in Australian law, but witness testimony can be used in future trials.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday that the government would appoint a special investigator to work with police and prosecutors overseeing the cases to be referred by Justice Brereton. The appointment acknowledges the limitations of evidence collected by the Inspector-General.

Mr Morrison also said any soldiers subject to the allegations needed to face the consequences, and it was also important to hold those accountable up the chain of command who had "responsibility for the environment in which those Australians served".

Mr Morrison said Australian Defence Force personnel had a lot to be proud of and it was important all members were not tarnished by the report. But he said the high standards and respect for the ADF "requires us to deal with honest and brutal truths". Mr Morrison said Australia needed to have a "deep respect for justice and the rule of law".

In 2018, then chief of the Defence Force Mark Binskin referred Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith for investigation by the federal police, which recently submitted a brief of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. The DPP is assessing whether the war hero should be charged.

Mr Roberts-Smith, who denies wrongdoing and has launched defamation proceedings against The Age and Herald, will be among the SAS figures referred to the special investigator, special forces sources said.

On Thursday evening, Mr Roberts-Smith released a statement that falsely asserted that a "member of the media" triggered the police taskforces into his alleged war crimes. In fact, Air Chief Marshal Binskin referred Mr Roberts-Smith to the AFP following an earlier referral the Defence chief received about the VC's recipient's alleged criminal conduct from Justice Brereton.

Mr Roberts-Smith's statement also sought to dismiss Justice Brereton's inquiry as founded in "rumours", despite the senior judge conducting more than 350 interviews on oath and examining thousands of classified documents. He welcomed the announcement by Mr Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, saying it was "heartening" that the matters would be examined by a special investigator's office.

(continued)

#11606206 at 2020-11-12 09:10:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

>>11606201

2/2

During the defamation hearings, Nine detailed two new allegations implicating Mr Roberts-Smith in the execution of two Afghan prisoners during SASR missions in August and October 2012.

Mr Roberts-Smith told The Australian newspaper in June that he also denied these claims and accused Fairfax of changing their story on the death of Ali Jan.

"In relation to Syahchow they purport to rely in a brief outline from a soldier (Person 66) who we believe has never spoken to Fairfax,'' Mr Roberts-Smith said. "Fairfax have given not evidence to explain how this allegation suddenly fell into their lap.''

This week, the Federal Court ordered Ben Roberts-Smith to hand over confidential documents relating to the defence force inquiry into alleged war crimes as part of the defamation case he brought against three newspapers.

Mr Roberts-Smith is suing The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times over reports his lawyers have argued falsely painted him as a murderous war criminal during his time as a Special Air Service soldier in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

Nine had sought access to documents revealing if Mr Roberts-Smith had received a Potentially Affected Persons notice (PAP notice) from the inquiry.

But the ADF inquiry and Mr Roberts-Smith, fought against the documents' release, arguing it could prejudice the inquiry.

On November 11, Federal Court Justice Craig Colvin dismissed this argument ruling the "risk was low" of that occurring if the documents were properly handled.

The journalist who wrote the story, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie took to social media on Wednesday to claim the decision "outed" Mr Roberts-Smith as a target of the inquiry.

"Big news. Alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith VC ordered by judge to disclose files he fought hard to keep secret,'' he said.

"They detail adverse findings made by war crime probe. RS' own defamation action has now outed himself as Brereton inquiry and AFP target. Stunning."

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed a special investigator will be appointed to consider allegations of war crimes by Australia's soldiers in the Middle East following the completion of a long-running defence investigation into the claims. The conduct of more than 30 individuals will be investigated in the report.

The final report from IGADF will be released next week, after a four-year inquiry examining the conduct of the special forces in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

"This is going to be very difficult for Australians. It is going to be very difficult for our serving community and our veterans community,'' Mr Morrison said.

"It is going to be difficult for all of us. But what we are seeking to do, as a government, I think what we have to do as a country, is to absorb this in a way that enables us to uphold the integrity of our justice system and uphold the integrity of our defence forces. We rely vitally on both of these institutions, absolutely vitally.

"Given the likely allegations of serious and possibly criminal misconduct, the matters raised in the inquiry must be assessed, investigated and where allegations are substantiated, prosecuted in court. To undertake this role, the government is establishing the Office of the Special Investigator."

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds confirmed the scandal could involve stripping soldiers of medals if misconduct is proven and they are ultimately convicted of crimes.

She said the Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell is "considering all of those options".

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/ben-robertssmith-confirms-bombshell-investigation/news-story/403a613d014eff3d7e44faae9ad711ff

#11604576 at 2020-11-12 05:34:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Chief investigator appointed to probe alleged Australian war crimes

A special investigator will be appointed to prosecute alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, as the Australian government considers its response to a four-year investigation into the allegations.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force's report, to be released next week in a redacted form, will be "difficult and hard news for Australians".

At least 55 separate incidents have been probed as part of the exhaustive four-year probe that has interviewed more than 330 witnesses.

Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell confirmed last week he had received the Inspector-General's report, which canvasses alleged war crimes committed by special forces troops between 2005 and 2016.

The Office of the Special Investigator will be appointed to drive prosecutions of Australian special forces soldiers who allegedly committed war crimes during the Afghanistan conflict.

The new office, which will be based in the Department of Home Affairs, is being established so that the AFP is not overly burdened and resources are taken away from its other tasks. Home Affairs will be involved in setting it up the independent body, but the department will not be involved in decisions about laying charges.

The AFP has established a taskforce to oversee its investigations of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, but some prosecutions could take as long as 10 years.

Mr Morrison said the special investigator will be an "eminent person" with experience in the justice system and international law, and the new office will also include experienced investigators, legal counsel and other support staff, including from the AFP.

The Office of the Special Investigator will investigate the allegations in the report, gather evidence and refer briefs to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration.

The government has also announced the establishment of a new independent oversight panel to drive cultural change within the ADF and implement the report's recommendations.

Mr Morrison said Australian defence force personnel had a lot to be proud of and it was important all members were not tarnished by the report.

"I am so extremely thankful to every Australian who chooses to put on our uniform to serve under our flag, to protect our freedoms, to uphold our values and to protect our interests," Mr Morrison said.

"Our serving men and women are deserving of the respect and admiration in which they are held by the Australian people, and not just here, but our allies and partners around the world. They have earned it. They have demonstrated it.

"That means when you have such standards and respect… [it] requires us to deal with honest and brutal truths where expectations and standards may not have been met.

"This has been the case regarding some very serious issues that were raised regarding conduct by some members of Australia's special operations task group in Afghanistan.

Mr Morrison said Australia needed to have a "deep respect for justice and the rule of law".

He said any soldiers subject to the allegations needed to face the consequences, but it was also important to hold those accountable up the command chain who had "responsibility for the environment in which those Australians served".

"This will be difficult and hard news for Australians, I can assure you," Mr Morrison said.

"There is a significant number of incidents or issues to be investigated further and that investigation will be inherently complex.

"The investigation will require cooperation with international agencies and the evaluation of large amounts of material."

Mr Morrison said the new office will be stood up next year "if not sooner".

The new oversight panel - a separate independent body - will report directly to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds on the implementation of the inquiry's recommendations and their consideration of any wider implications for the ADF.

Senator Reynolds said the oversight panel was being established so that there was "accountability and transparency that sits outside of the ADF chain of command and outside of government".

The panel will include former Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Dr Vivienne Thom, former Attorney-General's Department secretary Robert Cornall and University of Tasmania Vice Chancellor and ethicist Rufus Black.

If you are a current or former ADF member, or a relative, and need counselling or support, contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/chief-investigator-appointed-to-probe-alleged-australian-war-crimes-20201112-p56dzs.html

#11571560 at 2020-11-10 07:15:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Spy chief warns MPs: China may target you

The nation's spy chief will warn federal MPs they are vulnerable to manipulation by foreign agents as part of efforts to ward off Chinese attempts to meddle in Australian politics.

And in a further boost to efforts to push back against Chinese influence, Australia will participate in joint naval exercises with India, Japan and the United States after a 13 year absence, cementing the burgeoning Quadrilateral alliance between the four countries.

The long-coveted invitation to Exercise Malabar came as Australian, US and Japanese warships sailed together through the contested waters of the South China Sea.

ASIO chief Mike Burgess told Senate estimates on Tuesday the spy agency had stepped up its investigation into foreign intelligence services that were "deceptively cultivating" politicians at federal, state and local government level to gain influence and curry favour.

"In the coming weeks I will write to all Commonwealth parliamentarians to warn they are attractive targets for those trying to steal our secrets and manipulate our decision-making," Mr Burgess said.

Mr Burgess said the letter would contain "high-level advice on what to look for and how they should handle it".

"Some good people may not even understand they're being manipulated in a way counter to our national interests," he said.

"I think generally countries' intent - and this is more than one country - is broad and it's a range of things. Foreign intelligence services are adept at understanding where they have someone in the cultivation stakes and therefore what they can potentially ask this person to do."

Mr Burgess' actions follow June raids on the Sydney homes of NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane as well as Chinese journalists over allegations a staffer was advancing Chinese interests. Mr Moselmane has denied any wrongdoing.

The ongoing concern about domestic Chinese interference came as New Delhi confirmed late on Monday Australia had been invited to participate in Exercise Malabar, the Indian navy's flagship maritime drills.

"High-end military exercises like Malabar are key to enhancing Australia's maritime capabilities, building interoperability with our close partners, and demonstrating our collective resolve to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific," Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said.

"Exercise Malabar also showcases the deep trust between four major Indo-Pacific democracies and their shared will to work together on common security interests."

Following talks in Tokyo, Senator Reynolds and Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo issued a joint statement criticising "any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion in the South China Sea" in another shot at China.

"They reaffirmed their serious concern about recent incidents, including the continued militarisation of disputed features, dangerous or coercive use of coast guard vessels and 'maritime militia', and efforts to disrupt other countries' resource exploitation activities," the statement said.

A day after mining union boss Tony Maher wrote to Resources Minister Keith Pitt warning Coalition backbenchers speaking out on China were threatening coal jobs, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan labelled it a "childish'' analysis of the situation.

Senator Canavan said bigger policy issues, such as the blocking of Huawei, were responsible for China's targeting of Australian exports.

Mr Maher said Coalition backbenchers such as George Christensen, Eric Abetz and Senator Canavan were exacerbating the situation with their "undiplomatic, reckless and sometimes bizarre'' attacks on China.

But Senator Canavan was dismissive of the argument.

"As much as I love the coal industry, I love our democracy and freedom of speech even more,'' Senator Canavan told The Australian Financial Review.

"Any suggestion that we should muzzle democratically-elected politicians just to please other countries would weaken the freedom of speech we all cherish.

"There's no evidence that China would buy more coal from us if George Christensen and I spoke less. That's a childish analysis of the problem we face.

"We have always been willing to trade with other nations even if we disagree with them on policy matters but we have never sold out our foreign policy principles."

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/spy-chief-personally-warns-mps-over-chinese-manipulation-20201020-p566om

#11422350 at 2020-11-03 06:32:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

Germany refuses to turn a 'blind eye' to China, teams up with Australia

1/2

German officers are expected to be deployed with the Australian Navy and a German frigate will patrol the Indian Ocean under Berlin's plan to manage China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the German Defence Minister, said the Indo-Pacific had become crucial to the world's well-being.

"We believe that Germany needs to mark its position in the region," she said in an exclusive interview.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, popularly known by her initials AKK, said that Europe had become increasingly aware of China's economic agenda and geopolitical tactics in the past year.

"China is an important trading partner for Germany and we have strong economic ties which are in the interest of both sides," she said.

"At the same time, we do not turn a blind eye on unequal investment conditions, aggressive appropriation of intellectual property, state-subsidised distortion of competition or attempts to exert influence by means of loans and investments."

In 2018 the 58-year-old became the secretary general of the Christian Democratic Union, Germany's largest political party. Subsequently she was touted as a successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, in February she announced she would not run for chancellor in the expected 2021 election and would relinquish the party leadership.

Kramp-Karrenbauer is the first German minister to confirm publicly that restrictions on Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei would effectively exclude the company from Germany's 5G network.

"Germany is, in principle, open to investment from all sides. But if the technology offered to us is not beyond reproach, it cannot be used," she said.

"The political ramifications would simply be too grave. China is a country that understands very well the political dimension of IT networks and data flows. I am sure our counterparts in Beijing understand that we Europeans can only operate technology we trust."

Australia was the first western country to ban Huawei over national security concerns in 2018. The United States and Britain have since followed suit.

Kramp-Karrenbauer will speak at a virtual Australian Strategic Policy Institute event co-hosted by the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung foundation on Thursday evening alongside Australia's Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

She said a German naval presence in the Indo-Pacific would help to safeguard the rules-based international order. The region stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Coral Sea and includes India, China, Japan and Australia.

"We hope to be able to deploy next year," she said. "We will be spending more on defence in 2021 than in 2020 despite the fact that [coronavirus] has hit our budgets. Now the key is to translate this into real muscle."

(continued)

#11414831 at 2020-11-02 23:23:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition

#10 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>10941290 Miranda Devine is a conservative Australian columnist and writer…As of early 2020, her columns appear in the New York Post
>>10941290 Coronavirus battle shows the bravery of President Trump: Devine - Miranda Devine - nypost.com
>>10941326 "Those who know Cardinal George Pell, the pope's honest former finance minister, always suspected he had been set up" - Miranda Devine
>>10960152 2020 race: Donald Trump on track to lose by a landslide - Cameron Stewart - theaustralian.com.au
>>10976399 US Embassy Canberra Twitter Thread: Ambassador Culvahouse will be sharing his outlook on the future of the #USwithAUS
>>10976399 "As long as the United States and Australia continue to work together, I am confidently optimistic about the future." - Ambassador Culvahouse
>>10976399 Transcript: Ambassador Culvahouse Speech - ASPI Indo-Pacific Leaders Dialogue - October 7, 2020
>>10976426 Video: Indo-Pacific Leaders Dialogue: The future of US-Australia relations - US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. - ASPICanberra
>>10977747 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Great to meet again with Australian Foreign Minister @MarisePayne…to discuss Quad cooperation
>>10977747 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: The #Quad is a diplomatic network with a positive agenda: a region governed by rules, not power

>>10979128 Awkward moment Scott Morrison confronts Leigh Sales over her 'irresponsible question' when she grills him about the US presidential election
>>10994627 National Australia Bank didn't maintain records of human traffickers until 2019
>>10994640 PDF: Parliament of Australia - Review Of The Four Major Banks - National Australia Bank - Anti-money laundering
>>11007426 SAS at war: Internal military investigation finds Ben Roberts-Smith may have threatened to shoot a fellow soldier in the back of the head
>>11008088 Freemasons NSW & ACT recruitment add in a local paper
>>11008922 ADF personnel warned about social media use after offensive Instagram account uncovered
>>11020501 US elections were changed for better (and worse) by the secret 'Australian ballot'
>>11034788 Trump needs to take fight up to Biden and land some punches - Joe Hockey - theaustralian.com.au
>>11035007, >>11035014 Democrat Barbara Bollier's praise of strict Australian gun laws roils Kansas Senate race
>>11048335 US election: Joe Biden in the White House would be good for us - Troy Bramston - theaustralian.com.au

>>11048472 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: They operate in the shadows, but shed light that helps keep Australia safe - Defence Intelligence Organisation
>>11048507 Alarm as neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network expands to Adelaide
>>11063585 'An apocalyptic list': Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo says climate change, pandemics warrant security rethink
>>11063601 Video: Securing Australia: In conversation with Michael Pezzullo - national security in an increasingly complex and interconnected world
>>11079845 Bruce Springsteen: 'If Trump wins I'm moving to Australia' - Poppy Reid - tonedeaf.thebrag.com - tonedeaf logo symbolism
>>11080248 Pacific Marines Tweet: The ninth iteration of @mrfdarwin has wrapped up in the Northern Territory of #Australia
>>11080248 Video: Colonel David Banning, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Commanding Officer
>>11080293 Police won't charge ABC journalist over 'Afghan Files' stories
>>11098507 NBC Moderator Savannah Guthrie (born in Melbourne, Australia) hailed for keeping Trump in check at town hall
>>11098719 Video: Savannah Guthrie: Australian-born town hall moderator who held Trump to task, married to former Al Gore political operative Michael Feldman

>>11098850 Australian-born billionaire Rupert Murdoch Predicts a Landslide Win for Biden - THE GREAT OZ HAS SPOKEN
>>11099297 Video: Lowy Institute Live: In conversation with General James Mattis and Sir Angus Houston - https://qanon.pub/?q=mattis
>>11099672 Australian Defence Force orders ban on destruction of evidence from Afghanistan war, as inquiry into alleged war crimes nears end
>>11100195 ASIO warns foreign spies are secretly 'cultivating politicians' across Australia
>>11100315 PDF: ASIO Annual Report 2019-20 "Parliament grants ASIO extraordinary powers, but those powers must always be exercised legally and ethically"
>>11100891 'Without peer': Top spy Nick Warner, Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence to retire this year
>>11112388 US election 2020: Voters are tired of Trump's catastrophic presidency - Troy Bramston - theaustralian.com.au
>>11125093 Murder and abduction claims have Rwandan Government accused of intimidating critics in Australia
>>11125850 Video: Australia One - Riccardo Bosi Talks To Sacha Stone
>>11134109 PDF: Bit-chute replacements for YouTube patriot accounts

#11413969 at 2020-11-02 22:41:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#10 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>10941290 Miranda Devine is a conservative Australian columnist and writer…As of early 2020, her columns appear in the New York Post
>>10941290 Coronavirus battle shows the bravery of President Trump: Devine - Miranda Devine - nypost.com
>>10941326 "Those who know Cardinal George Pell, the pope's honest former finance minister, always suspected he had been set up" - Miranda Devine
>>10960152 2020 race: Donald Trump on track to lose by a landslide - Cameron Stewart - theaustralian.com.au
>>10976399 US Embassy Canberra Twitter Thread: Ambassador Culvahouse will be sharing his outlook on the future of the #USwithAUS
>>10976399 "As long as the United States and Australia continue to work together, I am confidently optimistic about the future." - Ambassador Culvahouse
>>10976399 Transcript: Ambassador Culvahouse Speech - ASPI Indo-Pacific Leaders Dialogue - October 7, 2020
>>10976426 Video: Indo-Pacific Leaders Dialogue: The future of US-Australia relations - US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. - ASPICanberra
>>10977747 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Great to meet again with Australian Foreign Minister @MarisePayne…to discuss Quad cooperation
>>10977747 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: The #Quad is a diplomatic network with a positive agenda: a region governed by rules, not power

>>10979128 Awkward moment Scott Morrison confronts Leigh Sales over her 'irresponsible question' when she grills him about the US presidential election
>>10994627 National Australia Bank didn't maintain records of human traffickers until 2019
>>10994640 PDF: Parliament of Australia - Review Of The Four Major Banks - National Australia Bank - Anti-money laundering
>>11007426 SAS at war: Internal military investigation finds Ben Roberts-Smith may have threatened to shoot a fellow soldier in the back of the head
>>11008088 Freemasons NSW & ACT recruitment add in a local paper
>>11008922 ADF personnel warned about social media use after offensive Instagram account uncovered
>>11020501 US elections were changed for better (and worse) by the secret 'Australian ballot'
>>11034788 Trump needs to take fight up to Biden and land some punches - Joe Hockey - theaustralian.com.au
>>11035007, >>11035014 Democrat Barbara Bollier's praise of strict Australian gun laws roils Kansas Senate race
>>11048335 US election: Joe Biden in the White House would be good for us - Troy Bramston - theaustralian.com.au

>>11048472 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: They operate in the shadows, but shed light that helps keep Australia safe - Defence Intelligence Organisation
>>11048507 Alarm as neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network expands to Adelaide
>>11063585 'An apocalyptic list': Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo says climate change, pandemics warrant security rethink
>>11063601 Video: Securing Australia: In conversation with Michael Pezzullo - national security in an increasingly complex and interconnected world
>>11079845 Bruce Springsteen: 'If Trump wins I'm moving to Australia' - Poppy Reid - tonedeaf.thebrag.com - tonedeaf logo symbolism
>>11080248 Pacific Marines Tweet: The ninth iteration of @mrfdarwin has wrapped up in the Northern Territory of #Australia
>>11080248 Video: Colonel David Banning, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Commanding Officer
>>11080293 Police won't charge ABC journalist over 'Afghan Files' stories
>>11098507 NBC Moderator Savannah Guthrie (born in Melbourne, Australia) hailed for keeping Trump in check at town hall
>>11098719 Video: Savannah Guthrie: Australian-born town hall moderator who held Trump to task, married to former Al Gore political operative Michael Feldman

>>11098850 Australian-born billionaire Rupert Murdoch Predicts a Landslide Win for Biden - THE GREAT OZ HAS SPOKEN
>>11099297 Video: Lowy Institute Live: In conversation with General James Mattis and Sir Angus Houston - https://qanon.pub/?q=mattis
>>11099672 Australian Defence Force orders ban on destruction of evidence from Afghanistan war, as inquiry into alleged war crimes nears end
>>11100195 ASIO warns foreign spies are secretly 'cultivating politicians' across Australia
>>11100315 PDF: ASIO Annual Report 2019-20 "Parliament grants ASIO extraordinary powers, but those powers must always be exercised legally and ethically"
>>11100891 'Without peer': Top spy Nick Warner, Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence to retire this year
>>11112388 US election 2020: Voters are tired of Trump's catastrophic presidency - Troy Bramston - theaustralian.com.au
>>11125093 Murder and abduction claims have Rwandan Government accused of intimidating critics in Australia
>>11125850 Video: Australia One - Riccardo Bosi Talks To Sacha Stone
>>11134109 PDF: Bit-chute replacements for YouTube patriot accounts

#11319781 at 2020-10-28 07:46:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11319765

4/4

But shocking alleged criminal acts also involved Australians, the report states. A section describes allegations that two boys suspected of being Taliban sympathisers "had their throats slit ... the bodies were bagged and thrown into a nearby river".

"It was impressed on me this was not an isolated incident," the briefing states.

"What was really concerning was everyone knew which SF units, squadrons and patrols and under which commanders most of the killings were perpetrated. The same names would pop up with remarkable frequency," Dr Crompvoets wrote.

The finding that the same small number of special forces figures feature in many of the war-crime allegations was repeated in late March by Major-General Adam Findlay, who was then the senior army officer in charge of Australia's special forces. In a private briefing at the SAS headquarters in Perth, he admitted some elite soldiers had been found by the Brereton inquiry to have committed war crimes in Afghanistan and blamed the atrocities on "poor moral leadership".

Dr Crompvoets' briefing to General Campbell in early 2016 was the catalyst for Justice Brereton's four-year war crimes inquiry. General Campbell, who declined an interview request, was told in powerful terms by Dr Crompvoets about the nature of the disclosures she had recorded for him.

"As stories trickle out, and inevitably they will, the legacy of SOF [special operations forces] will perhaps no longer be the fine capability held in such high regard politically and internationally. Rather it will be a story about accountability, trust and blood lust that will stain the organisation for a long time to come," the report handed to General Campbell said.

"Is it a Pandora's box too complex and with too much organisational risk to prise open? I don't know the answers. My hunch, though, is that reputational risk does not stop at SOF and is far greater than even army."

On Tuesday evening, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds gave the strongest indication to date that the federal government supported the release of at least some of the Brereton report.

"To the greatest extent possible, transparency through this process [of the Brereton inquiry] is critical and paramount, as is accountability for all findings of the Afghanistan Inquiry," Ms Reynolds said a statement.

If you are a current or former ADF member, or a relative, and need counselling or support, contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

https://www.defence.gov.au/health/dmh/allhourssupportline.asp

https://www.openarms.gov.au/

https://www.smh.com.au/national/blood-lust-killings-cover-ups-report-describes-australia-s-abu-ghraib-moment-20201027-p5692v.html

#11186561 at 2020-10-21 09:41:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Australia to join India, US, Japan in large naval exercises

Australia will join India, the United States and Japan in next month's Malabar naval exercises in the Indian Ocean, in a move that is expected to strengthen the military relationship between the four democracies amid increased tensions with China.

Conducted annually since 1992, the maneuvers have grown in size and complexity in recent years to address what the US Navy has previously described as a "variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific."

The participation of Australia means that all four members of the so-called Quad will be participating in the exercises for the first time since 2007.

The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is an informal strategic forum for the US, Japan, Australia and India, featuring semi-regular summits and information exchanges between the four nations.

While not a formal military alliance like NATO, it is seen by some as a potential counterweight to growing Chinese influence and alleged aggression in Asia-Pacific. The collation has been denounced by Beijing as an anti-China bloc.

The Australian and Indian defense ministries announced the expansion of the drills, which had been long-speculated, late Monday.

Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said the Malabar exercises were key to enhancing Australia's maritime capabilities, and showcased the "deep trust between four major Indo-Pacific democracies and their shared will to work together on common security interests."

Australia's previous participation in the drills in 2007 sparked diplomatic protests from China. Relations between China and Australia have since deteriorated, however, with the two countries locked in a series of long-running trade disputes.

Other members of the Quad have also seen tensions with Beijing spike in recent months. Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control - the de facto border between the two countries in the Himalayas - in June.

Japan and China remain at odds over the disputed Senkaku Islands, named the Diaoyus by China, where Beijing has increased the presence of its coast guard vessels.

The US meanwhile has increased the tempo of its naval and air missions in the South China Sea, while pushing back at Beijing's claims to the vast waterway.

In a statement Monday, India's Defense Ministry said the four participants "collectively support free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and remain committed to a rules based international order."

The exercises will begin in November in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, India said.

Malabar began as a bilateral exercise between India and the US. Japan became a permanent Malabar member in 2015.

Previous exercises have taken place in the Indian Ocean as well as off the coast of Japan a year ago, and around the US Pacific territory of Guam and in the Philippine Sea in 2018.

The 2017 exercises in the Indian Ocean involved aircraft carriers from the US, India and Japan in what were then described as the largest naval exercises in the region in two decades.

https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2020/10/20/australia-naval-exercises.html

#11099672 at 2020-10-16 07:03:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Australian Defence Force orders ban on destruction of evidence from Afghanistan war, as inquiry into alleged war crimes nears end

The Australian Defence Force has ordered a halt on the destruction of any records relating to Australia's two-decade-long war in Afghanistan, more than four years after an inquiry commenced into allegations of war crimes by Australian special forces.

The ABC has obtained an internal Defence bulletin sent last week that places an embargo on the shredding of any records relating to ADF operations in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2015.

The bulletin states the embargo is at the direction of the "Afghanistan Inquiry Task Force".

When asked about the nature of the task force, the existence of which has not been disclosed before now, Defence responded:

"The Afghanistan Inquiry Task Force is a small temporary team established within the Australian Defence Force Headquarters. Its primary role is to prepare Defence to receive and respond to the IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry report."

The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) has been conducting a wide-ranging but highly secretive inquiry into allegations that Australian special forces committed war crimes - including the murder of civilians - in Afghanistan since early 2016.

The report, compiled by NSW Supreme Court judge and Army Reserve Major General Paul Brereton, is expected to be completed before the end of the year and is widely expected to shine a light on a number of allegedly unlawful killings by Australian SAS troopers and commandos.

Over the last three years, the ABC has reported on a number of incidents in which Australian special forces soldiers allegedly committed war crimes by killing unarmed civilians in Afghanistan.

Some incidents have already been referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for investigation and possible prosecution.

After a Four Corners program aired in March showed the killing of an unarmed Afghan man by an SAS soldier, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds quickly referred the incident to the AFP and the soldier was suspended from duty.

Defence records relating to those incidents would potentially be crucial for any police investigation into alleged war crimes.

Those materials could include helmet-cam vision taken on operations, photographs, patrol reports, inquiry reports, drone vision and post-operation debriefs.

When the ABC asked Defence why it had waited four years since the commencement of the IGADF inquiry before ordering a halt to any disposal of relevant records, it replied that the embargo was standard procedure.

"In accordance with these requirements, key operational records relating to planning and conduct become eligible for destruction after 20 years," a Defence spokesperson said.

"As we approach 20 years since Australia commenced operations in Afghanistan, it is the appropriate time to implement an embargo to ensure these records are preserved.

"As required, Defence will apply an embargo to similar operational activities when they approach record management milestones."

The Australian Federal Police declined to comment, referring the ABC to the Defence Department.

The ABC has also learned that the IGADF inquiry has subpoenaed records from the Australian War Memorial (AWM) as part of its investigation into alleged war crimes.

When asked whether it would comment on the subpoena, the war memorial said: "It is not the Australian War Memorial's place to discuss matters before the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force."

Director for the Australian Centre for International Justice, Rawan Arraf, said the timing of the embargo on the destruction of records was concerning.

"It really does raise serious questions about whether the Defence Department has had the proper processes in place; whether it has been complying with its regulations and international guidelines on record keeping and data protection, especially where it's relevant to investigating any potential violations of international humanitarian law or the laws of armed conflict."

Ms Arraf said it was crucial that any material that could be used in potential future trials arising from the inquiry is preserved.

"It's relevant to ensuring that the records of incidents are properly recorded and protected, so that if any of these incidents actually reveal the commission of crimes, the evidence is properly stored and protected to be used in criminal prosecutions, so that it can withstand the rules and procedure of evidence in trials," she said.

"If it hasn't been properly protected, that might impact on future prosecutions, or whether there are any criminal proceedings at all if there is an absence of records, meaning impunity is further entrenched."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-16/adf-issues-embargo-on-destruction-of-afghan-war-evidence/12769318

#11048472 at 2020-10-13 07:13:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

They operate in the shadows, but shed light that helps keep Australia safe. Last week I visited the @DeptDefence Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organisation. Thank you for briefing me on the depth and breadth of the work you do for our nation

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1315119964878118913

#10892890 at 2020-10-02 23:41:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10889784
Army sharpens focus on ethical soldiering amid war crimes allegations

1/3

The Australian Army was focused intensely on rebuilding the cultural and ethical base of its special forces even before shocking allegations emerged that soldiers carried out multiple war crimes in Afghanistan.

NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton, a major-general in the Army Reserve, has spent four years investigating claims that members of the Special Operations Task Group breached the Laws of Armed Conflict between 2005 and 2016.

Army commander Lieutenant General Rick Burr tells Inquirer he has not yet seen Justice Brereton's report, as the inquiry is independent and ongoing. But as a special forces officer he finds the allegations deeply troubling.

"These are extremely serious allegations and not reflective of who we are, and who we must be as a professional institution. We are all determined to establish the facts so that we can act on them."

Burr has written today to all Australian soldiers explaining why the investigation was launched and telling them to prepare for serious findings. "This is not who we are and not what we stand for," he says.

"I am also concerned about the impact of those findings on those of you who served in Afghanistan and other operations and who served as professionals with pride and integrity. You did the right thing. You and your families should be proud of what you did and be confident to tell that story."

He urges soldiers to reach out if they need help and says that support will be provided by the Army.

Brereton's initial brief from the Inspector-General of the ADF (IGADF) was to ascertain whether there was truth in widespread rumours, but the result was much worse than most imagined.

In February, the inspector-general's annual report revealed that there were 55 separate incidents or issues under inquiry, "predominantly unlawful killings of persons who were non-combatants or were no longer combatants, but also cruel treatment of such persons."

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said weeks ago the investigation was nearing its conclusion and warned that Australians would be dismayed by its findings.

ADF commanders have been working to rectify what they've described as "catastrophic cultural and professional shortfalls" within Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) and "corrosive'' friction between the major special forces units, the Special Air Service Regiment and the commandos. Under the pressure of 20 intense rotations in Afghanistan, the special forces had become isolated from the rest of the Army.

They say this decline has been reversed and a restructured SOCOMD is now positioned to implement the Afghanistan inquiry's findings and to rebuild the trust of government, defence and the public.

Identifying what went wrong on the Afghanistan missions, how deep a distorted warrior ethos went within the SAS, straightening out that ethos and ensuring that what appears to have been an entrenched culture of impunity in key parts of the special forces doesn't emerge again, is a priority for the Army.

Burr, who commanded the SASR in 2003 and 2004, said that since the Army became aware of the allegations it had focused strongly on changing elements of the culture in the special forces and had introduced strong ethics training with the help of outside specialists.

"We're holding ourselves to account," he says. "We asked for this inquiry when we became aware of rumours around these matters. We needed to understand exactly what had happened and an independent inquiry was the only way to gain a clear picture."

Burr says the most important job now facing him and Australian Defence Force chief General Angus Campbell is managing this issue and they will consider the report's findings in detail.

He says he is concerned about the impact the findings would have on the thousands of men and women who have served in Afghanistan and who have behaved impeccably.

"Most people in Afghanistan did the right thing. The veterans and their families need to know that. Waiting for this report is exacting a very heavy toll."

(continued)

#10889784 at 2020-10-02 20:41:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Troops warned of Afghanistan war crimes shock

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Rick Burr has written to all Australia's soldiers to prepare them for the release of a report expected to contain shocking allegations that a small number of troops carried out multiple war crimes in Afghanistan.

He sets out to reassure them that the ADF's Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) has been extensively rebuilt and assures personnel that if they need welfare support, the army will provide it.

General Burr, a former commander of the SAS Regiment that is the focus of many of the allegations, says these claims are "extremely serious and deeply troubling".

"They do not reflect who we ­aspire to be. We will act on the findings when they are presented to the Chief of the Defence Force," he says.

More changes to SOCOMD, if they are required, might be significant, he warns.

NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton, a major-general in the Army Reserve, has spent four years investigating claims that Australian special forces breached the Laws of Armed Conflict while on operations in Afghanistan ­between 2005 and 2016.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said recently that the investigation was nearing its conclusion and warned that Australians would be dismayed by its findings.

General Burr tells the soldiers the inquiry is "a serious and sensitive matter" of which there are different levels of understanding across the army. "I want all of Army to understand what the ­inquiry is and what it means," he says.

"We asked for this Inquiry to understand what happened and to determine if there is any substance to the allegations."

General Burr says it is important to note that the inquiry is ­administrative in nature and is not a criminal investigation. It is independent of government and the ADF chain of command to ensure its integrity.

He said the annual report by the Inspector-General of the ADF in February reported that there were 55 separate lines of inquiry at that time. "These concern alleged unlawful killings of people who were non-combatants or were no longer combatants and also cruel treatment of such people," General Burr says.

"As we wait for the report, I ­remain concerned about the impact on those of you who served in Afghanistan and other operations with integrity; reflective of who we are and what we stand for. Please continue to look out for each other and understand your service and commitment is appreciated. It's important that we support each other and get through this together.

"Telling our story to each other, and family, helps keep perspective and shares challenges. Reach out if you need help or someone to talk to, we will support you."

General Burr tells the soldiers that Special Operations Command is now internally aligned and more integrated. "We have strengthened its organisational capacity and increased independent oversight so I can be confident that it is well governed," he says.

"This work is ongoing. Continuing to strengthen the fundamentals of governance, assurance and accountability is essential to implement the Inquiry findings.

"Together, we will be a more capable and effective Army for the future."

General Burr tells the Army that the work of all of its members is inspiring, appreciated and making a difference. "We are an Army for the nation, an Army in the community. We are Australia's Army."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/troops-warned-of-afghanistan-war-crimes-shock/news-story/5107b61a97cdd345f30bb1ffa4e8d3cc

#10795097 at 2020-09-26 07:16:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>10795091

2/2

Admired but unpopular

Even before its conferral there was controversy. Although he was not named, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald ran a story in December 2010 stating: "A top brass proposal to award the Victoria Cross to an Australian soldier who has been investigated for bullying in Afghanistan is mired in politics and recrimination".

Roberts-Smith was admired for his martial prowess, but unpopular with some of peers, in particular for his alleged intimidation of and influence over junior soldiers. The VC, the supreme award in Australian soldiering, gave institutional support to his conduct. According to one in the thick of the action: "Success now looked like bullying, lying, murder allegedly, and self-promotion".

There would be a withering impact on impending operations. As already reported, most of the controversy that now burdens Roberts-Smith occurred after he was awarded the VC, when some of his peers came to see the super soldier as a law unto himself.

A litany of occasions have already been reported when, as a Corporal and Patrol Commander in 2012, he was complicit in alleged misconduct. The allegations range from striking a junior soldier to participating in the execution of detainees. Roberts-Smith has denied the latter.

The concern which led to whistleblowing by some of his comrades was the negative influence this exemplar of a soldier had on others.

Some of the men caught up in what the Inspector-General may well find to have been a rogue squad have had trouble living with what they witnessed. We understand a number of participants have given evidence to the inquiry, much of it self-incriminating. The psychological impact on soldiers who wanted to believe they were decent and honourable has been devastating.

Roberts-Smith has vehemently denied the accusations, and there are witnesses who are prepared to testify to his innocence. He is suing this publication for defamation has yet to have his day in any court.

The SAS's Afghanistan veterans are divided. A heart-to-heart gathering of Roberts-Smith's 2 Squadron earlier this year saw some members supportive of the Inspector-General's inquiry with others still vehemently opposed. The division worries close observers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media.

According to one experienced observer, who was not at the meeting but knows those who were, "an 'us and them' forms within Patrol Commander ranks - those who agree with atrocities and those who don't".

The ongoing schism helps explain why the inquiry has dragged on for so long. Witnesses have been slow to come forward for many reasons. Chief among them is a view that ratting on a mate is a sin more serious than helping cover up war crimes.

The Australian Defence Force will rightly point out that seven years on from the Australian drawdown in Afghanistan the bulk of the SAS is now composed of newcomers. But there must be concern that an influential cohort still fails to grasp the seriousness of the inquiry and former commander Jeff Sengelman's entreaty to put integrity and morality first.

Sengelman's stand was clearly brave. The Inspector-General will also surely attend to the question of command failure within senior Special Forces' leadership - those who appeared to back the pre-eminence of martial prowess.

As one officer told us, "Afghanistan increasingly became a tactical fight where success was seen as getting results on the battlefield".

Meanwhile the ADF is preparing for the release of a report that Minister Linda Reynolds has already signalled will make for "uncomfortable reading".

Among a range of initiatives Defence has already taken to put the past in the past is the cancellation of the annual Stirrers Parade.

Soon into his tenure as Special Operations Commander Jeff Sengelman killed it dead.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/cocks-and-stirrers-markers-on-the-path-to-the-sas-going-rogue-20200925-p55z4c.html

#10705270 at 2020-09-19 05:59:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#9 - Part 11
>>10491577 'We don't respond to coercion': Frydenberg rejects Facebook news boycott threat
>>10491684 Prominent Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei detained in China 'without charge'
>>10491693 Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei authored Facebook posts about Wuhan coronavirus cover-up
>>10491722 AFP consider Ben Roberts-Smith a suspect in war crimes, court told
>>10495009 Australia risks backsliding into a poor country in Asia Pacific - globaltimes.cn
>>10498841 Who is Q FAQ - https://qanon.news/Archives/x/10472611#10472992
>>10501740 José Ramos-Horta urges Australia to drop Witness K and Bernard Collaery prosecution
>>10501793 Australia in the US Tweet: #OTD in 1951, (Australia, New Zealand and the United States) signed the #ANZUS mutual defense treaty
>>10501813 Pacific Marines Tweet: After fighting together in World War II, the U.S. remains committed to our mutual defense treaty with #Australia
>>10506023 Q Post #4629 - CORRUPT. CONTROLLED. ENEMIES OF THE REPUBLIC.

>>10506023 Q Post #4634 - Why did it take a political outsider to [finally] confront China?
>>10508278 Daniel Andrews' Belt and Road deal with China rejected by Victorian voters
>>10512833 Alleged Adelaide paedophile Jadd William Brooker intends to infect children and adults with HIV, court told
>>10512938, >>10512953, >>10512966 Australian special forces Instagram account mocks war crime allegations, calls to 'Make Diggers Violent Again'
>>10513223 Pacific Air Forces Tweet: BREAKING: US & Australian militaries demonstrate rapid long-distance air strike capabilities #B2 Spirits
>>10524154 Cyber attacks on Australia blurring the lines between peace and war, Defence Minister says
>>10524154 PDF: Inaugural ACSC Annual Cyber Threat Report: July 2019 to June 2020
>>10524698 'I will fight to the end': Australian writer Yang Hengjun's message from behind bars in China
>>10524749 Video: Ambassador Culvahouse Commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II - US Embassy Canberra
>>10533827 Federal liberal MPs push for investigation into South Australian MP Jing Lee over alleged China links

>>10534202 Q Research General #13481: Aussies Fight Back! Edition - https://8kun.top/qresearch/res/10533922.html
>>10539776 Video: Pedos Down Under Radio Episode #4 with Laurence
>>10539782 Video: VIP Abuse Ring - Australian Survivor Speaks #2 - "This content is not available on this country domain due to a defamation complaint."
>>10540210 Video: Sacha Stone - Message to all Australians
>>10543689 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: #Marines and #YourADF are able to work together in any environment, day or night
>>10544589 Foetal cells are used to make the Oxford coronavirus vaccine. But they came from a foetus in 1973
>>10553877 ACCC stand against Facebook and Google backed by international media
>>10554450 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Looking forward to meeting personnel from #YourADF and @USMC with US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr
>>10559397 Video: The Truth goes Mainstream as the boot clamps down (Beast System Reveals itself)
>>10562981 Man attacking the Police during the Melbourne protests. Agent Provocateur?

>>10563323, >>10563337 Parents warned about shocking suicide video on TikTok that may be hidden in other content
>>10563752, >>10563761 OPINION: Kevin Rudd - Scott Morrison is yearning for a Donald Trump victory
>>10563843, >>10563846, >>10563852 Australian correspondents Bill Birtles and Mike Smith pulled out of China after five-day diplomatic standoff over national security case
>>10564187 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: Low light live fires train #Marines to be #ready to execute, even in the dark. #MRFD #freeandopenindopacific
>>10567685 Queensland passes law to jail priests for not reporting confessions of child sexual abuse
>>10574893 Scott Morrison issues stark warning to TikTok over suicide video
>>10574945 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Facebook Post - Keeping kids safe online - The laws and standards of behaviour from the real world must also apply online
>>10574945 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison - No child should be exposed to horrifying content like the video which has been circulating on TikTok
>>10575446 Man in custody after incident near ASIO building
>>10575494 Paedophile crackdown will see sick perverts jailed for 20 YEARS for owning a child sex doll

#10705226 at 2020-09-19 05:54:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

#9 - Part 4
>>10186848, >>10186858 Scott Morrison vows to tackle Chinese interference
>>10186881 Australian PM Scott Morrison urges US and China to respect international law, resolve disputes peacefully
>>10186905 'Buyer beware': Prime Minister says there is no case to ban TikTok
>>10186977 NSW man Justin Radford hit with 80 new child abuse charges
>>10187001, >>10187014 Operation Arkstone - Wyong man faces further 80 charges
>>10187149 Police 'suspect Shaoquett Moselmane staffer John Zhang spied for China'
>>10191152 NSW police officers charged with attempted rape, production of child abuse material
>>10197616 Australia takes paedophile hunt online with 100 cyber detectives
>>10197633 Peter Dutton confirms Australia could spy on its own citizens under cybersecurity plan
>>10197753 We're waiting to take your call: Prime Minister Scott Morrison to China's President Xi Jinping

>>10197785 Global Times Tweet: If you want peace, don't just talk the talk. Walk the walk: Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin #HuSays
>>10197814, >>10197817 Trump administration's probe of the Russia investigation may be nearing conclusion
>>10208724 Trump issues orders banning TikTok and WeChat from operating in 45 days if they are not sold by Chinese parent companies
>>10208842 British paedo monster carried out sick sex attack on Tinder date's nine-year-old daughter in Australia
>>10208990 Change of command for Australia's special forces ahead of explosive war crimes report
>>10209217 War crimes report will make uncomfortable reading, says Linda Reynolds
>>10209400 Senior Westpac contingent pushes for bank to settle Austrac legal case
>>10209489 South Australian man charged with online child abuse offences after Canadian tip
>>10209606 International tip-off leads to arrest of Sydney man on child abuse charges
>>10228782, >>10228790 South China Sea: Trump card Australia has over China - RARE-EARTH MINERALS

>>10229176 Report: Ex-CIA Chief Brennan Has Been Told He Is Not Target Of Durham Probe
>>10236191 *SHOCKING VIDEO* - MAN WHIPS A TERRIFIED HALF-NAKED CHILD WHO IS SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN, HANDS AND FEET BOUND.SEE SOMETHING. SAY SOMETHING.
>>10237675 Kyle Daniels: Child to give evidence in swim coach sexual abuse trial
>>10237919 Mass Surveillance being installed throughout Melbourne using the COVID-19 Lockdowns and Curfew as Cover?
>>10238194 Afghan prisoner swap likely to free Hekmatullah, rogue soldier who murdered three Australians
>>10238328 Foreign forces 'spying on diaspora', says ASIO
>>10238835 "Offshore Punch" - Australian Federal Police will bust cyber crims in their lairs
>>10239098 City of Sydney councillor Robert Kok advising 'pro-Beijing' group linked to Chinese Communist Party
>>10239411 Scott Morrison's plea to Donald Trump over Diggers' killer Hekmatullah
>>10245266 Video: Justinian Deception - GNOSTIC-CONTROL

>>10250659 PM seeks clarity after Trump cans G7 summit
>>10250704 'Put up or shut up' says Labor MP raided in Chinese influence investigation
>>10250763 Alexander Downer criticises Chinese diplomacy
>>10250880 U.S. Space Force unveils doctrine explaining its role in national security
>>10250887 Space Force releases 1st doctrine, defines "spacepower" as distinct form of military power
>>10250887 PDF: Space Force Capstone - SPACEPOWER - Doctrine For Space Forces
>>10250950, >>10250953 Defence to probe special forces' cultural and leadership flaws
>>10250766, >>10251258 Tunnels being exploded in MELB? Fire at battery recycling factory in Campbellfield causes smoke alert for nearby suburbs
>>10258181 Kamala Harris pick is safest road for Joe Biden and will hurt Donald Trump
>>10258181 Joe Biden Tweet: Let's go win this, @KamalaHarris

#10705210 at 2020-09-19 05:52:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

Notables
are not endorsements

#9 - Part 1
>>10099807 Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert transferred to 'worst female prison in world'
>>10104103 Video: Foreign affairs and Defence Ministers meet US counterparts | 9 News Australia
>>10109918 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Today's #AUSMIN2020 meeting is underway with an ambitious agenda
>>10109998 AUSMIN 2020: US praises Australia for not 'bowing' to China
>>10110039 Australia backs US bid to rally democracies against China
>>10110133 AUSMIN a thrilling, unexpected triumph for White House
>>10110632 Sydney man accused of sexually exploiting New Zealand girl
>>10115695 Video: AUSMIN 2020 - Secretary Pompeo Holds a Joint Press Availability
>>10122402 Melbourne earthquake felt by hundreds of people across the eastern suburbs
>>10122856 Federal Government seeks access to jailed Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who's been moved to new prison in Iran

>>10122876 Influential UK MP lashes 'hostage takers' over detained academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert
>>10123114 John Patrick Casey: Catholic priest's sexual assault appeal fails in Supreme Court
>>10123153 Video: Alexander Downer - Australia must keep America 'fully engaged' in Indo-Pacific region - Sky News Australia
>>10123307 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: We and our allies will fly, sail, & operate wherever international law allows. #AUSMIN2020
>>10123307 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Even in dark days, America will never lose the ability to dare greatly.
>>10123369 Video: Australian Federal Police - Stop human trafficking happening in plain sight
>>10123418 Border Force officers seizing large number of lifelike child sex dolls ordered online
>>10135836 China hits back at Australia-US statement on South China Sea, Hong Kong
>>10136626 Biden presidency could put Australia back in 'naughty corner' over lack of climate action
>>10136706 Kylie Moore-Gilbert granted meeting with Australian ambassador to Iran

>>10136821 Google and Facebook to be forced to share revenue with media in Australia under draft code
>>10142926 Australia backs India over deadly border clashes with China
>>10146828 TikTok: President Trump announces US ban of popular video app
>>10156088 Resignation of James Murdoch 'does not absolve him of the blood on his hands'
>>10156246, >>10156261, >>10156272 'The US enterprise is up for grabs': why the Trump-Biden race is so important for Australia
>>10157518 Australian intelligence agencies investigate Chinese-owned TikTok over security concerns
>>10158011 Modern slavery rife in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands, charity claims
>>10158011 PDF: Murky Waters - A qualitative Assessment of Modern Slavery in the Pacific Region - Minderoo Foundation, 2020
>>10167430 (2018) FBI Focuses on Millions of "Mishandled" $$$ Funneled from Australian Gov to Clinton Foundation
>>10167460, >>10167466 Daniel Andrews has significant ties to Chyna/CCP going back to 2013 prior to his election as premier in 2014

>>10167481 Australia's MP Daniel Andrews and Hillary Clinton
>>10167481 Daniel Andrews Tweet: I met @HillaryClinton earlier in the week.
>>10167767 Video: Barnaby Joyce casually name drops George Soros during interview with Channel Seven's Sunrise
>>10167767 QMAP.pub - Players in the Game - George Soros - Billionaire "philanthropist" and investor
>>10176846 Family of jailed Australian academic 'reassured' by ambassador's visit
>>10177085 Part-time Labor staffer John Zhang challenges investigation into possible foreign interference
>>10177186 Video: Modern day slavery occurring in Australia - 7NEWS
>>10177186 Australian Federal Police lift the lid on 'modern-day slavery' in Australia's suburbs
>>10177348 Video: Satan's Children (1989) Teresa's daring escape from brutal satanic cult and bizarre rituals | 60 Minutes Australia
>>10229949 Video: Satan's Children Part 2 - Servants of Satan (1989) - follow up by Australian 60 Minutes journalist Ian Leslie

#10704939 at 2020-09-19 05:21:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#9 - Part 11
>>10491577 'We don't respond to coercion': Frydenberg rejects Facebook news boycott threat
>>10491684 Prominent Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei detained in China 'without charge'
>>10491693 Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei authored Facebook posts about Wuhan coronavirus cover-up
>>10491722 AFP consider Ben Roberts-Smith a suspect in war crimes, court told
>>10495009 Australia risks backsliding into a poor country in Asia Pacific - globaltimes.cn
>>10498841 Who is Q FAQ - https://qanon.news/Archives/x/10472611#10472992
>>10501740 José Ramos-Horta urges Australia to drop Witness K and Bernard Collaery prosecution
>>10501793 Australia in the US Tweet: #OTD in 1951, (Australia, New Zealand and the United States) signed the #ANZUS mutual defense treaty
>>10501813 Pacific Marines Tweet: After fighting together in World War II, the U.S. remains committed to our mutual defense treaty with #Australia
>>10506023 Q Post #4629 - CORRUPT. CONTROLLED. ENEMIES OF THE REPUBLIC.

>>10506023 Q Post #4634 - Why did it take a political outsider to [finally] confront China?
>>10508278 Daniel Andrews' Belt and Road deal with China rejected by Victorian voters
>>10512833 Alleged Adelaide paedophile Jadd William Brooker intends to infect children and adults with HIV, court told
>>10512938, >>10512953, >>10512966 Australian special forces Instagram account mocks war crime allegations, calls to 'Make Diggers Violent Again'
>>10513223 Pacific Air Forces Tweet: BREAKING: US & Australian militaries demonstrate rapid long-distance air strike capabilities #B2 Spirits
>>10524154 Cyber attacks on Australia blurring the lines between peace and war, Defence Minister says
>>10524154 PDF: Inaugural ACSC Annual Cyber Threat Report: July 2019 to June 2020
>>10524698 'I will fight to the end': Australian writer Yang Hengjun's message from behind bars in China
>>10524749 Video: Ambassador Culvahouse Commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II - US Embassy Canberra
>>10533827 Federal liberal MPs push for investigation into South Australian MP Jing Lee over alleged China links

>>10534202 Q Research General #13481: Aussies Fight Back! Edition - https://8kun.top/qresearch/res/10533922.html
>>10539776 Video: Pedos Down Under Radio Episode #4 with Laurence
>>10539782 Video: VIP Abuse Ring - Australian Survivor Speaks #2 - "This content is not available on this country domain due to a defamation complaint."
>>10540210 Video: Sacha Stone - Message to all Australians
>>10543689 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: #Marines and #YourADF are able to work together in any environment, day or night
>>10544589 Foetal cells are used to make the Oxford coronavirus vaccine. But they came from a foetus in 1973
>>10553877 ACCC stand against Facebook and Google backed by international media
>>10554450 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Looking forward to meeting personnel from #YourADF and @USMC with US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr
>>10559397 Video: The Truth goes Mainstream as the boot clamps down (Beast System Reveals itself)
>>10562981 Man attacking the Police during the Melbourne protests. Agent Provocateur?

>>10563323, >>10563337 Parents warned about shocking suicide video on TikTok that may be hidden in other content
>>10563752, >>10563761 OPINION: Kevin Rudd - Scott Morrison is yearning for a Donald Trump victory
>>10563843, >>10563846, >>10563852 Australian correspondents Bill Birtles and Mike Smith pulled out of China after five-day diplomatic standoff over national security case
>>10564187 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Tweet: Low light live fires train #Marines to be #ready to execute, even in the dark. #MRFD #freeandopenindopacific
>>10567685 Queensland passes law to jail priests for not reporting confessions of child sexual abuse
>>10574893 Scott Morrison issues stark warning to TikTok over suicide video
>>10574945 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Facebook Post - Keeping kids safe online - The laws and standards of behaviour from the real world must also apply online
>>10574945 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison - No child should be exposed to horrifying content like the video which has been circulating on TikTok
>>10575446 Man in custody after incident near ASIO building
>>10575494 Paedophile crackdown will see sick perverts jailed for 20 YEARS for owning a child sex doll

#10704854 at 2020-09-19 05:13:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#9 - Part 4
>>10186848, >>10186858 Scott Morrison vows to tackle Chinese interference
>>10186881 Australian PM Scott Morrison urges US and China to respect international law, resolve disputes peacefully
>>10186905 'Buyer beware': Prime Minister says there is no case to ban TikTok
>>10186977 NSW man Justin Radford hit with 80 new child abuse charges
>>10187001, >>10187014 Operation Arkstone - Wyong man faces further 80 charges
>>10187149 Police 'suspect Shaoquett Moselmane staffer John Zhang spied for China'
>>10191152 NSW police officers charged with attempted rape, production of child abuse material
>>10197616 Australia takes paedophile hunt online with 100 cyber detectives
>>10197633 Peter Dutton confirms Australia could spy on its own citizens under cybersecurity plan
>>10197753 We're waiting to take your call: Prime Minister Scott Morrison to China's President Xi Jinping

>>10197785 Global Times Tweet: If you want peace, don't just talk the talk. Walk the walk: Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin #HuSays
>>10197814, >>10197817 Trump administration's probe of the Russia investigation may be nearing conclusion
>>10208724 Trump issues orders banning TikTok and WeChat from operating in 45 days if they are not sold by Chinese parent companies
>>10208842 British paedo monster carried out sick sex attack on Tinder date's nine-year-old daughter in Australia
>>10208990 Change of command for Australia's special forces ahead of explosive war crimes report
>>10209217 War crimes report will make uncomfortable reading, says Linda Reynolds
>>10209400 Senior Westpac contingent pushes for bank to settle Austrac legal case
>>10209489 South Australian man charged with online child abuse offences after Canadian tip
>>10209606 International tip-off leads to arrest of Sydney man on child abuse charges
>>10228782, >>10228790 South China Sea: Trump card Australia has over China - RARE-EARTH MINERALS

>>10229176 Report: Ex-CIA Chief Brennan Has Been Told He Is Not Target Of Durham Probe
>>10236191 *SHOCKING VIDEO* - MAN WHIPS A TERRIFIED HALF-NAKED CHILD WHO IS SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN, HANDS AND FEET BOUND.SEE SOMETHING. SAY SOMETHING.
>>10237675 Kyle Daniels: Child to give evidence in swim coach sexual abuse trial
>>10237919 Mass Surveillance being installed throughout Melbourne using the COVID-19 Lockdowns and Curfew as Cover?
>>10238194 Afghan prisoner swap likely to free Hekmatullah, rogue soldier who murdered three Australians
>>10238328 Foreign forces 'spying on diaspora', says ASIO
>>10238835 "Offshore Punch" - Australian Federal Police will bust cyber crims in their lairs
>>10239098 City of Sydney councillor Robert Kok advising 'pro-Beijing' group linked to Chinese Communist Party
>>10239411 Scott Morrison's plea to Donald Trump over Diggers' killer Hekmatullah
>>10245266 Video: Justinian Deception - GNOSTIC-CONTROL

>>10250659 PM seeks clarity after Trump cans G7 summit
>>10250704 'Put up or shut up' says Labor MP raided in Chinese influence investigation
>>10250763 Alexander Downer criticises Chinese diplomacy
>>10250880 U.S. Space Force unveils doctrine explaining its role in national security
>>10250887 Space Force releases 1st doctrine, defines "spacepower" as distinct form of military power
>>10250887 PDF: Space Force Capstone - SPACEPOWER - Doctrine For Space Forces
>>10250950, >>10250953 Defence to probe special forces' cultural and leadership flaws
>>10250766, >>10251258 Tunnels being exploded in MELB? Fire at battery recycling factory in Campbellfield causes smoke alert for nearby suburbs
>>10258181 Kamala Harris pick is safest road for Joe Biden and will hurt Donald Trump
>>10258181 Joe Biden Tweet: Let's go win this, @KamalaHarris

#10704830 at 2020-09-19 05:10:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10535335
Notables
are not endorsements

#9 - Part 1
>>10099807 Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert transferred to 'worst female prison in world'
>>10104103 Video: Foreign affairs and Defence Ministers meet US counterparts | 9 News Australia
>>10109918 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Today's #AUSMIN2020 meeting is underway with an ambitious agenda
>>10109998 AUSMIN 2020: US praises Australia for not 'bowing' to China
>>10110039 Australia backs US bid to rally democracies against China
>>10110133 AUSMIN a thrilling, unexpected triumph for White House
>>10110632 Sydney man accused of sexually exploiting New Zealand girl
>>10115695 Video: AUSMIN 2020 - Secretary Pompeo Holds a Joint Press Availability
>>10122402 Melbourne earthquake felt by hundreds of people across the eastern suburbs
>>10122856 Federal Government seeks access to jailed Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who's been moved to new prison in Iran

>>10122876 Influential UK MP lashes 'hostage takers' over detained academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert
>>10123114 John Patrick Casey: Catholic priest's sexual assault appeal fails in Supreme Court
>>10123153 Video: Alexander Downer - Australia must keep America 'fully engaged' in Indo-Pacific region - Sky News Australia
>>10123307 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: We and our allies will fly, sail, & operate wherever international law allows. #AUSMIN2020
>>10123307 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Even in dark days, America will never lose the ability to dare greatly.
>>10123369 Video: Australian Federal Police - Stop human trafficking happening in plain sight
>>10123418 Border Force officers seizing large number of lifelike child sex dolls ordered online
>>10135836 China hits back at Australia-US statement on South China Sea, Hong Kong
>>10136626 Biden presidency could put Australia back in 'naughty corner' over lack of climate action
>>10136706 Kylie Moore-Gilbert granted meeting with Australian ambassador to Iran

>>10136821 Google and Facebook to be forced to share revenue with media in Australia under draft code
>>10142926 Australia backs India over deadly border clashes with China
>>10146828 TikTok: President Trump announces US ban of popular video app
>>10156088 Resignation of James Murdoch 'does not absolve him of the blood on his hands'
>>10156246, >>10156261, >>10156272 'The US enterprise is up for grabs': why the Trump-Biden race is so important for Australia
>>10157518 Australian intelligence agencies investigate Chinese-owned TikTok over security concerns
>>10158011 Modern slavery rife in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands, charity claims
>>10158011 PDF: Murky Waters - A qualitative Assessment of Modern Slavery in the Pacific Region - Minderoo Foundation, 2020
>>10167430 (2018) FBI Focuses on Millions of "Mishandled" $$$ Funneled from Australian Gov to Clinton Foundation
>>10167460, >>10167466 Daniel Andrews has significant ties to Chyna/CCP going back to 2013 prior to his election as premier in 2014

>>10167481 Australia's MP Daniel Andrews and Hillary Clinton
>>10167481 Daniel Andrews Tweet: I met @HillaryClinton earlier in the week.
>>10167767 Video: Barnaby Joyce casually name drops George Soros during interview with Channel Seven's Sunrise
>>10167767 QMAP.pub - Players in the Game - George Soros - Billionaire "philanthropist" and investor
>>10176846 Family of jailed Australian academic 'reassured' by ambassador's visit
>>10177085 Part-time Labor staffer John Zhang challenges investigation into possible foreign interference
>>10177186 Video: Modern day slavery occurring in Australia - 7NEWS
>>10177186 Australian Federal Police lift the lid on 'modern-day slavery' in Australia's suburbs
>>10177348 Video: Satan's Children (1989) Teresa's daring escape from brutal satanic cult and bizarre rituals | 60 Minutes Australia
>>10229949 Video: Satan's Children Part 2 - Servants of Satan (1989) - follow up by Australian 60 Minutes journalist Ian Leslie

#10692028 at 2020-09-18 08:02:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10692018

2/2

The US-Australia alliance and dealing with a rising China

When it comes to another major global issue for Australia and arguably its most important ally, the Morrison government has subtly shown a level of trepidation about Donald Trump's administration.

During a recent Washington visit, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds sought to strengthen military ties with the US. But the pair notably stopped short of agreeing to join the country in naval exercises in the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of China's claimed territories - something that would be seen as a provocation.

"There was a notable plume of dust emerging behind Marise Payne's limousine as she escaped from Washington not wishing to sign up to the latest piece of American bravado about Royal Australian Navy ships conducting freedom of navigation operations within the 12 mile limit of China's reclaimed islands," Mr Rudd said.

The former PM criticised the government's megaphone diplomacy when dealing with China, accusing it of treating the rising tensions as "domestic political raw meat" as it tries to look tough on the rising authoritarian power.

But Donald Trump takes that to an entirely different level.

"My point is, there is even a limit to hairy chestedness on China as far as the Morrison government is concerned, and frankly they're running for cover at that time [in Washington] I thought was indicative of a level of concern of where Trump and [US Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo could take them," Mr Rudd told Yahoo News Australia.

Rudd's offer to Morrison on Chinese relations

Mr Rudd, who is the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, is currently working on a PhD thesis about the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which he says has given him a "new layer of understanding of Xi Jinping's worldview and the challenges it represents for the rest of us."

"He is quite a hard wired Marxist-Leninist in his core."

Just after Mr Morrison won the election last year, Mr Rudd approached him and offered to have a discussion about China and how to manage the relationship.

"So I went and spent some time with him at Kirribilli, since then we've not really discussed the matter," he said.

Whoever wins the US election will face major challenges on how they respond to an increasingly assertive China as it pursues expansion in the South China Sea and tries to reclaim Taiwan, increasing the possibility of military conflict.

And in recent history, where the White House goes, Australia has followed.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/blue-murder-why-morrison-is-praying-for-a-trump-election-win-040221466.html

#10601161 at 2020-09-11 09:05:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10238194
>>10239411
Rogue Afghan soldier Hekmatullah sent to detention in Qatar

Rogue Afghan soldier Hekmatullah is being transferred to a detention facility in Qatar where he will be held with five other prisoners, all of whom have been convicted of killing Coalition troops or civilian humanitarian workers in insider attacks.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds confirmed the transfer on Friday, reaffirming the government's position that Hekmatullah must not be released as part of US-brokered peace talks with the Taliban.

"We have communicated our position repeatedly and consistently and at the highest level to the government of Afghanistan, which is solely responsible for his custody, and to the United States," they said.

"In February 2020, the United States and the Taliban agreed to a number of steps, including the release of Afghan government and Taliban prisoners, as goodwill preconditions that oblige the Taliban to enter into intra-Afghan negotiations with the government of Afghanistan.

"Australia has worked hard with the United States, the government of Afghanistan and other nations, including the British and French governments, since February 2020 to keep Hekmatullah in detention, and to keep these six sensitive prisoners separate from the wider goodwill agreement.

"That agreement has already seen the release of some 5,000 Taliban-associated prisoners and detainees."

Hekmatullah, a former Afghan National Army sergeant, killed Robert Poate, Lance Corporal Stjepan "Rick" Milosevic and Sapper James Martin at a forward ­operating base north of Australia's main base at Tarin Kowt on ­August 29, 2012 in a so-called "green on blue" attack.

Scott Morrison has argued that Hekmatullah should never be freed after he was sentenced to life imprisonment by an Afghan court, while French President Emmanuel Macron has also strongly opposed the release of Taliban terrorists who killed French soldiers and aid workers.

Senator Payne and Senator Reynolds said that Australia was not "standing in the way of peace talks" and that there was "no military solution to violence in Afghanistan."

"Australia appreciates that the Afghan government, in making the decision to move the prisoners to Qatar, is doing its best to recognise and respect the concerns of the countries that want to see justice served," they said. "The transfer of these last six sensitive prisoners, including Hekmatullah, from Afghanistan to a detention facility in Qatar, is a measure decided by the government of Afghanistan and the United States as a means of facilitating the start of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations, scheduled to begin on 12 September, while keeping the prisoners detained."

"The Australian Government's longstanding position is that Hekmatullah should serve a full custodial sentence for the crimes for which he was convicted by an Afghan court, and that he should not be released as part of a prisoner amnesty."

"We will continue to advocate our position robustly, wherever he is being held. Justice and peace are not incompatible. Both have a place in peace arrangements."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/rogue-afghan-soldier-hekmatullah-sent-to-detention-in-qatar/news-story/73c1bdebf0e82f0a0f82f9fcbf9b2ec8

#10554450 at 2020-09-07 08:33:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

I've arrived in the Northern Territory ahead of a busy week looking at @DeptDefence ops in our strategically important north. Looking forward to meeting personnel from #YourADF and @USMC with US Ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr.

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1302729697747300353

#10524154 at 2020-09-04 09:41:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Cyber attacks on Australia blurring the lines between peace and war, Defence Minister says

Foreign government cyber-attacks on Australia have increased further since June, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Australian organisations were under sustained digital assault.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds says the alarming "new normal" of persistent cyber-attacks on Australia is blurring the difference between "peace and war".

"We're now facing an environment where cyber-enabled activities have the potential to drive disinformation, and also directly support interference in our economy, interference in our political system, and also in what we see as critical infrastructure," Senator Reynolds said.

"This type of activity really does blur what we previously understood to be peace and war, which is what we call that grey zone in between."

The Minister made the comments ahead of the release of the Australian Cyber Security Centre's (ACSC) first annual cyber security threat report.

It is understood the Government wants to introduce a regime that would make it mandatory for operators of critical infrastructure to report cyber-attacks. This would likely include banks, telecommunications and utility operators.

The ACSC, a subsidiary of the Australian Signals Directorate tasked with strengthening Australia's cyber security, responded to 2,266 incidents and received 59,806 cybercrime reports in the 12 months to June 30.

In that period, there were two notable "spikes", the threat report says.

One was in October 2019 in the form of a widespread malware called Emotet that targeted sensitive personal and financial information, peaking at 4,500 unsolicited and malicious emails in one day.

The second spike was in April and is described by the ACSC as "COVID-19 themed cybercrime".

"At one end of the spectrum there are opportunistic cyber criminals who target Australia and Australian companies for financial gain," Senator Reynolds said.

"And at the other end of the same spectrum, there are sophisticated and very well-resourced state based actors who are seeking to interfere in our nation."

On June 19, the Defence Minister and the PM called a press conference to reveal that Australian organisations were "currently being targeted by a sophisticated state-based cyber actor".

The broad attack was across "all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure", Mr Morrison said.

Federal Government officials believe China was behind this attack.

The Defence Minister said that in the two-and-a-half months since, attacks on Australian systems have not abated.

"I can assure you all today that that threat has not diminished since then - in fact, it has increased," she said.

"We can observe, we can gain intelligence, we can analyse it, and we do very much share that information. But ultimately, it is up to every single Australian and all companies to make sure that they take the best possible protections."

She also said the Government was making a deliberate effort to bring cyber agencies "out of the shadows" in order to raise public awareness of cyber security and the role of intelligence agencies.

This week, the head of the Australian Signals Directorate Rachel Noble gave a rare speech laying out the agency's role and declaring it faced a "near impossible" task fighting crime and espionage.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-04/cyber-attacks-on-australia-peace-war-defence-minister/12626396

—

New ACSC report details cyber threats across Australia

The inaugural ACSC Annual Cyber Threat Report: July 2019 to June 2020 has been developed with our law enforcement partners, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, to provide important information about emerging cyber security and cybercrime threats impacting different sectors of the Australian economy.

It also includes best-practice mitigation advice for implementation by individuals and organisations, so they can reduce the likelihood and impact of malicious cyber activity.

https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/news/new-acsc-report-details-cyber-threats-across-australia

https://www.cyber.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-09/ACSC-Annual-Cyber-Threat-Report-2019-20.pdf

#10314125 at 2020-08-17 03:49:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Scott Morrison plans trip to meet Shinzo Abe in Japan

Talks are underway between Australia and Japan on a potential visit by Scott Morrison to Tokyo this year for a face-to-face summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the region's democracies ramp up co-operation to counter China.

The leaders met in a virtual summit last month, but both sides have committed to an in-person summit in Tokyo "in the nearest possible future".

It's understood senior officials from both countries have discussed how the visit could go ahead, despite the COVID-19 crisis, before the end of the year.

Government sources told The Australian it was too soon for the Prime Minister to commit to the visit, as it was unclear how the coronavirus second wave would play out.

If Mr Morrison made the trip it's likely he would have to self-isolate for up to a fortnight on his return, as Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds did when they returned from AUSMIN talks in the US.

During their virtual summit in early July, Mr Morrison and Mr Abe hit out at "coercive and unilateral actions" in the East and South China Seas, and reaffirmed the importance of the "Quad" alliance between Australia, the US, Japan and India.

The leaders also expressed "grave concerns" over China's new security law in Hong Kong, and urged Taiwan's inclusion as an observer at the World Health Assembly.

In a statement on Saturday marking the 75th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II, Japanese ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi said his country appreciated the "spirit of tolerance and friendship" that Australia had shown his country since the conflict ended.

"The positive, friendly post-war relationship that Japan and Australia share is vast in its scope, encompassing not only the economy, but also cultural exchanges, as well as political relationships and defence co-operation," Mr Takahashi said.

"We have the great responsibility to take the lessons of history deeply into our hearts, to carve out a better future."

The negotiations come amid suggestions by Defence Minister Taro Kono that Japan could become the sixth partner in the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.

"These countries share the same values," Mr Kono said in an interview with Nikkei Asian Review.

"Japan can get closer (to the alliance) even to the extent of it being called the 'Six Eyes'."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/scott-morrison-plans-trip-to-meet-shinzo-abe-in-japan/news-story/e6843c2401b7d14d8d66ab32a5f11776

#10250953 at 2020-08-11 09:45:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10250950

2/2

Defence told The Australian that Professor Frame would begin interviewing serving special forces personnel and veterans after the IGADF's findings were handed down.

The study was independent of the IGADF inquiry and would not be a historical record, the department said.

"Professor Frame's work will aim to provide an understanding of Australia's special forces, including consideration of the ethical standards and command culture of Special Operations Command and its people on operations from 1999 until the present day, with a focus on service in Afghanistan," Defence said.

"It is expected the publication will be used as an academic reference to guide our leaders in the years ahead and contribute to professional development of the ADF today and in the future."

Former Nationals leader John Anderson, a personal friend of Professor Frame, said he believed the study would be a "deeply considered and very honest" assessment of what went wrong.

"He will quite clinically analyse the realities of what has happened, and he will do so in the context of somebody who has a very sharp understanding of right and wrong," he said.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds warned last week that the nation needed to prepare itself for the Brereton inquiry's findings, saying the report would make for some "uncomfortable" reading.

"I think that will make some very significant findings, ones that I am certain will make many Australians uncomfortable, and also dismayed at," she said.

In its annual report to parliament, the IGADF said 338 witnesses had been interviewed by the Brereton inquiry up until July 2019.

It said the alleged breaches of the Law of Armed Conflict being examined were "predominantly unlawful killings of persons who were non-combatants or were no longer combatants, but also 'cruel treatment' of such persons".

The inquiry was not focused on decisions made in the "heat of battle" but on "the treatment of persons who were clearly non-combatants or ... no longer combatants", the IGADF said.

Australia's most decorated soldier, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, is among those caught in the investigation.

He has been publicly accused of committing war crimes while serving with the SAS in Afghanistan - allegations he has denied, claiming his anonymous accusers were motivated by professional jealousy and personal vendettas.

He is suing Nine Entertainment over those allegations he says are false.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/defence-to-probe-special-forces-cultural-and-leadership-flaws/news-story/19e46a7f170e487266bfe53db0521479

#10239610 at 2020-08-10 06:42:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Marines complete quarantine in the Northern Territory

More than 1000 US Marines have completed quarantine in the Northern Territory, with training now well underway as part of this year's Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D).

Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the release of the last US Marines from quarantine marked a significant milestone for this year's rotation.

"The discharge of the final group of personnel from quarantine demonstrates the effectiveness of the testing and monitoring regime established with the Northern Territory government," Minister Reynolds said.

"With one positive result captured at initial entry and no further infections, the successful management of the arrival of the US Marines reflects the efforts and planning by the Australian Defence Force, the Northern Territory government and MRF-D.

"The US Marine who tested positive to COVID-19 remains in isolation at the Royal Darwin Hospital pending confirmation of a negative test result.

"The regime of screening, quarantine and testing underscores the priority placed on protecting the local community from COVID-19."

MRF-D medical personnel will continue to monitor and oversee the health of the Marines for the duration of this year's visit.

Commanding Officer, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin Colonel David Banning said MRF-D's close coordination with Australian counterparts was key to the successful completion of the quarantine process.

"As we progress in our training, we will demonstrate our crisis response capability and continue to improve interoperability through our long-standing exercise, Koolendong," Colonel Banning said.

"The strong relationship between MRF-D and the ADF enhances regional security."

US Marines have been undertaking a modified training program at various Defence training facilities around the greater Darwin area, including Mount Bundey and Kangaroo Flats.

This year's program will culminate with Exercise Koolendong, running from early to mid-September.

Minister Reynolds said this annual exercise would showcase US and Australian interoperability in a range of activities, from humanitarian assistance through to high-end warfighting activities, including large-scale live fire.

https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2020/08/10/marines-complete-quarantine-in-the-northern-territory/

#10239411 at 2020-08-10 05:58:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10238194
Scott Morrison's plea to Donald Trump over Diggers' killer Hekmatullah

Scott Morrison appealed directly to Donald Trump for his support in keeping the murderer of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan behind bars.

As Afghanistan's Ghani government prepares to release 400 insurgents, including the rogue Afghan National Army sergeant Hekmatullah, the Prime Minister said Australian government had persistently lobbied for the killer to be excluded from a US-brokered prisoner swap with the Taliban.

"It is a matter that I have written to the President about. It is a matter of keen interest to Australia and we have reminded them of that," Mr Morrison said.

"Hekmatullah was responsible for murdering three Australians, and our position is that he should never be released."

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani agreed overnight to release a final 400 Taliban prisoners after an Afghan grand assembly, known as the Loya Jirga, approved the move.

Hekmatullah is among the remaining prisoners sought for release by the Taliban under its peace deal with the United States.

The Australian revealed Defence warned the families of Private Robert Poate, Lance Corporal Stjepan "Rick" Milosevic and Sapper James Martin on Friday that their sons' killer, Hekmatullah, is likely to be freed in the next few days.

In a joint statement, the families of the three men said: "The news passed to us from senior ­Defence officers on Friday evening has come as a crushing blow. There can never be complete closure for us now."

Mr Morrison said Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds conveyed Australia's concern about Hekmatullah's release to their US counterparts Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper at the recent AUSMIN meeting.

"We do not believe that his relief adds to peace in this region, and that is the position that we will continue to maintain and we will maintain it strongly," the Prime Minister said.

"I can't promise you the outcome we all want here. But it is certainly the outcome that we will continue to press for as hard as we can."

The three-day Loya Jirga, a traditional Afghan meeting of tribal elders, announced on Sunday that it approved the release of the remaining prisoners sought by the Taliban under its peace deal with the US.

"In order to remove the hurdles for the start of peace talks, stopping bloodshed, and for the good of the public, the jirga approves the release of 400 prisoners as demanded by the Taliban," Jirga member Atefa Tayeb announced.

Following the announcement, President Ghani: "Today, I will sign the release order of these 400 prisoners."

The US has begun to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan after the peace deal with the Taliban in February that is tied to the release of 5000 prisoners by the Afghan government.

President Ghani had released 4600 insurgents but was yet to release the final 400 prisoners, held for the most serious crimes.

Hekmatullah, who like many Afghans is known by only one name, shot dead the three Australians and wounded two others as they played cards at a forward ­operating base north of Australia's main base at Tarin Kowt on ­August 29, 2012.

The so-called "green-on-blue" killings sparked a six-month manhunt involving elite Australian spies, special forces operators, and cutting-edge technological capabilities. Hekmatullah was eventually found and arrested in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

He later confessed to the killings, and vowed he would do the same again. He avoided execution, despite being handed a death sentence by the Afghan Supreme Court in 2013.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/scott-morrisons-plea-to-donald-trump-over-diggers-killer-hekmatullah/news-story/0663a5e7af99e7366a73c3f7910cf035

#10238194 at 2020-08-10 03:24:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Afghan prisoner swap likely to free Hekmatullah, rogue soldier who murdered three Australians

An Afghan soldier who murdered three Australian soldiers while serving as a sergeant in the Afghan National Army is likely to walk free in a prisoner swap deal.

Hekmatullah, as he's known, has spent seven years in jail after murdering Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate in August 2012.

The trio of Australians were playing cards at their base at Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, when the rogue soldier turned on them - killing them, and injuring two other Australians.

Officials from the Department of Defence contacted the families of the three Australians on Friday, advising them it was likely Hekmatullah would be one of 5,000 prisoners released as part of peace negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban.

Hekmatullah is one of 400 prisoners considered to be "extreme cases" that were still being considered by Afghanistan's Tribal Council, the Loya Jirga, for release.

"I will sign the release order of these 400 prisoners (Taliban prisoners) and release them," Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said after the meeting.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have for several months raised the Australian Government's desire for Hekmatullah to remain behind bars, since it became clear he could be part of the prisoner swap deal.

Over the weekend, Senator Payne and Senator Reynolds were still lobbying for his ongoing detention.

"Hekmatullah was responsible for murdering three Australians, and our position is that he should never be released," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.

"We do not believe that his release adds to peace in this region.

"I can't promise you the outcome we all want here, but it's certainly the outcome we'll continue to press for as hard as we can."

The peace negotiations are being steered by the United States, with the prisoner swap pact a key part of the talks.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo conceded the release of the prisoners was "unpopular".

"But this difficult action will lead to an important result long sought by Afghans and Afghanistan's friends: reduction of violence and direct talks resulting in a peace agreement and an end to the war," he said.

"After 40 years of war and bloodshed and destruction, the parties are ready to embark on a political process to reach a negotiated settlement."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-10/diggers-murderer-hekmatullah-prisoner-swap-trump-afghanistan/12540238

#10209217 at 2020-08-07 08:09:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10208990
War crimes report will make uncomfortable reading, says Linda Reynolds

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has warned the nation needs to prepare itself for the findings of an upcoming report on dozens of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, saying it will make for "uncomfortable" reading.

Senator Reynolds said the inquiry led by NSW Supreme Court judge, Major General Paul Brereton, would soon be completed.

While she had not read Justice Brereton's findings, she warned they would be confronting.

"I think that will make some very significant findings, ones that I am certain will make many Australians uncomfortable, and also dismayed at," she said.

"So I think we do need to prepare ourselves for that."

Her comments to an Australian Strategic Policy Institute webinar on Friday follow the appointment of a non-SAS commander to lead the nation's special forces for the first time.

Major General Paul Kenny, a Commando officer who is currently the acting head of the ADF's COVID-19 taskforce, will become the next Special Operations Commander for Australia, with a brief to continue wide-ranging cultural reforms.

He will take over from Major General Adam Findlay, who led Australia's special forces since 2017, amid ongoing fallout over alleged breaches of the laws of war being examined by Justice Brereton.

Senator Reynolds said the army and its special forces regiments had already been doing "a significant amount of self reflection on how some of these reported circumstances could have happened, and what needs to happen structurally and culturally to make sure that these events do not happen again".

"I would stress that I do not for a second think that those issues that will be reported on ... (reflect) on our current serving men and women, both here and overseas, who are doing an extraordinary job for our nation.

"There clearly has been a problem and we wait now to see the outcome of Justice Brereton's report, and CDF will speak more publicly about that after the release of the report."

The Special Operations Command has been responsible since 2003 for the secretive SAS regiment, based in Western Australia, and the Commando regiment, based in NSW.

Justice Brereton's inquiry, conducted for the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force, is examining at least 55 potential instances of unlawful conduct, the military watchdog has revealed in February.

In its annual report to parliament, the IGADF said 338 witnesses had been interviewed by the Brereton Inquiry up until July 2019.

It said the alleged breaches of the Law of Armed Conflict being examined were "predominantly unlawful killings of persons who were non-combatants or were no longer combatants, but also 'cruel treatment' of such persons".

The inquiry was not focused on decisions made in the "heat of battle", but on "the treatment of persons who were clearly non-combatants or who were no longer combatants", the IGADF said.

Australia's most decorated soldier, Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, is among those caught in the investigation.

He has been publicly accused of committing war crimes while serving with the SAS in ­Afghanistan - allegations he has denied, claiming his anonymous accusers were motivated by professional jealousy and personal vendettas.

He is suing Nine Entertainment over those allegations he says are false.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/war-crimes-report-will-make-uncomfortable-reading-says-Linda-Reynolds/news-story/d4fccaa8ed3d182f3dd50a56a3291589

#10135836 at 2020-07-31 06:48:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Repost from Q Research General #12948

>>10116954 (pb)

China hits back at Australia-US statement on South China Sea, Hong Kong

The Chinese embassy has angrily reacted to a joint Australia-US statement criticising the regime's actions in the South China Sea.

The Chinese embassy has angrily reacted to a joint Australia-US statement criticising the regime's actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere, warning "any attempt to pressure China will never succeed".

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds are in Washington, DC for the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, or AUSMIN, hosted by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

In the joint statement following the meetings, the two countries expressed "deep concern" over hot-button issues including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the "repression of Uyghurs" in Xinjiang and China's maritime claims in the South China Sea, which are "not valid under international law".

But the Chinese embassy in Australia swiftly hit back in a statement of its own.

"We firmly reject and oppose the unfounded accusations and attacks against China on issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the South China Sea made in the recent Joint Statement of Australia-US Ministerial Consultations," it said.

"Their assertions, in disregard of basic facts, violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs.

"We reiterate that the Chinese side is unwavering in upholding national sovereignty, security and its legitimate rights and interests. We are firmly committed to maintaining regional peace and stability. Any attempt to pressure China will never succeed.

"We urge Australia not to go further on the road of harming China-Australia relations, and truly proceeding from its own interests, do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and co-operation between the two countries."

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/china-hits-back-at-australiaus-statement-on-south-china-sea-hong-kong/news-story/efb2925d910ea9f32af9385ec581a0d3

#10115695 at 2020-07-29 18:05:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

>>10109998
>>10110039
Repost from Q Research General #12945

>>10114785 (pb)

Didn't see this in notables. Thought someone might like watching. Australia + US = Allies vs CCP.

Secretary Pompeo Holds a Joint Press Availability

U.S. Department of State

Published on 28 Jul 2020

July 28, 2020 - Secretary Michael R. Pompeo holds a joint press availability with Secretary of Defense Esper, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, and Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, at the Department of State.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVhjI_d29Kk

#10110133 at 2020-07-29 03:03:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

AUSMIN a thrilling, unexpected triumph for White House

This AUSMIN meeting was a triumph for the Trump administration which was rightly thrilled and probably a little surprised that Australia agreed to the White House's request to come to Washington.

At this volatile moment in history, Australia has become the model ally for which the US is looking when it comes to confronting a rising and increasingly belligerent China.

The face-to-face annual AUSMIN meeting and press conference between the respective foreign and defence ministers - Mike Pompeo, Mark Esper, Marise Payne and Linda Reynolds - gave the administration the chance to loudly tout what Australia has done on China and in doing so, send a message to other US allies to copy Canberra's lead.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a series of recent speeches, has been pleading with more democratic allies to stand up to Beijing, even if it hurts them economically.

From Washington's perspective, Australia has ticked all of these boxes and more.

It even led the US in banning Huawei and introducing foreign interference legislation several years ago.

More recently, the Morrison government has won plaudits in Washington for its call for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.

In the face of persistent threats and intimidation from Beijing, the government this month boldly declared China's absurd and hegemonic territorial claims in the South China Sea to be illegal.

It has also angered Beijing by suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offering citizenship options in Australia for residents of Hong Kong in response to China's push to remove freedoms and human rights protections.

Each of these moves have led to threats of reprisals - sometimes implemented - from an increasingly angry Beijing. But they have been carefully watched and warmly welcomed by the US which views China through a dramatically different lens than it did just a few years ago.

During this US election China is under attack from both sides of politics in the US. It has no friends in Washington.

Donald Trump, who has waged a long and still unfinished trade war with Beijing, sees China as largely to blame for the coronavirus which has destroyed the US economy and severely harmed his chances of re-election.

His administration, led by Pompeo, has clashed with Beijing over Huawei, over its unfair trading practices and over its cyber warfare amongst numerous other issues.

It has tried to call China out over these many issues but has been frustrated by the sometimes tepid support it has received from many other allies, particularly in Europe.

Which is why Washington is so pleased that Australia has been willing to openly call Beijing out on some of these issues despite the obvious risk of economic reprisal.

Australia is not saying whether it will take the next step in challenging Beijing by joining the US Navy in freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.

For now that may be a step too far, especially as China policy in the US becomes increasingly politicised as the US election creeps closer.

But at the AUSMIN press conference, Pompeo and Esper's comments contained more 'thank you's' than a wedding speech as they rattled off the list of Australian efforts to hold China accountable for its behaviour.

This was an AUSMIN meeting that went beyond the usual platitudes because both countries are so deeply engaged right now with the question of China.

Among the thanks you's was the fact that two Cabinet ministers, two department secretaries and the CDF amongst others now have two weeks quarantine to face upon their return.

So was it worth the trip? The Americans certainly think so.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/ausmin-a-thrilling-unexpected-triumph-for-donald-trump/news-story/c723387a88f0d25fafee6efeadd275ac

#10110039 at 2020-07-29 02:56:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Australia backs US bid to rally democracies against China

The Morrison government has swung its support behind the Trump administration's push to forge a new alliance of democracies to counter China's muscular ambitions, saying it could be built on the close Australia-US relationship.

At the annual AUSMIN meeting in Washington, the quartet of Australian and US foreign and defence ministers also said they'd step up cooperation on developing new defence technologies in areas such as hypersonics, establish a US strategic military fuel reserve in Darwin, and create a joint taskforce to counter harmful disinformation.

"We will use the Australia-US alliance as the basis to deepen our friendship with others," Foreign Minister Marise Payne told the post-AUSMIN press conference on Wednesday morning (AEST).

"We will build new groupings, cementing friendships, improving our security through a network of nations that share our vision of an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific."

Her comments came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week called for "a new grouping of like-minded nations … a new alliance of democracies" to "change communist China".

But she also used the press conference to underline the independence of Australian foreign policy, which is sometimes at odds with that of the increasingly belligerent and intractable Trump administration.

"We have a demonstrable track record of making decisions in our own national interest," she said. "We don't agree on everything - that's part of a respectful relationship."

Mr Pompeo showered praise on the Australian ministers for accepting the risk of coronavirus and the burden of quarantine to travel to Washington and hold the talks face to face.

"Not many partners would do that for us," he told the joint press conference as he lauded the "unbreakable alliance" and feted Australia's toughness in standing up to China's "intense and continued" political and economic intimidation.

Mr Pompeo said the four ministers' discussion on China had been "at length", and had particularly focused on the threat from Chinese technology companies such as Huawei and ZTE.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Defence Secretary Mark Esper were pressed on whether the American side had urged the Australians to step up their activity in the South China Sea, or to host US offensive weaponry on Australian soil.

Both side-stepped the question, with Mr Esper vowing the pair would defend the international rules-based order and Senator Reynolds saying Australia would remain consistent in its pattern of law-abiding transits through the contested waters.

Deeper defence ties

Senator Reynolds said she and Mr Esper had signed a statement of principles "on alliance defence cooperation and on force posture priorities in the Indo-Pacific", which would "drive the next decade of our defence cooperation".

A US-funded, commercially operated strategic military fuel reserve would be set up in Darwin, and the two countries' defence science establishments would work more closely on hypersonics, electronic warfare and space-based capabilities.

"This will ensure the alliance maintains its capability edge in a rapidly modernising environment, … [and] strengthen our interoperability and also our shared resilience," Senator Reynolds said.

Senator Payne said the US State Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade would set up a joint working group to "monitor and respond to harmful disinformation".

She didn't offer any details about the kinds of disinformation, or which countries' information operations would be targeted.

Senator Payne was asked to comment on the growing strategic tension between US and China, and again sought to play up Australia's independent stance.

"The relationship that we have with China is important and we have no intention of injuring it," she said. "But nor do we intend to do things that are contrary to our interests."

She also offered a shout-out to the multilateral institutions that are regarded with deep suspicion by the Trump administration.

"The role of multilateral institutions is more important now than ever in supporting our values and strategic objectives as the world responds to the health and economic challenges of COVID-19," she said.

The ministers said they'd discussed strengthening health security in the Indo-Pacific, to help other countries detect, prevent and respond to infectious diseases, including getting access to vaccines.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/australia-backs-us-bid-to-rally-democracies-against-china-20200729-p55gdp

#10109998 at 2020-07-29 02:52:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

US praises Australia for not 'bowing' to China

China topped the agenda at AUSMIN with the US and Australian delegations discussing freedom of navigation, electronic warfare and hypersonic technology.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has praised Australia for standing up to China despite "coercive pressure from the Chinese Communist Party to bow to Beijing's wishes".

Mr Pompeo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper met with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in Washington DC on Tuesday for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations.

The US and Australia committed to pursue increased and regular "maritime cooperation" in the South China Sea and deepen defence science technology cooperation on hypersonic, electronic warfare and space-based capabilities.

"We started this morning by talking at length about the Chinese Communist Party's malign activity in the Indo-Pacific region, and indeed all around the world," Mr Pompeo said at a press conference.

"The United States commends the Morrison government for standing up for democratic values and the rule of law despite intense, continued coercive pressure from the Chinese Communist Party to bow to Beijing's wishes.

"It is unacceptable for Beijing to use exports, or student fees as a cudgel against Australia.

"We stand with our Australian friends."

The US and Australian delegations agreed to the potential expansion of US Marine rotational force joint training exercises in Darwin to include additional partners and allies.

The US and Australia also intend to strengthen supply chains by establishing a US-funded commercially operated strategic military fuel reserve in Darwin.

Ms Payne said Australia has no intention of injuring its relationship with China.

"We are very different countries, we are very different systems, and it's the points on which we disagree that we should be able to articulate in a mature and sensible way," Ms Payne said.

Ms Reynolds and Dr Esper signed a statement of principles on defence cooperation and force posture priorities in the Indo-Pacific to drive Australian-US shared interests for the next decade.

"This includes hypersonics, electronic warfare and space-based capabilities," Ms Reynolds said.

Ms Reynolds confirmed freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea was discussed and Australia's "long history of transiting through the region" will continue.

"Our approach remains consistent," Ms Reynolds said.

Dr Esper did not specifically answer when a journalist asked if the US and Australia discussed deploying additional US troops or intermediate range missiles on Australian soil.

"We had a very wide ranging discussion about the capabilities that the United States possesses and the capabilities Australia possesses, and our desire to advance them whether they are hypersonics or any other type of capability," he said.

"And I think it's important as we think forward about how do we deter bad behaviour in the Indo-Pacific and how we defend the international rules based order, in this case specifically with regard to China."

Ms Payne and Ms Reynolds will undergo 14 days of quarantine when they return to Australia in case they picked up COVID-19 during the AUSMIN trip.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/us-praises-australia-for-not-bowing-to-china

#10109918 at 2020-07-29 02:45:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Today's #AUSMIN2020 meeting is underway with an ambitious agenda. @MarisePayne and I are looking forward to working with our American friends @EsperDoD @SecPompeo to ensure our Alliance is postured to respond to the challenges and opportunities in our region.

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1288101832661729280

#10099726 at 2020-07-28 10:00:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#8 - Part 15
>>10052552 Australia hits out at Chinese hackers, as Pompeo urges global coalition against China
>>10052656 Bernard Collaery and Witness K - Secret trials: our judges need to resist the government's pressure
>>10062495 Chinese diplomat accused of spying operation in US used to work in Australia
>>10062914 Child abuse victim bottled up crimes after headmaster failed to take action, court told
>>10063039 Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows
>>10063278 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: The @DeptofDefense is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian forces
>>10067449 Pete EVANS Tweet: Australia has officially notified China and the UN that it rejects all of China's territorial claims in South China Sea
>>10071120 Morrison Government declares Beijing's South China Sea claims 'illegal' at United Nations
>>10071243, >>10071252 US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation
>>10077311 Victims of BoysTown launch new legal action in lifelong battle for justice
>>10078496 Australia unwisely boards US leaky boat to meddle in South China Sea - Source: GlobalTimes.cn

>>10088737 Joe Biden win to strengthen US-Australia ties: Democratic plan
>>10088866 US columnist urges Trump honour Morrison
>>10088887 Shared courage against China: Why Australia deserves a second state visit
>>10089131 Black Lives Matter rally planned for Sydney still illegal after NSW Supreme Court dismisses appeal
>>10089258, >>10089266 Despite the polls, wobbly Joe is not home and hosed yet - Alexander Downer
>>10089369 President Donald Trump Tweet: Nice! - Retweeting Akki @akkitwts video: This is the best thing you'll see today
>>10089369 (1997) Mark Philippoussis wins but 14-year-old ballgirl Amy Kavanagh steals the show
>>10090698 Anon rails against OUTSPOKEN DIMWITS RUINING THE MESSAGE - "You're not doing the cause any favours."
>>10099270 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Australia and the United States maintain an unbreakable alliance
>>10099270 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you @EsperDoD for your welcome and our productive discussion
>>10099430 U.S. Department of State Tweet: The U.S.-Australia relationship is an admirable example of how two countries can work together
>>10099430 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Thank you for the warm welcome @SecPompeo as we navigate significant strategic challenges

#10099690 at 2020-07-28 09:52:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #9 - Welcome to the Digital Battlefield Edition

#8 - Part 2
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 1
>>9076836 Turnbull delivers roasting on climate, calls COVID-19 an 'opportunity'
>>9076877 Australian Border Force warns against self-medication as shipments of Trump-touted virus 'cure' soar
>>9091409 US Shows Bipartisan Support to Australian Ally in Response to Chinese Embassy Threats
>>9091449 Letter from The Congress of the United States: Thank you for your hard work on behalf of the U.S.-Australia alliance
>>9099177 'Plandemic': The concerning new coronavirus conspiracy movie going viral
>>9137700 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Pleased to speak with @MarisePayne...to discuss cooperation in combatting the #COVID19 pandemic
>>9137700 Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Tweet: @MarisePayne had productive talks overnight with @SecPompeo as we work to overcome #COVID19
>>9152001 Online predators targeting kids spikes during COVID-19 pandemic
>>9152372 Coronavirus: China's 'bastard act' against Australia after suspending meat imports
>>9197815 What is QAnon? How the coronavirus has given a voice to the bizarre, pro-Trump US fringe movement

>>9198243 Child abuse predator 'handbook' lists ways to target children during coronavirus lockdown
>>9209322 Coalition of 62 countries backs joint Australian, EU push for independent inquiry into coronavirus outbreak
>>9221834 Risk of coronavirus spreading in schools is 'extremely low' study finds
>>9221869 Video: Scientist says a coronavirus vaccine in just 12 months is 'fake news' | 60 Minutes Australia
>>9235470 President Donald Trump Tweet: We are with them! - https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1262392931962454020
>>9235470 SBS News Tweet: India, Japan, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, Russia, and 27 EU states back Australia's push for COVID-19 probe
>>9235470 Coalition of 116 countries back Australia's push for independent coronavirus inquiry
>>9235904 China slaps an 80 per cent tariff on drought-affected Australian exporters starting TODAY as brutal punishment for COVID-19 inquiry
>>9249013 Melbourne doctors to take anti-malaria drug touted by Donald Trump as COVID-19 shield
>>9261575 Video: Mike Pompeo attacks China and says 'we stand with Australia'

>>9261612 'We stand by Australia,' says US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
>>9261868 US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds confirm commitment to alliance during COVID-19
>>9261868 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet #YourADF is ready to receive the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin for 2020
>>9286121 Australia Study Finds "Sign Of Human Intervention" In COVID-19
>>9307126 Video: Pompeo warns of 'disconnect' over Victoria's Belt and Road deal
>>9329255, >>9329263 How COVID-19 is driving a booming conspiracy industry - By Elise Thomas / Australian Strategic Policy Institute
>>9329348 Pompeo Blasted by Top Democrat for Thoughtless Threat to Cut off Australia From Intelligence Sharing
>>9329364 US biotech firm Novavax begins Covid-19 vaccine trials on Australian volunteers after getting $388mn from Bill Gates-backed fund
>>9338538 Victoria deepens engagement with Beijing's controversial Belt and Road initiative
>>9342629 Coronavirus: Senior US officials back Australia's tough stance on 'pernicious' China

>>9356891 Video - Council of Australian Governments replaced by new system based success of COVID-19 National Cabinet
>>9358091, >>9358096 Anon's thoughts: Constitutional Separation of Powers - Coronavirus National Cabinet unlawful?
>>9359154 Questions raised over hydroxychloroquine study which caused WHO to halt trials for Covid-19
>>9374660 Spies kept busy by increase in suspicious internet activity during coronavirus lockdown
>>9408795 China coronavirus bioweapon conspiracy linked to QAnon and pro-Trump social media
>>9426405 Supply chains, critical tech on Five Eyes agenda
>>9426405 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Five Eyes is an indispensable part of (Australia's) international cooperation
>>9426600 Scott Morrison asks Washington embassy to investigate attack on Australian TV crew
>>9426600 Scott Thuman Tweet: SHOCKING: to see members of the media also taking direct, *intentional* punches and swings from police
>>9430152 White House Press Pool Readout - POTUS call with Australian PM Morrison

#10099673 at 2020-07-28 09:45:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#8 - Part 15
>>10052552 Australia hits out at Chinese hackers, as Pompeo urges global coalition against China
>>10052656 Bernard Collaery and Witness K - Secret trials: our judges need to resist the government's pressure
>>10062495 Chinese diplomat accused of spying operation in US used to work in Australia
>>10062914 Child abuse victim bottled up crimes after headmaster failed to take action, court told
>>10063039 Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows
>>10063278 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: The @DeptofDefense is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian forces
>>10067449 Pete EVANS Tweet: Australia has officially notified China and the UN that it rejects all of China's territorial claims in South China Sea
>>10071120 Morrison Government declares Beijing's South China Sea claims 'illegal' at United Nations
>>10071243, >>10071252 US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation
>>10077311 Victims of BoysTown launch new legal action in lifelong battle for justice
>>10078496 Australia unwisely boards US leaky boat to meddle in South China Sea - Source: GlobalTimes.cn

>>10088737 Joe Biden win to strengthen US-Australia ties: Democratic plan
>>10088866 US columnist urges Trump honour Morrison
>>10088887 Shared courage against China: Why Australia deserves a second state visit
>>10089131 Black Lives Matter rally planned for Sydney still illegal after NSW Supreme Court dismisses appeal
>>10089258, >>10089266 Despite the polls, wobbly Joe is not home and hosed yet - Alexander Downer
>>10089369 President Donald Trump Tweet: Nice! - Retweeting Akki @akkitwts video: This is the best thing you'll see today
>>10089369 (1997) Mark Philippoussis wins but 14-year-old ballgirl Amy Kavanagh steals the show
>>10090698 Anon rails against OUTSPOKEN DIMWITS RUINING THE MESSAGE - "You're not doing the cause any favours."
>>10099270 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: Australia and the United States maintain an unbreakable alliance
>>10099270 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you @EsperDoD for your welcome and our productive discussion
>>10099430 U.S. Department of State Tweet: The U.S.-Australia relationship is an admirable example of how two countries can work together
>>10099430 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Thank you for the warm welcome @SecPompeo as we navigate significant strategic challenges

#10099612 at 2020-07-28 09:26:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#8 - Part 2
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 1
>>9076836 Turnbull delivers roasting on climate, calls COVID-19 an 'opportunity'
>>9076877 Australian Border Force warns against self-medication as shipments of Trump-touted virus 'cure' soar
>>9091409 US Shows Bipartisan Support to Australian Ally in Response to Chinese Embassy Threats
>>9091449 Letter from The Congress of the United States: Thank you for your hard work on behalf of the U.S.-Australia alliance
>>9099177 'Plandemic': The concerning new coronavirus conspiracy movie going viral
>>9137700 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Pleased to speak with @MarisePayne…to discuss cooperation in combatting the #COVID19 pandemic
>>9137700 Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Tweet: @MarisePayne had productive talks overnight with @SecPompeo as we work to overcome #COVID19
>>9152001 Online predators targeting kids spikes during COVID-19 pandemic
>>9152372 Coronavirus: China's 'bastard act' against Australia after suspending meat imports
>>9197815 What is QAnon? How the coronavirus has given a voice to the bizarre, pro-Trump US fringe movement

>>9198243 Child abuse predator 'handbook' lists ways to target children during coronavirus lockdown
>>9209322 Coalition of 62 countries backs joint Australian, EU push for independent inquiry into coronavirus outbreak
>>9221834 Risk of coronavirus spreading in schools is 'extremely low' study finds
>>9221869 Video: Scientist says a coronavirus vaccine in just 12 months is 'fake news' | 60 Minutes Australia
>>9235470 President Donald Trump Tweet: We are with them! - https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1262392931962454020
>>9235470 SBS News Tweet: India, Japan, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Indonesia, Russia, and 27 EU states back Australia's push for COVID-19 probe
>>9235470 Coalition of 116 countries back Australia's push for independent coronavirus inquiry
>>9235904 China slaps an 80 per cent tariff on drought-affected Australian exporters starting TODAY as brutal punishment for COVID-19 inquiry
>>9249013 Melbourne doctors to take anti-malaria drug touted by Donald Trump as COVID-19 shield
>>9261575 Video: Mike Pompeo attacks China and says 'we stand with Australia'

>>9261612 'We stand by Australia,' says US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
>>9261868 US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds confirm commitment to alliance during COVID-19
>>9261868 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet #YourADF is ready to receive the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin for 2020
>>9286121 Australia Study Finds "Sign Of Human Intervention" In COVID-19
>>9307126 Video: Pompeo warns of 'disconnect' over Victoria's Belt and Road deal
>>9329255, >>9329263 How COVID-19 is driving a booming conspiracy industry - By Elise Thomas / Australian Strategic Policy Institute
>>9329348 Pompeo Blasted by Top Democrat for Thoughtless Threat to Cut off Australia From Intelligence Sharing
>>9329364 US biotech firm Novavax begins Covid-19 vaccine trials on Australian volunteers after getting $388mn from Bill Gates-backed fund
>>9338538 Victoria deepens engagement with Beijing's controversial Belt and Road initiative
>>9342629 Coronavirus: Senior US officials back Australia's tough stance on 'pernicious' China

>>9356891 Video - Council of Australian Governments replaced by new system based success of COVID-19 National Cabinet
>>9358091, >>9358096 Anon's thoughts: Constitutional Separation of Powers - Coronavirus National Cabinet unlawful?
>>9359154 Questions raised over hydroxychloroquine study which caused WHO to halt trials for Covid-19
>>9374660 Spies kept busy by increase in suspicious internet activity during coronavirus lockdown
>>9408795 China coronavirus bioweapon conspiracy linked to QAnon and pro-Trump social media
>>9426405 Supply chains, critical tech on Five Eyes agenda
>>9426405 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Five Eyes is an indispensable part of (Australia's) international cooperation
>>9426600 Scott Morrison asks Washington embassy to investigate attack on Australian TV crew
>>9426600 Scott Thuman Tweet: SHOCKING: to see members of the media also taking direct, *intentional* punches and swings from police
>>9430152 White House Press Pool Readout - POTUS call with Australian PM Morrison

#10099270 at 2020-07-28 07:38:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet

Bound by language, shared democratic values, and common goals, Australia and the United States maintain an unbreakable alliance. Thank you for making the journey to meet at the Pentagon this afternoon, @LindaReynoldswa.

https://twitter.com/EsperDoD/status/1287898758341111809

—

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Thank you @EsperDoD for your welcome and our productive discussion. We are committed to maintaining our capability edge to protect our respective national interests and peace and prosperity in our region.

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1287920606990671872

#10098963 at 2020-07-28 06:37:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Trump's national security aide contracts COVID-19 ahead of AUSMIN talks

Washington: US President Donald Trump's national security aide has tested positive for coronavirus ahead of critical diplomatic and defence talks between Australia and America.

Hours after Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds touched down in Washington for the latest Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations, news emerged that National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien had contracted COVID-19 and was at home isolating.

O'Brien was meant to meet with Payne during the visit. He is now the highest-ranking Trump official known to have coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 147,000 Americans and infected 4.26 million others across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The Trump administration declined to answer questions from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald about when O'Brien was last in contact with the President and key members of his National Security Council, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper - both of whom Payne and Reynolds are also meeting this week.

Earlier, the White House put out a statement confirming the diagnosis: "He has mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off-site. There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice-President. The work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted."

Tuesday's AUSMIN - which comes in the face of a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and ongoing tensions between the US and China - is seen as so important for the two western allies that Payne and Reynolds opted to attend in person despite the risks of the pandemic. Both will have to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Australia.

In the lead up to the event, the ministers signalled stronger co-operation with the US, calling out Beijing's "coercive actions" in the South China Sea; security laws imposed by China on Hong Kong; and state-sponsored hacking and disinformation.

The prospect of increasing joint naval exercises in the South China Sea will be a key topic of discussion, as will the need to ensure secure supply chains to tackle the coronavirus.

However, O'Brien's diagnosis is politically sensitive for the President who has come under fire in recent weeks over his handling of the health crisis ravaging the country.

The adviser has an office just down the hall from Trump's and the office of Vice-President Mike Pence, and is the closest official to the President known to have contracted the virus.

He recently returned from Europe, where he met with officials from France, Germany, Italy and the UK.

"I wish NSA O'Brien all the best for a speedy recovery and look forward to speaking with him again soon," Senator Payne said.

Others in the President's orbit have also tested positive in recent weeks, including two secret service agents who attended Trump's last rally in Tulsa on June 20, and campaign fundraiser Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump jnr.

The President and those in his immediate circle are routinely tested for the virus. However, it is still not clear when Trump was last in contact with O'Brien, with the President briefly telling reporters on Monday afternoon on his way to North Carolina: "I haven't seen him lately."

Their last public appearance was during a military event in Miami on July 10, at a time when Florida was America's epicentre for the pandemic.

In North Carolina, Trump visited a biotech facility involved in work to create a vaccine for the virus.

The President also used the opportunity to spruik "Operation Warp Speed" - a federal program that aims to deliver 300 million doses of a vaccine by January 2021. Companies funded under the initiative include pharma giants Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer.

Trump said the trip was designed to give Americans hope, but added: "it's only hope because we've got such incredible results scientifically."

"America will develop a vaccine very soon and we will defeat the virus. We will have it defeated in record time," he said.

With only 99 days before the election, he also disputed successive polls suggesting his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, was ahead in the campaign, saying that his internal polling, which has not been released, "show me leading in almost every swing state".

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-s-top-security-aide-contracts-covid-19-ahead-of-ausmin-talks-20200728-p55g0v.html

#10077129 at 2020-07-25 23:30:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Repost from Q Research General #12896

Morrison government ministers allowed to defy travel ban to fly to the US

Australia's foreign and defence ministers will become the first members of the government to leave Australia since the international border closed.

Today, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will travel to Washington for annual talks with the US government, with "China" set to dominate discussions.

The Australian Ministers will meet face-to-face with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington DC - a risky trip given the US has hit over four million COVID-19 cases.

The small delegation, which also includes Chief of the Defence Force, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) secretary Frances Adamson and Defence secretary Greg Moriarty, will have isolate for fourteen days when they return.

"And they'll be doing it on the basis of medical advice," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

"The fact that they're meeting in the middle of the pandemic is important, and of course it will all be about China," Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told 9News.

"It's acceptable for both Washington and Canberra if we kind of to steer our own courses on this issue.

"It's not smart for Australia to look like we're just in American's coattails."

Before take-off, the ministers blasted Beijing for its coercive conduct in the South China Sea and its undermining of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.

They also noted cyberattacks are on the rise - without once naming China.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations, Australia formally rejected Beijing's claims to islands in the crucial trading waters.

"Australia needs to defend the Australian national interest and we also need to stand up for international law," Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/morrison-government-ministers-allowed-to-defy-travel-ban-us-meeting-china/f6c95774-c6ed-43cf-aee1-cce4a13293bd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROagCq4Sf9s

#10071243 at 2020-07-25 05:33:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation

1/2

Australia and the United States are set to launch a joint bid to counter disinformation campaigns from countries like China and Russia, as Beijing and Washington trade consulate closures in a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will fly to Washington on Sunday for major talks with their US counterparts at the most tense time for relations with China since diplomatic links were established in the 1970s.

The ministers plan to agree on measures to counter disinformation campaigns by authoritarian states, boost health security in the Indo-Pacific and help the region recover from the coronavirus crisis.

Senator Payne and Senator Reynolds, who will have to self-quarantine for 14 days when they return to Australia, will have a series of meetings with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper as part of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations.

Mr Pompeo on Thursday called for an end to "blind engagement" with China, just days after the US took the historic decision to shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston, setting off a diplomatic firestorm.

Senator Payne, who will be attending her fifth AUSMIN meeting, said this year's discussions were the "most significant in my time for Australia's short, medium and long-term interests".

"Our Alliance co-operation is essential to promote and realise a stable, open and resilient region for the benefit of all Australians," she said.

Australia and the US will look to present a united front against disinformation by authoritarian states across the Indo-Pacific, with the two countries particularly concerned by the way in which China has used social media to undermine democracies across the region.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is already setting up a new taskforce to counter online disinformation, with Australia concerned about the effect on developing nations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Twitter last month revealed it had removed more than 30,000 accounts after investigators found they had ties to state-run propaganda and disinformation operations in China, Russia and Turkey.

The US closed the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday over allegations it had stolen American research, persuaded dozens of researchers to turn over information to Chinese institutions, and coerced fugitive Chinese citizens to return to China. The Houston consul general Cai Wei was formerly the deputy head of mission for the Chinese embassy in Canberra.

In retaliation, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday it was revoking the licence for the US consulate in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, accusing the US of breaching international law, the basic norms of international relations, and the terms of the China-US Consular Convention.

Chinese police surrounded the US consulate in Chengdu within an hour of Beijing's announcement on Friday, as US diplomats prepared to vacate the strategically significant consulate that covers the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou as well as the semi-autonomous region of Tibet.

Mr Pompeo and Mr Esper gave three set speeches this week that accused China of threatening global prosperity.

(continued)

#10071120 at 2020-07-25 05:12:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

>>10063278
>>10067449
Morrison Government declares Beijing's South China Sea claims 'illegal' at United Nations

Australia has raised the stakes in its already troubled relationship with China by backing the United States in formally declaring Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea to be illegal.

In a letter to the United Nations, Australia's permanent mission rejected the Chinese Communist Party's claim to disputed islands in the crucial trading waters, calling them "inconsistent" with international law.

"The Australian Government rejects any claims by China that are inconsistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in particular, maritime claims that do not adhere to its rules on baselines, maritime zones and classification of features.," the document states.

"There is no legal basis for China to draw straight baselines connecting the outermost points of maritime features or 'island groups' in the South China Sea, including around the 'Four Sha' or 'continental' or 'outlying' archipelagos.

"Australia rejects any claims to internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf based on such straight baselines."

The move, likely to infuriate Beijing, aligns Australia with the Trump administration, which earlier this month reversed a previous policy of not taking sides in such disputes.

Australia has previously urged all claimants to disputed South China Sea islands and maritime features to resolve their claims in accordance with international law.

China is yet to formally respond to Australia's statement.

But it said earlier this month that the US position "neglected the history and facts" around issues concerning the South China Sea.

Australia's dramatic shift in position comes as Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds prepare to travel to Washington next week to meet with their US counterparts for the 2020 Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).

This week, the ABC revealed Australian warships had recently encountered Chinese warships while travelling through the South China Sea near the disputed Spratly islands, which Beijing claims.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese today backed the Morrison Government's hardening position on the South China Sea.

"Australia needs to defend the Australian national interest, and we also need to stand up for international law," Mr Albanese told reporters.

"And the international law of the sea provides for freedom of navigation, which is absolutely critical to international trade."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-25/federal-government-joins-rejects-china-maritime-claims-at-un/12492070

#10052552 at 2020-07-23 06:19:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Australia hits out at Chinese hackers, as Pompeo urges global coalition against China

Australia has expressed alarm over Chinese hackers compromising networks across the world for commercial and personal gain, after a US Justice Department indictment alleged a decade-long spree targeting an Australian defence contractor, the personal data of Hong Kong protesters and COVID-19 vaccine researchers.

The joint-statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Signals Directorate on Wednesday follows rising animosity between China and Australia's Five Eyes partners, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand over the coronavirus crisis, Hong Kong and a military build-up in the South China Sea.

"Of particular concern, these individuals also reportedly targeted COVID-19 research as well as political dissidents, religious minorities and human rights advocates," the Australian government said. "Australia reiterates our call to all countries to refrain from behaviour which violates their international commitments."

On Wednesday night tensions further escalated suddenly after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the US government had demanded that its Houston consulate cease all operations and events in an "unprecedented escalation of its recent actions".

"It is a political provocation unilaterally launched by the US side, which seriously violates international law, basic norms governing international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the US," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Hours earlier the US launched an indictment alleging hackers, Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, were contractors for the Chinese government, but not full-time spies, and targeted 25 government and private sector organisations up until April this year. The victims of the hack have yet to be identified publicly.

It's unknown whether the indictment is linked the consulate closure.

In a sign of the increasing gravity of the deteriorating geopolitical situation, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will fly to Washington next week for face-to-face meetings with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper at the urging of Washington.

The pair, along with their support staff, will undergo two weeks of quarantine when they return. The US set a new daily global record of more than 77,000 coronavirus cases last week.

Pompeo told British MPs on Tuesday that global institutions dealing with an aggressive China were no longer fit for purpose, in part because Australia does not have a leading role in many of them.

"We're going to need the one billion-plus people in India, we're going to need the Australians - it's going to take all of these democracies together," Mr Pompeo said.

Pompeo also hit out at World Health Organisation boss Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, accusing him of aiding China's initial cover-up of the pandemic, saying that was the reason for "dead Britons" because he has been "bought by the Chinese government".

Pompeo made the remarks in London to an assortment of British MPs at the Millbank headquarters of the Henry Jackson Society, a think tank that is hawkish on China. The society has been instrumental in leading the putsch against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's original approval for Chinese firm Huawei to build Britain's 5G networks.

MPs from all parties, including the Conservative and Labour parties as well as the Liberal Democrats attended the meeting, which was held before the former CIA director met Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

In a separate speech overnight on Tuesday, Mr Esper, the US Defence Secretary, accused the Chinese Communist Party of "systematic rule breaking, corrosion and other malign activities" in the Indo-Pacific.

"The devastating worldwide impact of the coronavirus outbreak reinforces the necessity of a rules-based international order rooted in transparency, openness, honesty and other shared values," he said.

Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, said the battle over the coronavirus in China was never just about public health.

"For the Chinese Communist Party, like everything, it was and remains primarily a contest of politics, in which the party-state benchmarks itself against other governing systems, especially the world's most powerful democracy, and its superpower rival, the US," he said.

(continued)

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-hits-out-at-chinese-hackers-as-pompeo-urges-global-coalition-against-china-20200722-p55e8t.html

#9993850 at 2020-07-18 01:48:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Five Eyes to the fore: Australia takes a seat at global big table

COVID-19 has forced a change in Australia's global outlook that has brought the Five Eyes intelligence alliance - involving Australia, the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand - to the heart of our strategic personality.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne outlined the new importance of Five Eyes to The Weekend Australian, saying: "Five Eyes is Australia's pre-eminent international security and intelligence partnership, and co-operation among our closest partners is more important than ever.

"Our Five Eyes discussions have broadened to include economic and fiscal responses to the COVID crisis, including security of supply chains. We will continue to work together to protect and advance our interests in the face of threats to our liberal democratic values."

The Foreign Minister said that as well as addressing the immediate COVID-induced challenges, Five Eyes co-operation would focus on "sovereignty, security and economic prosperity".

The Weekend Australian can confirm that Senator Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will travel to the US on July 29 for an in-person meeting involving US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper.

The even is Washington's initiative, and the fact the Trump administration is at pains to set up a meeting in person, despite the formidable logistical challenges involved, is a testament to the ­importance it places on the US-Australia alliance.

This week, Josh Frydenberg convened the second Five Eyes ­finance ministers meeting. He told The Weekend Australian: "There is a terrific spirit of co-­operation around the table among my fellow treasurers and finance ministers and a desire to learn from each other as we lead our economies through this crisis to recovery."

The Five Eyes finance ministers meetings are a new Australian ­initiative led by The Treasurer. They represent a significant broadening of the strategic personality of the Five Eyes arrangement. Canberra is keen that they assume a life of their own.

The increased co-ordination among the Five Eyes nations is taking place against the background of widespread concern over Beijing's increased assertiveness in its international behaviour.

This comes only days after Britain reversed its position on Chinese telco Huawei and ruled it could no longer provide equipment for Britain's 5G network. Plus, its existing equipment will have to be removed by 2027. This brings Britain into line with its Five Eyes partners.

Five Eyes members believe Beijing finds it more difficult to intimidate a group of nations, rather than one nation at a time.

However, strategic co-operation is not limited to China. The US, Canada and Britain this week issued a joint statement denouncing Russian attempts to hack coronavirus research

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/five-eyes-to-the-fore-australia-takes-a-seat-at-global-big-table/news-story/fac2a774d28eacd1d4e2da9962557b69

#9913238 at 2020-07-10 07:56:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

US marine tests positive for coronavirus in the Northern Territory

A US marine has tested positive for coronavirus in the Northern Territory, the NT Health Minister has confirmed.

The marine has been transferred from quarantine at Darwin's Robertson Barracks to Royal Darwin Hospital..

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said health authorities would "make decisions working with United States authorities about what is the best care" for the patient.

Ms Fyles said the marine arrived in the Northern Territory "a few days ago" and disembarked through the military side of Darwin Airport.

Ms Fyles said the marine had potentially had "very, very minimal contact" with any Territorians.

The marine was in Darwin as part of the US Marine Corps' Marine Rotational Force, hosted in the Northern Territory.

The contingent of about 1,200 US marines has been arriving in the Northern Territory in groups in a staggered deployment since June.

All the arrivals are subject to a two-week quarantine period at an Australian Defence Force facility in Darwin.

The original rotation of about 2,500 marines was postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds gave approval for the reduced contingent in May.

NT Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie said he was not aware of any plans to cancel Defence deployments or the arrival of the remaining marines due to join the Northern Territory's marine rotation by August.

"We do have these cohorts that come on a regular basis and we'll see more coming in the coming months as we do every year with the dry season," Dr Heggie said.

Ms Fyles said the detection of the case showed the quarantine systems in place for the marines were working well.

"Our processes worked here and when we talk about the new normal, we've had marine rotations for many many years, that strong enduring relationship with Defence presence going back to World War II," she said.

"We agreed to host these rotations but with measures in place to protect Territorians."

The new case brings the total number of coronavirus cases recorded in the Northern Territory to 32.

Ms Fyles said the case presented only a "very low risk" to the Northern Territory community.

"This is not someone who has been mixing in our community and this is not a case of community transmission," she said.

"This is an individual who arrived in Darwin on a charter flight, they went through the military side of Darwin airport and they have been in quarantine.

"So there is a very low risk to Territorians, but it is important for them to note that another case has been diagnosed in the Northern Territory."

The case follows the positive diagnosis on July 2 of a Darwin local who had flown home via Brisbane from a virus hotspot in Melbourne.

That positive result was the first time the Northern Territory had recorded a coronavirus case since April 6.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-10/nt-coronavirus-update-new-case-confirmed-us-marine/12442232

#9892266 at 2020-07-08 07:12:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Japan, U.S. and Australia express 'deep concern' over Hong Kong law

Japan, the United States and Australia on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over China's recent implementation of a sweeping security law in Hong Kong that is feared will restrict human rights and freedoms in the territory.

The three security allies confirmed the view during a meeting via videolink of their defense ministers - Linda Reynolds of Australia, Taro Kono of Japan and Mark Esper of the United States.

Many countries, including the three nations, have expressed concerns over the controversial legislation enacted last week, which targets secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces in the former British colony.

Apparently with China in mind, the three defense chiefs also reaffirmed their "strong opposition" to the use of force or coercion that could alter the status quo and increase tensions in the East and South China seas, where China has been increasingly assertive.

But the statement released after their talks did not name China in connection with the maritime issue.

The three ministers also confirmed their "strong concern" over North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches, saying they violated multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.

During the talks, which took place amid the coronavirus pandemic, they also discussed ways to mitigate the impact of the virus, including sharing information, according to the statement.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/08/national/japan-u-s-australia-hong-kong-security-law/

—

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet:

The United States stands firm with our staunch allies, Australia & Japan, against coercion in the #SouthChinaSea & the #EastChinaSea. Thank you for the call & partnership, @LindaReynoldswa, @konotarogomame.

https://twitter.com/EsperDoD/status/1280673541483003904

—

Australia-Japan-United States Defense Ministers' Meeting Joint Statement

JULY 7, 2020

Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, Japanese Minister of Defense KONO Taro, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper convened a virtual trilateral defense ministerial meeting on July 7 (Washington). The ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to enhance security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in keeping with their shared values and longstanding alliances and close partnerships. This was the ninth meeting among the three nations' defense leaders.

The ministers concurred that the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of a rules-based international order in setting the conditions for our nations to address this shared threat in a way that is transparent, accountable, and resilient. As a measure of the strength and adaptability of the trilateral partnership, the ministers discussed collaborative efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. They committed to:

(1) Continue to share information, best practices, and lessons learned about measures taken by defense authorities toward mitigating the impacts of COVID-19, including as part of whole-of-government efforts;

(2) Further develop a mutual understanding of the threat environment in the Indo-Pacific region, including the potential effects of the spread of COVID-19 on their respective defense policies and preparedness; and

(3) Promote vigorous trilateral defense cooperation and exchanges that make tangible contributions in support of a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

The ministers reinforced their strong opposition to any destabilizing or coercive unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions in the East China Sea. They expressed their intention to continue to coordinate closely on the security environment in this region, with a view to deterring such actions.

With regard to the South China Sea, the ministers reinforced strong opposition to the use of force or coercion to alter the status quo, and reaffirmed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight. They expressed serious concern about recent incidents, including the continued militarization of disputed features, dangerous or coercive use of coast guard vessels and "maritime militia," and efforts to disrupt other countries' resource exploitation activities. They emphasized the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and called for all countries in the region to take meaningful steps to ease tension and build trust.

(continued)

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2266901/australia-japan-united-states-defense-ministers-meeting-joint-statement/

#9797183 at 2020-06-30 07:49:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Scott Morrison's new cyber army to confront digital spy threat

Australia will launch an unprecedented cyber defence and intelligence warfare program with an army of 500 newly trained specialists tasked with protecting the country from attack and hunting down spies.

After revealing earlier this month the country had come under a broadscale and sustained foreign-based cyber hack targeting all levels of government and critical infrastructure operators, Scott Morrison on Tuesday will announce a $1.35bn boost to cyber defences across the next decade.

Resources will be poured into the military cyber capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Cyber Security Centre amid a rapid escalation in malicious state-based cyber ­attacks. While the ASD's intelligence capabilities are a closely held secret, the addition of 500 specialists, at a cost of $470m, will deliver a "massive" boost to the defence agency.

The announcement comes amid rising tensions between Canberra and Beijing over the level of foreign interference believed to be originating from China, which has also been cited as being responsible for the latest hack into Australian systems.

In 2016, Australia became one of the first Western powers to declare the use of "offensive" cyber capability. Known as the Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response (CESAR) package, it will form a centrepiece of the government's 2020 Cyber Security Strategy, due to be released ahead of the October 6 budget.

The government claimed the new response would escalate the country's ability to disrupt threats but also provide real-time intelligence to help businesses actively repel attacks. More than $100m is believed to be dedicated to new artificial intelligence technology to "neutralise" foreign cyber threats.

The ASD will also launch a "strategic mitigation" offensive to actively disrupt foreign actors targeting telecommunications infrastructure.

The cyber announcement comes ahead of a major defence and national security statement to be delivered on Wednesday by the Prime Minister and amid continued mass hacking attempts, which The Australian understands ­increased last week.

Mr Morrison said "malicious cyber activity against Australia is increasing in frequency, scale and sophistication". "The federal government's top priority is protecting our nation's economy, national security and sovereignty. Malicious cyber activity undermines that," he said.

"My government's record investment in our nation's cyber security will help ensure we have the tools and capabilities … to fight back and keep Australians safe."

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the $1.35bn investment would help ring-fence government agencies, sensitive infrastructure and private sector industry. "The package will put our nation on the front foot in combating cyber threats and our investment in a cyber security workforce will help ensure we have the people we need to meet future cyber challenges," Senator Reynolds said.

"For example, this package will enable ASD and Australia's major telecommunications providers to prevent malicious cyber activity from reaching millions of Australians by blocking known malicious websites and computer viruses at speed. This package is one part of our $15bn investment … that will form part of Defence's 2020 Force Structure Plan to address the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape."

The new 10-year program includes $31m to "enhance the ability of ASD to disrupt cyber crime offshore, taking the fight to foreign criminals that seek to target Australians, and providing assistance to federal, state and territory law enforcement agencies".

A further $35m would be used to deliver a new cyber threat-sharing platform, enabling industry and government to share intelligence about malicious cyber activity, and block emerging threats in near-real time.

Mr Morrison this month pledged "significant investment" would be pumped into beefing up cyber security defences as part of the government's updated 2020 Cyber Security Strategy.

The Cyber Security Strategy industry advisory panel, appointed by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton late last year, is chaired by Telstra chief Andy Penn and includes former US secretary of homeland security Kirstjen Nielsen, Tesla chair Robyn Denholm and NBN chief security officer Darren Kane.

(continued)

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrisons-new-cyber-army-to-confront-digital-spy-threat/news-story/e35924a7d977333409121dce2adb9c21

#9740253 at 2020-06-25 07:11:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Australian Defence Force to send 1,000 personnel to assist Victoria in coronavirus response

The Australian Defence Force will provide more than 1,000 personnel to assist with the coronavirus response in Victoria, by helping to run a huge testing facility at the Melbourne Showgrounds and organising the transportation of tests to other states for processing.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today announced a new suburban testing blitz to do 100,000 tests across 10 Melbourne suburbs in 10 days.

"That blitz will mean we need more testing capacity," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.

The governments of New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland have all agreed to help process the extra tests.

The tests will be flown interstate by the ADF for processing.

On Tuesday, 21,000 tests were carried out in Victoria, the highest number in a single day this year. More than 20,000 tests were done on Wednesday.

The defence force staff will help to run a massive new test site at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

They will also assist with the transportation and logistics involved in moving returned travellers between the airport and the hotels where they will serve their mandatory quarantine period.

More than 18,500 returned travellers have gone through 14 days of hotel quarantine in Victoria since the start of the pandemic.

Two separate coronavirus clusters have been linked to quarantine hotels - the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Rydges on Swanston hotel.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the procedures for staff working in hotel quarantine were continually under review to deal with the spread of cases from the hotels.

Health Minister Greg Hunt, speaking in Melbourne, said clearly the hotel quarantine structure in Victoria "could be improved."

"We're stepping in at Victoria's request to assist them as we would any other state," he said.

He said the Government had responded to Victoria's request for help in the same way it had done for other states, like Tasmania and New South Wales.

"Whilst we expect there will be more cases today ... the Chief Medical Officer's view is that the number of cases are contained, but there is a risk," Mr Hunt said.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the 1,000 troops would include roughly 850 people to help with planning and assisting with the enforcement of hotel quarantine.

"Our soldiers are not law enforcement personnel ... they are not security guards, but they are assisting those locations to make sure quarantine requirements are met," she said.

The Minister said about 200 medical personnel would work with Victorian authorities to speed up testing processes.

Complacency about coronavirus virus prompts concern

The state today recorded 33 new coronavirus infections and this week a man in his 80s died from COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll to 20.

It was the first death in more than a month and took the national total to 103.

Thursday was the ninth consecutive day of double-digit increases in coronavirus cases in the state.

A rise in community transmission of the virus prompted the State Government to declare six local government areas hotspots, including Hume, Darebin, Casey, Cardinia, Moreland and Brimbank.

Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone said the deployment of more defence personnel sent a "strong message" about the seriousness of the virus.

"Complacency has possibly started to set in and it is a reminder that the virus is still there," he said.

"We need to get on top of this before, indeed, it becomes anything more and leads us into a second wave."

Dr Bartone said he expected the military would help bolster the "logistical response and the expertise" at the front line.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-25/victoria-coronavirus-adf-personnel-sent-in-hotel-quarantine/12390486

#9668321 at 2020-06-19 07:47:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

>>9663634
>>9666783
Morrison reveals malicious 'state-based' cyber attack on governments, industry

Australian governments and industry are being targeted by major cyber attacks that could put pressure on critical infrastructure and public services, with China understood to be a likely source of the threat.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed the "malicious" attacks on Friday morning after briefing state premiers as well as Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday night, saying the threat showed a level of sophistication that could only come from a state-based actor.

"Based on advice provided to me by our cyber experts, Australian organisations are currently being targeted by a sophisticated state-based cyber actor," Mr Morrison said.

"This act is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure."

Asked whether the attack came from China, Mr Morrison did not name the foreign state but emphasised the level of sophistication of the intrusion.

"What I can confirm, with confidence, based on the advice, the technical advice that we have received, is that this is the action of a state-based actor with significant capabilities," he said.

"There aren't too many state-based actors who have those capabilities."

Mr Morrison raised the attacks with United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday night and also sought co-operation from Australia's Five Eyes intelligence partners, the United States, Canada, New Zealand as well as the UK.

Others who were aware of the attacks named China as a likely source. Government sources say the attack bore many similarities to a cyber attack on Parliament House's computer system in February 2019, which security agencies attributed to China.

While Mr Morrison called the Friday morning press conference to warn about the problem, his office later said there was no specific incident this week and that the concerns were about a growing trend over recent months.

Mr Morrison used a prepared statement to say that Australian governments and businesses were "currently being targeted" but this was a reference to the broader trend.

The Australian Signals Directorate said it was aware of the "sustained targeting of Australian governments and companies by a sophisticated state-based actor".

It said links to fake websites designed to steal users' details, links to malicious files, and use of email tracking services to identify when users were opening emails were being used by the sophisticated actor.

"The actor has been identified leveraging a number of initial access vectors, with the most prevalent being the exploitation of public-facing infrastructure," the intelligence organisation said.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre was working with the organisations subject to the malicious cyber attack.

The ACSC named "copy-paste compromises" as part of the state-based actor's "heavy use of proof-of-concept exploit code, web shells and other tools" to enable the attacks.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said companies should "patch" their internet-facing devices promptly to make sure any web or email servers are fully updated with the latest software and ensure they used multi-factor authentication to secure any internet access.

The government has seen an increase in threat activity in recent months in a trend that has overlapped with Australia's tensions with the Chinese government over an investigation into the source of the COVID-19 virus in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Former National Cyber Security Adviser Alastair MacGibbon said the threat was "likely a campaign by a sophisticated state-based actor" and part of a wider trend.

"It is an affront to our national interest and sovereignty that such events occur," said Mr MacGibbon, who is now chief strategy officer at CyberCX after a long career in public policy including as head of the ACSC.

"And that's why the Prime Minister has stood up to make a statement."

The US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI warned last month that hackers based in China were using cyber attacks and "cyberthefts" to steal intellectual property in the field of vaccines and healthcare.

The US warning was followed by an Australian alert from the ACSC within days telling critical infrastructure providers to do more to protect themselves from cyber attack when key staff were working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal Parliament revealed in February last year that malware had made its way into the parliamentary computer network via several politicians' computers.

(continued)

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-reveals-malicious-state-based-cyber-attack-hitting-several-sectors-20200619-p5545z.html

#9261868 at 2020-05-21 09:18:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Esper and Reynolds confirm commitment to alliance during COVID-19

On Wednesday, Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds has confirmed in a statement that Australia's commitment to US alliance co-operation and confirmed that a modified 2020 Marine Rotational Force-Darwin deployment can proceed.

The minister has confirmed she has spoken with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper reaffirming the alliance.

"Our alliance is based on shared values and close friendship. As we have done for over 100 years, we band together in times of crisis, just as we are now in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic," stated Minister Reynolds.

They confirmed the importance of co-operation through the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining momentum towards shared goals in the region.

"We agreed that the pandemic has only served to reinforce the importance of the Alliance between our two nations. Our defence organisations' focus is now on maintaining force readiness and helping our partners in the Pacific and south-east Asia," Minister Reynolds said.

"We are continuing to train and operate together, as recently seen with HMAS Parramatta's activities with the US Navy in the South China Sea."

Minster Reynolds was also able to confirm with Secretary Esper that after careful consideration, the government has decided that a modified 2020 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) can proceed later this year, adhering to strict measures in place to protect against COVID-19.

The MRF-D for 2020 had been paused in March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world and strict travel restrictions were put in place by governments across the world, including limiting military training operations.

The Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) initiative involves the annual rotation of US Marines through northern Australia for approximately six months during the dry season.

While in Australia, the MRF-D undertakes a range of activities including training unilaterally and with the Australian Defence Force and other Indo-Pacific nations. The MRF-D initiative has grown in size and complexity since the first rotation of 200 US Marines in 2012. The 2019 rotation consisted of 2,500 US Marines.

The decision was based on Australia's record to date in managing the impacts from COVID-19, as well as strict adherence by deployed US Marines to the mandatory 14-day quarantine and other requirements.

Hosting this key Alliance activity provides interoperability benefits as well as signals our firm joint commitment to regional security. It is a clear testimony to the strength and value of the Australia-US alliance.

"Secretary Esper and I confirmed our respective commitment to ensuring the health and safety of Australians, with special provision for local Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory," the statement said.

"In our discussions, I noted how impressed I am by the cooperation between our Defence Science and Technology experts in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

"Australian and US researchers, with the Five Nation Research and Development Council, are examining the survival of the virus that causes COVID-19 on various surfaces, and how it is impacted by environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

"We look forward to further discussing ways that the Alliance can deal with the long-term strategic and economic impacts of the pandemic leading up to AUSMIN this year."

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/key-enablers/6057-esper-and-Reynolds-confirm-commitment-to-alliance-during-covid-19

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lReynolds/media-releases/alliance-cooperation-continues-amidst-pandemic-and-marine-rotation

—

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

#YourADF is ready to receive the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin for 2020 following careful planning & preparations undertaken by Aust. & the US to minimise COVID-19 risks to the Northern Territory.

The deployment demonstrates our close #defence relationship with the US

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1263223737588932608

#9235831 at 2020-05-19 09:21:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

Former soldier to prosecute cases of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan

A former soldier turned senior lawyer has been appointed to prosecute cases of alleged Australian war crimes during the Afghanistan war.

The ABC can reveal David McLure SC was recently drafted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) for the arduous and high-profile role.

His appointment comes after the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) revealed his long-running inquiry into the conduct of special forces in Afghanistan was in its final stages.

According to the IGADF's annual report, released in February, investigators are looking into 55 separate incidents of alleged breaches of the rules of war in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

The IGADF inquiry has been underway since May 2016 and was sparked by allegations and rumours of special forces troops killing unarmed Afghan men and children.

Separately, Australian Federal Police (AFP) are understood to have also gathered significant evidence of possible crimes, and the recent appointment of Mr McLure as prosecutor could indicate charges may soon be laid.

"It would be inappropriate for the CDPP to comment on matters which remain the subject of an ongoing investigation," a CDPP spokesperson told the ABC.

During his military career Mr McLure served with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan, and in recent weeks he came to public prominence while representing the owners of the Ruby Princess cruise ship during legal proceedings.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has declined to comment on Mr McLure's appointment as a prosecutor for the CDPP.

In March an investigation by the ABC's Four Corners program uncovered new allegations that unarmed civilians were unlawfully killed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.

An Australian soldier who was shown in the program shooting an unarmed Afghan man was later suspended from duty, with the Defence Minister referring the matter to the AFP Commissioner.

In 2016 former special forces sergeant Kevin Frost came forward to the ABC to claim he helped cover up the shooting of a captive in Afghanistan.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-18/prosecutor-appointed-allegations-soldier-misconduct-afghanistan/12260388

#9062530 at 2020-05-07 09:30:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#7 - Part 14
>>8596309 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you to our 6,500 ADF personnel who served on Operation Bushfire Assist
>>8620356 Man reports woman to AFP after she offers child for sexual abuse over Whatsapp
>>8620356 Australian Federal Police - Online Child Sexual Exploitation - Child Protection form for reporting concerns to the AFP
>>8620467 Brisbane man in Court for child exploitation allegations
>>8632225 How Anita Cobby's killers could be released from jail under a radical plan to change the meaning of 'life behind bars'
>>8632515 Westpac still some way off settlement with AUSTRAC, court hears
>>8632568 Australian flight attendant jailed for abuse of children overseas
>>8633046 Awakening Greatly, the team that made vids Q has linked to, looking for Qanon patriots outside the US for their next video
>>8646321, Q Post #3893 - Rainbow Fairy Twitter Thread: An attempt to gather as many Q-related photographs from around the world
>>8646338, >>8646350, >>8646369 AusAnons from Perth, Sydney and Melbourne featured in Rainbow Fairy's global QAnon Twitter Thread

>>8650035 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: 73 years since the establishment of the Defence Signals Bureau, now @ASDGovAu
>>8659036 President Donald Trump - Proclamation on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, April 2020
>>8670963 Australian "Journalist", Caroline Overington, has written a book about missing toddler William Tyrrell
>>8691883 When Catalog is broken try using the index - 8kun.top/qresearch/index.html - It will always show the most recent posts
>>8701445 William Tyrrell top cop faces five years in jail after being found GUILTY of illegally recording conversations
>>8701753 Video: Sky News Australia - Full Special Investigation: Donald Trump vs The Deep State
>>8720499 Western Sydney man arrested for alleged online sharing of child abuse material
>>8732811 Lead investigator on the William Tyrrell case convicted and fined $10,000 over illegal recordings
>>8738775 Q Post #3920 - What happens when state actor(s) [assets] are removed?
>>8738775 Q Post #3921 - FISA INDICTMENTS = START

>>8741615 'Crossfire Typhoon': Here Is A 171-Page Transcript Of Ex-Trump Aide (Papadopoulos) Secret Conversation With FBI Informant
>>8741615 Full Transcript of George Papadopoulos' Oct. 31, 2016 conversation with FBI informant (PDF)
>>8743106 Sydney man arrested following AFP online child abuse investigation
>>8743190 WA man charged over alleged illicit firearms stash
>>8743258 Adelaide alleged online sex predator to face court today
>>8752094 Q Post #3929 - Patriots: be cautious in your interpretations of info posted...FISA INDICTMENTS = START (public_justice)
>>8752094 Q Post #3931 - Planned & coordinated [D/ F]. This is not about politics. Something far more sinister [evil] has been allowed to flourish
>>8752094 Q Post #3932 - FULL DISCLOSURE [DELCAS] PROVIDES TRUTH. FOREIGN CORROBORATION PROVIDES TRUTH.
>>8752094 Crossfire Hurricane Team had multiple reports disputing many material claims of Steele and his dossier - and warning of "disinformation"
>>8754989 Barr on Durham Investigation: 'Evidence Shows That We're Not Dealing with Just Mistakes or Sloppiness'

>>8756749 OPSEC = Operational Security. Anons - We are at war. Be CAREFUL what you give the enemy.
>>8765994 Q Post #3947 - https://twitter.com/Hev123truthsee1/status/1249159256823271424 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8765994 Hev123 truthseeker Tweet: 'Australia Here!' #Australia #Qanon #WWG1WGAWORLDWIDE
>>8766281 Q Post #3951 - Best documentary of the year - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=MY8Nfzcn1qQ
>>8766281 Out Of The Shadows documentary lifts the mask on how the mainstream media & Hollywood manipulate & control the masses
>>8767414 Q Post #3949 - https://twitter.com/qthewakeup?lang=en - WWG1WGA!!! (Q The Wake Up Twitter Thread)
>>8767414, >>8767462, >>8767468, >>8767829, >>8767842, >>8767913, >>8768088, >>8768104, >>8768120, >>8776247, >>8776283 AusAnons respond - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8767702 Q Post #3942 - https://twitter.com/SLYUnser/status/1249160215238455299 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8767702 SYUNSER Tweet: 'American Patriots in Australia!' #WWG1WGAWORLDWIDE #WWG1WGA #QAnon
>>8770140 China, Macquarie Consortium and Long Beach Container Terminal Mini Bun

#9062520 at 2020-05-07 09:27:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#7 - Part 11
>>8398280 Australian Signals Directorate - Leadership - Principal Deputy Director-General Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC AM
>>8398369 Judge Napolitano says Trump should veto FISA bill: Nothing but 'cosmetic' reforms
>>8398457 Parole denied for Hey Dad! sex predator Robert Hughes
>>8407234 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: A timely meeting with friend @SecPompeo to discuss #COVID19, infrastructure…
>>8408824 Peripatetic Katherine Keating pops up at Palm Beach
>>8419490 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Tackling orphanage trafficking needs us to work together in Australia & globally
>>8419490 Modern Day Slavery, Orphanage Tourism and the Modern Slavery Act 2018
>>8434230 Nicole Kidman and family 'relocating back to Australia to be closer to mother Janelle'
>>8434619 NSW south coast man charged with terrorism offences
>>8437036 Man arrested after allegedly planning terror attack on electrical substation

>>8438540 Fraser Anning declared bankrupt by courts on 'egging' anniversary
>>8459350 High Court overturns SA pedophile sentence
>>8459467 Video: Killing Field: Explosive new allegations of Australian special forces war crimes | Four Corners
>>8459498 Footage Shows Australian Special Forces Shoot And Kill Unarmed Man In Afghanistan
>>8459638 Wikileaks Tweet: Newly obtained video by ABC's @4corners shows alleged execution of unarmed Afghan by Australian SAS soldier
>>8468637 Australian "Hey Dad" Actor Robert Hughes - Timeline of allegations of sexual misconduct, arrest, and conviction
>>8472720 Ghislaine Maxwell, citing death threats and extensive legal fees, sues Jeffrey Epstein's estate
>>8486065 Evil 8 paedophile Alfred Impicciatore's appeal dismissed over notorious WA child abuse case
>>8486065 The horrors of the 'Evil 8' and how a young girl was preyed upon by her father, strangers (2017)
>>8486290 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Media Releases - Statements on Four Corners report

>>8494961 Second NSW South Coast man charged with a terrorism offence
>>8528467 Third man charged following operational activity on the NSW South Coast
>>8542385 Q Post #3898 - The key that opens all doors. The 'Start'. (Links to this Daily Caller article >>8375168)
>>8543343 War hero Ben Roberts-Smith interviewed by police over alleged killing
>>8543613 Jill, @1Swinging_Voter Tweet: ABC smartarse Andrew Probyn hogging the press conference just got owned by the Prime Minister
>>8543613 Jill, @1Swinging_Voter Tweet: We need to see more of this from the Prime Minister!! Don't dance to the media tune!
>>8543613 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ABC journalist Andrew Probyn - "You don't run the Press Conference, OK?"
>>8543726 Australian Secret Intelligence Service - Black Ops Arm Of The Aus Deep State?
>>8557079 Malcolm Turnbull's wife Lucy suddenly stands down from her high-powered job 'for personal reasons'
>>8568249 Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant changes plea to guilty, to be sentenced for 51 murders

>>8568301 Australian paedophile fights to stop police alerting Indonesia to convictions
>>8568600 Chinese government prepares to charge Australian academic
>>8569098 Video: Trump 'came to appreciate' Turnbull standing up for Australia
>>8569161 Q Posts #479, 908 and 910 - What phone call between POTUS and X/AUS leaked? Why that specific conversation? Focus - why AUS?
>>8569655 The Australian Store Where Everything Sold Is Sent to China
>>8569706 Chinese-backed company's mission to source Australian medical supplies
>>8582388 Australian police crack online child exploitation network
>>8582418 New South Wales woman charged with child exploitation offences
>>8587984 Man hands out $100 to every Person Waiting in Line for Welfare
>>8588025 Police identify 11 alleged victims in case of immigration agent accused of rape

#9062516 at 2020-05-07 09:27:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#7 - Part 10
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 4
>>8850013 Australia Adds Voice to Growing Calls for China Coronavirus Enquiry
>>8860406 'Nothing particularly disturbing': Coronavirus app safe, review finds
>>8860486 Pandemic gives Arthur Sinodinos 'baptism of fire' as US ambassador
>>8881647 Scott Morrison calls Donald Trump to discuss holding the WHO to account for pandering to China
>>8881647 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Just got off the phone with US President @realDonaldTrump, constructive discussion on our health responses to #COVID19
>>8882431 Coronavirus: PM Scott Morrison talks with Bill Gates over World Health Organisation's future amid pandemic
>>8893943 Britain backs Morrison's call for probe into coronavirus' China origins
>>8893943 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: I also had calls yesterday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President @EmmanuelMacron
>>8894216, >>8895747 Clive Palmer buys 32,900,000 doses of Hydroxychloroquine for Australians
>>8898638 Tom Hanks sends typewriter to bullied Australian boy named Corona

>>8898687 Video: Coronavirus: Tom Hanks makes new Aussie friend | Nine News Australia
>>8909759 From YouTube Australia's front page - Channel 9 News COVID-19 thumbnail - Looks like a gun firing at Trump's head
>>8912665 Australians turn out for driveway dawn service to mark Anzac Day in time of coronavirus
>>8923616 Video excerpt: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson donate blood for coronavirus vaccine
>>8923616 NPR podcast - "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" - We Call To Check In On Tom Hanks (complete interview)
>>8925358 Anzac Day inspires the fight against virus
>>8925392 The Royal Family Tweet: The Duke was due to attend the Dawn Service in London tomorrow. Instead he will join a collective act of remembrance
>>8925392 Statement - Prince Edward, Duke of Kent - Anzac Day 2020
>>8945474 How Australia partly funded two Chinese scientists from the Wuhan lab linked to the COVID-19 outbreak
>>8945737 Clive Palmer takes out three-page ads promoting purchase of malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine

>>8945789 China Warns Australia: Drop Push for Coronavirus Probe
>>8946264 Anon notes the similarity between the Palmer Foundation logo and the 8kun logo - Hmmm...
>>8959531 Australia was told there was a '50% chance' coronavirus may have leaked from a Wuhan lab two months ago
>>8959571 Coronavirus: Trump administration to closely monitor Australia's winter virus experience
>>8959634 China labels Australia 'gum stuck to the bottom of China's shoe' over calls for coronavirus inquiry
>>8959698 Coronavirus pandemic saves convicted paedophile from prison
>>8961025 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison flags easing of coronavirus restrictions in near future | ABC News
>>8970178 Australian intelligence officials have no evidence of Wuhan lab link to coronavirus
>>8970251 Coronavirus Australia: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo backs Scott Morrison call for virus inquiry
>>9021935 Jacinda Ardern to join Australian national cabinet meeting on Tuesday

>>9022200 Chinese government slams Australia over COVID-19 dossier coverage
>>9035392 US, UK and Australia working together on COVID-19 vaccine
>>9048415 Trump says coronavirus comeback underway - New York Post article co-written by >>8271716 Ebony Bowden, Australian "journalist"
>>9048415 Ebony Bowden Tweet: My Australian followers will be pleased to know that President Trump asked after our 2004 Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins
>>9048562 US Marines get clearance for NT deployment amid coronavirus travel ban
>>9048562 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Spoke with US Secretary of Defense @EsperDOD where we reaffirmed our Alliance
>>9048562 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: our #UnbreakableAlliance remains strong with the recent approval of the @USMC @MrfDarwin rotation
>>9048713 COVID-19 treatment news: How blood plasma could be used to treat future cases
>>9049269 Doctors banned from prescribing potential COVID-19 drug
>>9050361 COVID-19 outbreak in meat processing plant - ATTEMPT TO SLIDE AUS FOOD SUPPLY?

#9062514 at 2020-05-07 09:26:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #8 - WE ARE THE CURE Edition

#7 - Part 9
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 3
>>8658908 'We will have significant supply': Drug considered the best treatment for coronavirus will soon be available in Australia
>>8659356 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: The Australian Defence Force has established Operation COVID-19 ASSIST
>>8662795 Video: Alexander Downer: Coronavirus exposes 'inherent problems' with globalisation
>>8676503 Hydroxychloroquine: Australian government waives regulatory requirements for drug
>>8676797 John Durham Forges Ahead With Investigation Of Trump-Russia Probe Origins Despite Coronavirus Pandemic
>>8677194 Anti-child exploitation drive relentless amid quarantine: Philippine National Police
>>8677640 Video: WA Premier cracks up explaining it's not unlawful to get a kebab | ABC News
>>8689983 Canberra to push China to ban wildlife meat trade
>>8690132 Australian scientists discover head lice drug kills coronavirus in lab
>>8690328 The Prime Minister Of Australia Warns That Life Will Not Return To "Normal" Until A Coronavirus Vaccine Arrives

>>8690552 Australian state will install home surveillance hardware to make sure if you're in virus isolation, you stay there
>>8691017, >>8681850, >>8681939, >>8691622 NO CASH PAYMENTS - Caltex service station, country NSW Australia - picture
>>8701361 Scott Morrison's Support Surges in Australia After Record Stimulus
>>8701572 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warns of dodgy COVID-19 test kits
>>8701607 Jacinda Ardern takes aim at Australia for telling thousands of New Zealanders 'it's time to go home' amid coronavirus pandemic
>>8701867 Alexander Downer Financial Review article: 'Australia is doing well. Now we must manage the aftermath'
>>8704469 'Obsolete scum of white Australia' behind anti-Chinese sentiment, says NSW Labor MP
>>8719653 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Productive call with Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP about coordinating efforts to respond to #COVID19
>>8719653 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Australia & the US are good mates & we will continue to align our efforts as we work towards the recovery
>>8720552 Controversial drug hydroxychloroquine to be given to coronavirus patients in Australia

>>8732925 Video: Scott Morrison gives Easter message to Australians as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions hit long weekend
>>8732990 How Australia IGNORED the World Health Organisation and stayed one step ahead on COVID-19
>>8741250 Ship at center of virus outbreak raided by Australian police
>>8744121 AussieQne 369, @AussieQne Tweet: ITS ILLEGAL TO TALK ABOUT CORONA CURES IN AUSTRALIA!?!?!?
>>8744131 Video: Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly warns - 'Illegal' to make unsubstantiated claims of COVID-19 cure
>>8763878 Peter Dutton warns that coronavirus is 'much more serious than people realise' as he is finally cleared of the deadly disease
>>8765708 Electronic tracking devices among new coronavirus powers for WA security agencies
>>8776869 The three tests Australia will need to pass before the coronavirus restrictions end
>>8787437 Australia takes aim at the World Health Organisation after it supported the reopening of China's wet markets
>>8798021 Australian Couple Fined By Confused Police After Posting Old Vacation Photos

>>8798021 Surfing: Coronavirus lockdown advice leaves room for confusion
>>8808091 Focus on Coronavirus Analytics - Australian Statistics - Confirmed Cases, Deaths and Recoveries - April 2020
>>8810628 Coronavirus: Three steps to Australia's 'road out' from restrictions
>>8810823 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Wonderful discussion with Australian Foreign Minister @MarisePayne today about U.S.-Australia cooperation
>>8810823 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Great to talk with friend @SecPompeo re (Australia and U.S.) practical cooperation on #COVID19
>>8810898 How we'll commemorate Anzac Day 2020 during COVID-19 restrictions
>>8819062 World Health Organisation - Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) Emergency Press Briefing transcripts
>>8823215 Video: Australian Strategic Policy Institute Presents: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - Qanon / Pizzagate 'conspiracy theories'
>>8823278 Video excerpt: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - "Conspiracy theories like 'Qanon'...they are becoming more and more powerful..."
>>8823278 Video excerpt: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - "The guy who turns up at a pizza shop believing a whole heap of children are locked away in the basement..."

#9062446 at 2020-05-07 09:00:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

#7 - Part 14
>>8596309 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Thank you to our 6,500 ADF personnel who served on Operation Bushfire Assist
>>8620356 Man reports woman to AFP after she offers child for sexual abuse over Whatsapp
>>8620356 Australian Federal Police - Online Child Sexual Exploitation - Child Protection form for reporting concerns to the AFP
>>8620467 Brisbane man in Court for child exploitation allegations
>>8632225 How Anita Cobby's killers could be released from jail under a radical plan to change the meaning of 'life behind bars'
>>8632515 Westpac still some way off settlement with AUSTRAC, court hears
>>8632568 Australian flight attendant jailed for abuse of children overseas
>>8633046 Awakening Greatly, the team that made vids Q has linked to, looking for Qanon patriots outside the US for their next video
>>8646321, Q Post #3893 - Rainbow Fairy Twitter Thread: An attempt to gather as many Q-related photographs from around the world
>>8646338, >>8646350, >>8646369 AusAnons from Perth, Sydney and Melbourne featured in Rainbow Fairy's global QAnon Twitter Thread

>>8650035 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: 73 years since the establishment of the Defence Signals Bureau, now @ASDGovAu
>>8659036 President Donald Trump - Proclamation on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, April 2020
>>8670963 Australian "Journalist", Caroline Overington, has written a book about missing toddler William Tyrrell
>>8691883 When Catalog is broken try using the index - 8kun.top/qresearch/index.html - It will always show the most recent posts
>>8701445 William Tyrrell top cop faces five years in jail after being found GUILTY of illegally recording conversations
>>8701753 Video: Sky News Australia - Full Special Investigation: Donald Trump vs The Deep State
>>8720499 Western Sydney man arrested for alleged online sharing of child abuse material
>>8732811 Lead investigator on the William Tyrrell case convicted and fined $10,000 over illegal recordings
>>8738775 Q Post #3920 - What happens when state actor(s) [assets] are removed?
>>8738775 Q Post #3921 - FISA INDICTMENTS = START

>>8741615 'Crossfire Typhoon': Here Is A 171-Page Transcript Of Ex-Trump Aide (Papadopoulos) Secret Conversation With FBI Informant
>>8741615 Full Transcript of George Papadopoulos' Oct. 31, 2016 conversation with FBI informant (PDF)
>>8743106 Sydney man arrested following AFP online child abuse investigation
>>8743190 WA man charged over alleged illicit firearms stash
>>8743258 Adelaide alleged online sex predator to face court today
>>8752094 Q Post #3929 - Patriots: be cautious in your interpretations of info posted…FISA INDICTMENTS = START (public_justice)
>>8752094 Q Post #3931 - Planned & coordinated [D/ F]. This is not about politics. Something far more sinister [evil] has been allowed to flourish
>>8752094 Q Post #3932 - FULL DISCLOSURE [DELCAS] PROVIDES TRUTH. FOREIGN CORROBORATION PROVIDES TRUTH.
>>8752094 Crossfire Hurricane Team had multiple reports disputing many material claims of Steele and his dossier - and warning of "disinformation"
>>8754989 Barr on Durham Investigation: 'Evidence Shows That We're Not Dealing with Just Mistakes or Sloppiness'

>>8756749 OPSEC = Operational Security. Anons - We are at war. Be CAREFUL what you give the enemy.
>>8765994 Q Post #3947 - https://twitter.com/Hev123truthsee1/status/1249159256823271424 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8765994 Hev123 truthseeker Tweet: 'Australia Here!' #Australia #Qanon #WWG1WGAWORLDWIDE
>>8766281 Q Post #3951 - Best documentary of the year - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=MY8Nfzcn1qQ
>>8766281 Out Of The Shadows documentary lifts the mask on how the mainstream media & Hollywood manipulate & control the masses
>>8767414 Q Post #3949 - https://twitter.com/qthewakeup?lang=en - WWG1WGA!!! (Q The Wake Up Twitter Thread)
>>8767414, >>8767462, >>8767468, >>8767829, >>8767842, >>8767913, >>8768088, >>8768104, >>8768120,>>8776247, >>8776283 AusAnons respond - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8767702 Q Post #3942 - https://twitter.com/SLYUnser/status/1249160215238455299 - WWG1WGA!!!
>>8767702 SYUNSER Tweet: 'American Patriots in Australia!' #WWG1WGAWORLDWIDE #WWG1WGA #QAnon
>>8770140 China, Macquarie Consortium and Long Beach Container Terminal Mini Bun

#9062430 at 2020-05-07 08:53:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

#7 - Part 11
>>8398280 Australian Signals Directorate - Leadership - Principal Deputy Director-General Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC AM
>>8398369 Judge Napolitano says Trump should veto FISA bill: Nothing but 'cosmetic' reforms
>>8398457 Parole denied for Hey Dad! sex predator Robert Hughes
>>8407234 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: A timely meeting with friend @SecPompeo to discuss #COVID19, infrastructure…
>>8408824 Peripatetic Katherine Keating pops up at Palm Beach
>>8419490 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Tackling orphanage trafficking needs us to work together in Australia & globally
>>8419490 Modern Day Slavery, Orphanage Tourism and the Modern Slavery Act 2018
>>8434230 Nicole Kidman and family 'relocating back to Australia to be closer to mother Janelle'
>>8434619 NSW south coast man charged with terrorism offences
>>8437036 Man arrested after allegedly planning terror attack on electrical substation

>>8438540 Fraser Anning declared bankrupt by courts on 'egging' anniversary
>>8459350 High Court overturns SA pedophile sentence
>>8459467 Video: Killing Field: Explosive new allegations of Australian special forces war crimes | Four Corners
>>8459498 Footage Shows Australian Special Forces Shoot And Kill Unarmed Man In Afghanistan
>>8459638 Wikileaks Tweet: Newly obtained video by ABC's @4corners shows alleged execution of unarmed Afghan by Australian SAS soldier
>>8468637 Australian "Hey Dad" Actor Robert Hughes - Timeline of allegations of sexual misconduct, arrest, and conviction
>>8472720 Ghislaine Maxwell, citing death threats and extensive legal fees, sues Jeffrey Epstein's estate
>>8486065 Evil 8 paedophile Alfred Impicciatore's appeal dismissed over notorious WA child abuse case
>>8486065 The horrors of the 'Evil 8' and how a young girl was preyed upon by her father, strangers (2017)
>>8486290 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Media Releases - Statements on Four Corners report

>>8494961 Second NSW South Coast man charged with a terrorism offence
>>8528467 Third man charged following operational activity on the NSW South Coast
>>8542385 Q Post #3898 - The key that opens all doors. The 'Start'. (Links to this Daily Caller article >>8375168)
>>8543343 War hero Ben Roberts-Smith interviewed by police over alleged killing
>>8543613 Jill, @1Swinging_Voter Tweet: ABC smartarse Andrew Probyn hogging the press conference just got owned by the Prime Minister
>>8543613 Jill, @1Swinging_Voter Tweet: We need to see more of this from the Prime Minister!! Don't dance to the media tune!
>>8543613 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ABC journalist Andrew Probyn - "You don't run the Press Conference, OK?"
>>8543726 Australian Secret Intelligence Service - Black Ops Arm Of The Aus Deep State?
>>8557079 Malcolm Turnbull's wife Lucy suddenly stands down from her high-powered job 'for personal reasons'
>>8568249 Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant changes plea to guilty, to be sentenced for 51 murders

>>8568301 Australian paedophile fights to stop police alerting Indonesia to convictions
>>8568600 Chinese government prepares to charge Australian academic
>>8569098 Video: Trump 'came to appreciate' Turnbull standing up for Australia
>>8569161 Q Posts #479, 908 and 910 - What phone call between POTUS and X/AUS leaked? Why that specific conversation? Focus - why AUS?
>>8569655 The Australian Store Where Everything Sold Is Sent to China
>>8569706 Chinese-backed company's mission to source Australian medical supplies
>>8582388 Australian police crack online child exploitation network
>>8582418 New South Wales woman charged with child exploitation offences
>>8587984 Man hands out $100 to every Person Waiting in Line for Welfare
>>8588025 Police identify 11 alleged victims in case of immigration agent accused of rape

#9062420 at 2020-05-07 08:50:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

#7 - Part 10
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 4
>>8850013 Australia Adds Voice to Growing Calls for China Coronavirus Enquiry
>>8860406 'Nothing particularly disturbing': Coronavirus app safe, review finds
>>8860486 Pandemic gives Arthur Sinodinos 'baptism of fire' as US ambassador
>>8881647 Scott Morrison calls Donald Trump to discuss holding the WHO to account for pandering to China
>>8881647 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Just got off the phone with US President @realDonaldTrump, constructive discussion on our health responses to #COVID19
>>8882431 Coronavirus: PM Scott Morrison talks with Bill Gates over World Health Organisation's future amid pandemic
>>8893943 Britain backs Morrison's call for probe into coronavirus' China origins
>>8893943 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: I also had calls yesterday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President @EmmanuelMacron
>>8894216, >>8895747 Clive Palmer buys 32,900,000 doses of Hydroxychloroquine for Australians
>>8898638 Tom Hanks sends typewriter to bullied Australian boy named Corona

>>8898687 Video: Coronavirus: Tom Hanks makes new Aussie friend | Nine News Australia
>>8909759 From YouTube Australia's front page - Channel 9 News COVID-19 thumbnail - Looks like a gun firing at Trump's head
>>8912665 Australians turn out for driveway dawn service to mark Anzac Day in time of coronavirus
>>8923616 Video excerpt: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson donate blood for coronavirus vaccine
>>8923616 NPR podcast - "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" - We Call To Check In On Tom Hanks (complete interview)
>>8925358 Anzac Day inspires the fight against virus
>>8925392 The Royal Family Tweet: The Duke was due to attend the Dawn Service in London tomorrow. Instead he will join a collective act of remembrance
>>8925392 Statement - Prince Edward, Duke of Kent - Anzac Day 2020
>>8945474 How Australia partly funded two Chinese scientists from the Wuhan lab linked to the COVID-19 outbreak
>>8945737 Clive Palmer takes out three-page ads promoting purchase of malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine

>>8945789 China Warns Australia: Drop Push for Coronavirus Probe
>>8946264 Anon notes the similarity between the Palmer Foundation logo and the 8kun logo - Hmmm...
>>8959531 Australia was told there was a '50% chance' coronavirus may have leaked from a Wuhan lab two months ago
>>8959571 Coronavirus: Trump administration to closely monitor Australia's winter virus experience
>>8959634 China labels Australia 'gum stuck to the bottom of China's shoe' over calls for coronavirus inquiry
>>8959698 Coronavirus pandemic saves convicted paedophile from prison
>>8961025 Video: Prime Minister Scott Morrison flags easing of coronavirus restrictions in near future | ABC News
>>8970178 Australian intelligence officials have no evidence of Wuhan lab link to coronavirus
>>8970251 Coronavirus Australia: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo backs Scott Morrison call for virus inquiry
>>9021935 Jacinda Ardern to join Australian national cabinet meeting on Tuesday

>>9022200 Chinese government slams Australia over COVID-19 dossier coverage
>>9035392 US, UK and Australia working together on COVID-19 vaccine
>>9048415 Trump says coronavirus comeback underway - New York Post article co-written by >>8271716 Ebony Bowden, Australian "journalist"
>>9048415 Ebony Bowden Tweet: My Australian followers will be pleased to know that President Trump asked after our 2004 Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins
>>9048562 US Marines get clearance for NT deployment amid coronavirus travel ban
>>9048562 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: Spoke with US Secretary of Defense @EsperDOD where we reaffirmed our Alliance
>>9048562 US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet: our #UnbreakableAlliance remains strong with the recent approval of the @USMC @MrfDarwin rotation
>>9048713 COVID-19 treatment news: How blood plasma could be used to treat future cases
>>9049269 Doctors banned from prescribing potential COVID-19 drug
>>9050361 COVID-19 outbreak in meat processing plant - ATTEMPT TO SLIDE AUS FOOD SUPPLY?

#9062416 at 2020-05-07 08:48:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

#7 - Part 9
Coronavirus / COVID-19 Bun - Part 3
>>8658908 'We will have significant supply': Drug considered the best treatment for coronavirus will soon be available in Australia
>>8659356 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: The Australian Defence Force has established Operation COVID-19 ASSIST
>>8662795 Video: Alexander Downer: Coronavirus exposes 'inherent problems' with globalisation
>>8676503 Hydroxychloroquine: Australian government waives regulatory requirements for drug
>>8676797 John Durham Forges Ahead With Investigation Of Trump-Russia Probe Origins Despite Coronavirus Pandemic
>>8677194 Anti-child exploitation drive relentless amid quarantine: Philippine National Police
>>8677640 Video: WA Premier cracks up explaining it's not unlawful to get a kebab | ABC News
>>8689983 Canberra to push China to ban wildlife meat trade
>>8690132 Australian scientists discover head lice drug kills coronavirus in lab
>>8690328 The Prime Minister Of Australia Warns That Life Will Not Return To "Normal" Until A Coronavirus Vaccine Arrives

>>8690552 Australian state will install home surveillance hardware to make sure if you're in virus isolation, you stay there
>>8691017, >>8681850, >>8681939, >>8691622 NO CASH PAYMENTS - Caltex service station, country NSW Australia - picture
>>8701361 Scott Morrison's Support Surges in Australia After Record Stimulus
>>8701572 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warns of dodgy COVID-19 test kits
>>8701607 Jacinda Ardern takes aim at Australia for telling thousands of New Zealanders 'it's time to go home' amid coronavirus pandemic
>>8701867 Alexander Downer Financial Review article: 'Australia is doing well. Now we must manage the aftermath'
>>8704469 'Obsolete scum of white Australia' behind anti-Chinese sentiment, says NSW Labor MP
>>8719653 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Productive call with Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP about coordinating efforts to respond to #COVID19
>>8719653 Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tweet: Australia & the US are good mates & we will continue to align our efforts as we work towards the recovery
>>8720552 Controversial drug hydroxychloroquine to be given to coronavirus patients in Australia

>>8732925 Video: Scott Morrison gives Easter message to Australians as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions hit long weekend
>>8732990 How Australia IGNORED the World Health Organisation and stayed one step ahead on COVID-19
>>8741250 Ship at center of virus outbreak raided by Australian police
>>8744121 AussieQne 369, @AussieQne Tweet: ITS ILLEGAL TO TALK ABOUT CORONA CURES IN AUSTRALIA!?!?!?
>>8744131 Video: Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly warns - 'Illegal' to make unsubstantiated claims of COVID-19 cure
>>8763878 Peter Dutton warns that coronavirus is 'much more serious than people realise' as he is finally cleared of the deadly disease
>>8765708 Electronic tracking devices among new coronavirus powers for WA security agencies
>>8776869 The three tests Australia will need to pass before the coronavirus restrictions end
>>8787437 Australia takes aim at the World Health Organisation after it supported the reopening of China's wet markets
>>8798021 Australian Couple Fined By Confused Police After Posting Old Vacation Photos

>>8798021 Surfing: Coronavirus lockdown advice leaves room for confusion
>>8808091 Focus on Coronavirus Analytics - Australian Statistics - Confirmed Cases, Deaths and Recoveries - April 2020
>>8810628 Coronavirus: Three steps to Australia's 'road out' from restrictions
>>8810823 Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Tweet: Wonderful discussion with Australian Foreign Minister @MarisePayne today about U.S.-Australia cooperation
>>8810823 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Tweet: Great to talk with friend @SecPompeo re (Australia and U.S.) practical cooperation on #COVID19
>>8810898 How we'll commemorate Anzac Day 2020 during COVID-19 restrictions
>>8819062 World Health Organisation - Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) Emergency Press Briefing transcripts
>>8823215 Video: Australian Strategic Policy Institute Presents: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - Qanon / Pizzagate 'conspiracy theories'
>>8823278 Video excerpt: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - "Conspiracy theories like 'Qanon'...they are becoming more and more powerful…"
>>8823278 Video excerpt: Covid-19 and Radicalisation - "The guy who turns up at a pizza shop believing a whole heap of children are locked away in the basement…"

#9048562 at 2020-05-06 09:15:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

US Marines get clearance for NT deployment amid coronavirus travel ban

The Australian Government has approved the deployment of US Marines to the Northern Territory this year after their original rotation was postponed in late March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 2,500 Marines were expected to arrive in Darwin in early April as part of an annual rotation to the Top End that has taken place since 2012.

But the risk of spreading COVID-19 into the Territory and its vulnerable remote Aboriginal communities was considered too great at the time.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds today informed US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper the military contingent had now been given approval.

"I was pleased to inform Secretary Esper that after careful consideration, the Government has decided that a modified 2020 Marine Rotational Force - Darwin can proceed later this year, adhering to strict measures in place to protect against COVID-19," she said in a statement.

"The decision was based on Australia's record to date in managing the impacts from COVID-19, as well as strict adherence by deployed US Marines to the mandatory 14-day quarantine and other requirements."

The size and date of the deployment have yet to be determined, although the Marines usually stay in the Top End throughout the dry season.

There have been a total of 30 cases of coronavirus detected in the NT since the outbreak started, but only three remain active, including two Australian Defence Force personnel who recently returned from the Middle East.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner welcomed Ms Reynolds' announcement and said local businesses would get a "massive boost" by having the Marines in the Top End.

"That is exactly what we need right now," he said in a Facebook post.

He added: "We've also secured a number of guarantees to ensure the Territory remains the safest place in Australia."

His spokesman said these included health screening four days before they travel to Australia.

The US Marines were likely to undergo quarantine at Defence barracks in the Northern Territory, the spokesman said.

The ABC is seeking details about where US Marines would be treated if any were confirmed to have COVID-19.

Ms Reynolds said the annual rotation was important for the region.

"Hosting this key Alliance activity provides interoperability benefits as well as signals our firm joint commitment to regional security," she said.

The deployment of US Marines to Darwin was first announced in 2011 by the then US president Barack Obama and then Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-06/us-marines-coronavirus-nt-darwin-deployment/12220902

—

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Spoke with US Secretary of Defense @EsperDOD where we reaffirmed our Alliance is based on shared values and close friendship.

While responding to #COVID19 at home, we're maintaining force readiness and working together to support our neighbours in the #Pacific and S/E Asia

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1257904143974330369

—

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Tweet

Great conversation with #Australia MinDef @LindaReynoldswa today. In the face of #COVID19, our #UnbreakableAlliance remains strong with the recent approval of the @USMC @MrfDarwin rotation and continued Alliance cooperation for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.

https://twitter.com/EsperDoD/status/1257850844097191936

#8659356 at 2020-04-02 09:30:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

The ADF has established Operation COVID-19 ASSIST.

Under the new operation, Defence will provide customised support to state and territory authorities, to reinforce and expand their capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More info: https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lReynolds/media-releases/expansion-adf-support-covid-19-assist

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1245290825937907714

#8650035 at 2020-04-01 17:50:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Today is 73 years since the establishment of the Defence Signals Bureau, now @ASDGovAu - 'Revealing Their Secrets, Protecting Our Own'.

They worked, then and now, secretly and silently to serve Australia. Thank you for your service.

One of the earliest photos of ASD staff

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1245268946191708160

#8596309 at 2020-03-28 08:13:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

On behalf of Australians, thank you to our 6,500 ADF personnel who served on Operation Bushfire Assist.

Your extraordinary efforts in bushfire affected communities, & your ongoing recovery support, will be long remembered as crucial to restoring hope in the wake of devastation.

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1243446557673836545

#8543229 at 2020-03-24 06:22:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

>>8398280
COVID-19: Defence sends troops to state health authorities

The Australian Defence Force will deploy personnel to help health authorities around the country as part of the national response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes just two months after 3000 ADF reservists were called out to help with bushfire recovery efforts.

On Monday Defence minister Linda Reynolds said reconnaissance and planning support teams have been placed in the Victorian, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australian state coordination centres, with teams ready to assist the remaining jurisdictions.

"These ADF teams will provide logistics, transport, health and general planning assistance as the workload of civilian medical teams continues to increase as more Australians are diagnosed with, or affected by, COVID-19," she said.

A "contact tracing support team" has been working with NSW Health since Sunday, Reynolds said, with contract tracing teams now being established in all states and territories.

There are currently more than 1350 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the country, with 533 in NSW, 296 in Victoria, 259 in Queensland, 120 in Western Australia, 100 in South Australia, 22 in Tasmania, 19 in the ACT, and five in the Northern Territory. Seven people have died in Australia so far, with six of them in NSW.

Defence has been helping the Department of Health with logistics and specialist staff, Reynolds said, and has been providing clinical and epidemiological support to the department's National Incident Room since early February.

Defence has also been assisting the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with health, logistics and movements support, and has been contributing to the whole-of-government planning for the National Communicable Disease Incidence of National Significance Plan, led by Emergency Management Australia.

A taskforce has also been established to coordinate Defence's contribution to whole-of-government efforts.

Led by Lieutenant General John Frewen, who is also principal deputy director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate, the taskforce has been established to "ensure that we are well prepared to continue business in light of COVID-19".

The taskforce includes representatives from the APS and the ADF, according to Defence's COVID-19 response webpage.

A small team of engineering maintenance specialists have also been deployed to Australia's only manufacturer of surgical face masks until workers can be recruited.

Reynolds said her department would follow the advice of health authorities when prioritising its support arrangements.

"We will continue to ensure Defence medical facilities are appropriately staffed to minimise any impact on our public health system," she said.

Back in January - when Australia's focus was on the horror bushfire season rather than a global pandemic - Reynolds commented on the fact that the compulsory call-out of 3000 defence reservists to help with bushfire recovery was a first for Australia.

"The government has not taken this decision lightly. In fact, it is the first time that reserves have been called out in this way in living memory and, in fact, I believe for the first time in our nation's history," she said at the time.

https://www.themandarin.com.au/128282-covid-19-defence-sends-troops-to-state-health-authorities/

—

Defence response to COVID-19

Defence is following whole-of-government guidance from the Department of Health in relation to COVID-19.

As Defence continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation, our priority is the health and wellbeing of personnel.

Each and every one of us can take steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

It is important to remember that for the vast majority of people, the illness will be mild or moderate and individuals will make a full recovery.

(continued)

https://news.defence.gov.au/national/defence-response-covid-19

#8543187 at 2020-03-24 06:15:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

ADF adjusts posture in Middle East due to coronavirus

The ADF is temporarily relocating non-essential personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan as a result of COVID-19.

Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said Australia regularly reviews its operational requirements in concert with Coalition partners and in consultation with the Iraqi and Afghanistan governments.

"Non-essential personnel will be relocated to Australia's main logistics base in the Middle East and those who are close to concluding their operational duties will be able to return home," Minister Reynolds said.

"This temporary measure is to preserve the safety of our people and partners, and to limit the spread of COVID-19 in operational areas.

"There will be no impact to the force-protection of ADF personnel remaining in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The spread of COVID-19 has resulted in the suspension of training missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Australia will continue to review its force posture and resume training in the region 'when it is safe to do so.'

Lieutenant General John Frewen is heading a COVID-19 taskforce, working offline from his role as Principal Deputy Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate for the duration of his appointment. ADF members returning from deployment are following all quarantine and protective measures from the Department of Health.

Defence also says it is monitoring the impact of the virus on the industry supply chain.

https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/adf-adjusts-posture-in-middle-east-due-to-coronavirus

#8486290 at 2020-03-20 08:31:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

>>8459467
>>8459498
>>8459638
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Media Releases

Statement on Four Corners report

16 March 2020

I am deeply disturbed by what has been aired in tonight's Four Corners report.

I have been steadfast in my support for the IGADF Inquiry which is investigating allegations about the conduct of Australia's Special Forces in Afghanistan over the period 2005 to 2016.

Where serious allegations are raised, Australians would rightly expect they are thoroughly examined.

The Chief of the Defence Force has advised me that the IGADF will soon provide a report on the findings of the Afghanistan Inquiry.

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lReynolds/media-releases/statement-four-corners-report

—

Four Corners report

19 March 2020

Further to my public statement issued on Monday evening following the ABC Four Corners program, Killing Field, I advise that I have today made a formal referral to the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the incident involving the alleged serious criminal conduct of so-called Soldier C.

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lReynolds/media-releases/four-corners-report

#8419490 at 2020-03-15 01:36:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet

Thanks, tackling orphanage trafficking needs us to work together in Australia & globally. We have inadvertently helped create this insidious exploitation of children & now have the responsibility to stop it & reunite millions of children with their (or other) families. Great (book)!

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1238759935317405697

—

J. M. Cheer @jmcheer1

Oftentimes we are quick to criticize politicians (me included) but slow to give credit. Apropos, I acknowledge @LindaReynoldswa for leading the establishment of Australia's Modern Slavery legislation. Kudos to you Linda and thanks for launching our book

https://www.cabi.org/bookshop/book/9781789240795/

Modern Day Slavery and Orphanage Tourism

Orphanage tourism is where tourist interactions with 'orphaned' children are central to traveller itineraries and experience making in less-developed contexts.

While appealing to the desire of tourists and volunteers to 'do good' while travelling, underlining orphanage tourism is the fact that the vast majority of children (over 80%) in orphanages and allied care institutions are not orphans. Instead, children are often placed in institutions due to poverty and hardship, and as victims of human trafficking.

In some cases, orphanages can be for-profit enterprises, where the commodification of good intentions begins and becomes embedded in the tourism supply chain. Children are becoming tourist attractions and the focus of tourist consumption, leading to orphanages as sites of tourism production and consumption.

The first of its kind, this book highlights exploratory research that examines the links between modern slavery practices and orphanage tourism.

Contributors include academics and practitioners with a long engagement in advocacy for the rights and protection of children and research into sustainable and responsible tourism.

Written in an accessible manner that appeals to a broad audience.

This book will appeal to researchers interested in the areas of tourism, human geography, development studies, childhood studies, law and social justice, as well as those interested in responsible and sustainable travel. Practitioners, policy makers and civil society groups working at the vanguard of tourism expansion and communities in less-developed contexts - particularly where labour rights transgressions, human exploitation and trafficking are prevalent - will also find the book insightful.

Royalties from the sales of this book will be donated to Save the Children Australia and the Forget Me Not Foundation.

https://www.cabi.org/bookshop/book/9781789240795/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338231518_Introduction_Modern_Day_Slavery_and_Orphanage_Tourism

—

Modern Slavery Act 2018

An Act to require some entities to report on the risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains and actions to address those risks, and for related purposes

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018A00153

#8316828 at 2020-03-04 18:00:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Australian Signals Directorate has already spied on Australians, boss confirms

Rachel Noble tells Senate estimates the agency has sought ministerial approval to gather intelligence on Australians

The Australian Signals Directorate has already spied on Australians in the last year, invoking "rare circumstances" and seeking ministerial approval to extend its powers in an unspecified number of cases.

ASD's director general, Rachel Noble, indicated in Senate estimates on Wednesday that although the focus of the agency's powers was directed at gathering intelligence about people or organisations outside Australia, it had also produced intelligence about Australians.

The evidence follows the home affairs department secretary, Michael Pezzullo's, confirmation on Monday that "detailed consideration" is under way to better use law enforcement to tackle "evils" on the dark web.

In June 2019, the News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst's home was raided after she reported on government plans to extend ASD's spying powers to Australians.

The home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, dismissed the report as "absolute nonsense" but has since repeatedly called for a public debate about extending the powers, as recently as February.

Noble said that "while much of our cybersecurity role, and the protection of Australia's digital borders, is conducted domestically - ASD is prohibited by legislation from producing intelligence on Australian persons except in rare circumstances, and only then under the authority of a ministerial authorisation".

"This is an important safeguard, and one that is fundamental to ASD's work," Noble said in an opening statement tabled at the hearing. "Our responsibility to protect the online safety and privacy of Australians is paramount."

Asked by senator Jacqui Lambie if any of the "rare circumstances" justifying production of intelligence on Australians had occurred in the last 12 months, Noble replied: "Yes."

Noble took on notice follow-up questions about the number of incidents and how that compared with previous years.

Noble declined to answer what the circumstances were, explaining that to give an example would reveal classified information.

Earlier, in her statement, Noble said the Australian Cybersecurity Centre had "responded to over 1,275 cybersecurity incidents" since July, more than five a day.

The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, said there was "currently no proposal before government" to extend ASD's domestic spying powers and noted that the home affairs department was responsible for policy development.

Noble said that home affairs was considering the challenges of "the dark web, the proliferation of cyber crime and the horrors therein".

ASD's role was to be consulted on technical advice about its own powers "to help them develop a clear view about where there are gaps", she said.

In July 2018, the government expanded ASD's functions to include prevention and disruption of cybercrime conducted outside Australia, which included the power to do so for crimes undertaken or enabled by an Australian person offshore "in special circumstances, subject to authorisation by the minister", she said.

Noble denied that ASD had given advice about extending its powers to the disruption of cyber crime on Australian telecommunications infrastructure.

On Monday, Pezzullo said the government "will soon consider a new cybersecurity strategy to succeed the strategy that was launched in 2016".

Pezzullo said that while "connectivity is a positive force for global human interaction and prosperity, in the shadowy creases of the surface web lies the demonically evil phenomenon known as the dark web".

"As I've previously advised this committee, it is the expert view of my colleagues and myself that the only way to hunt and disrupt on the dark web is to better use the lawful capabilities of our law enforcement and technical intelligence functions in closer partnership and under strict oversight.

"As ministers have said, this is something to which detailed consideration should be given. That process is under way."

The Australian federal police wants the power to be able to call in the ASD when its hunt for cyber criminals, including those related to child abuse and terrorism, lead back to Australian borders.

In February, the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, told the National Press Club while the AFP is happy with its current powers "there are some challenges there in some additional legislation [that is required]".

(continued)

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/04/australian-signals-directorate-has-already-spied-on-australians-boss-confirms

#8290159 at 2020-03-01 07:52:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

Army would follow US withdrawal from Afghanistan

All Australian troops could be out of Afghanistan within 14 months after the US and the Taliban signed a historic peace agreement.

Australia, along with other coalition forces, will follow the US in any troop withdrawal from the country, but there are still further negotiations to come that could derail the deal.

US President Donald Trump said it was "time to bring our people back home" after the US signed the deal with the Taliban, which sets into motion the potential for a full withdrawal of coalition troops.

The US and NATO allies have agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the Taliban upholds its side of the deal, which includes a "a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire".

A full withdrawal would mark the end of a near two-decade war in which 41 Australian troops have been killed.

There are about 200 ADF personnel still serving in Afghanistan.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said Australia welcomed any peace agreement after "a lot of effort" had been put in over the years since coalition forces entered the country in 2001.

Brighter future

"Australians have fought alongside our allies for many years in an effort to provide a brighter future for Afghanistan," Mr Dutton told the ABC's Insiders program.

"It's been an incredibly important effort and if there are troop withdrawals and we'll work that out with the United States, but obviously the Taliban need to abide with any conditions on such agreement.

"If there's a withdrawal of coalition troops, we'll do that in line with consultations with the United States, the UK and our Five Eyes partners."

Asked whether he was comfortable with the Taliban being back in power, Mr Dutton said: "Well, I'm comfortable if people aren't being slaughtered and attacked and that young girls can go to school.

"And this will be part of the discussion and as you say, we want to make sure that the Taliban and others abide by the conditions and the intent of the agreement. But we'll wait for the detail."

Security benefits

Mr Dutton said the long-running war had taken its toll but there had been benefits for Australia's national security in staying in the country for the past two decades.

"We always mark the loss of any Australian soldier in any conflict - their families still live with that pain today - but for us, there are important equities in the Middle East," Mr Dutton said.

"We have done an enormous amount in terms of intelligence-collection in Afghanistan, in Iraq, elsewhere, across Syria for example, and the collection of that intelligence has stopped terrorist attacks taking place in the West including in Australia, in Indonesia and elsewhere. So there are many facets to our involvement in the conflict."

The agreement, which followed more than a year of negotiations, lays out a timetable for the final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

The deal hinges on tricky further negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government over the future of the country, including the possibility of a power-sharing arrangement and permanent ceasefire.

Mr Trump said he believed the Taliban wanted to "do something to show that we're not all wasting time".

"If bad things happen, we'll go back," he said.

"I'll be meeting personally with Taliban leaders in the not too distant future and will be very much hoping that they will be doing what they say.

"They will be killing terrorists. They will be killing some very bad people. They will keep that fight going."

Reviewing Australian commitment

Last month, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds announced the ADF had reduced its footprint in Afghanistan to about 200 personnel.

Senator Reynolds said the Australian government "constantly reviews" its military commitment in the country.

"I will continue to work closely with the US, NATO and other partners to ensure our military contribution to Afghanistan remains appropriate, including to reflect developments in the peace process," she said.

"Australia reaffirms its longstanding commitment to Afghanistan and ongoing support for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.

"We are committed to working with the Afghan people and government to support next steps toward peace."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/army-would-follow-us-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-20200301-p545qm.html

#7994514 at 2020-02-01 22:35:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition

#6 - Part 10
>>7760148 Scott Morrison confirms Australian troops will remain in Iraq after Iran's missile attack on US bases
>>7762786 Panel finds accused sex abuser Leifer fit to stand trial, feigned mental illness
>>7770285 Australia echoes western leaders in alleging Iran accidentally downed Ukraine plane
>>7770479 Australian Prudential Regulation Authority teams up with spy agencies
>>7770551 Singapore student charged over child-like sex doll
>>7788532 George Pell reportedly moved after drone flown over jail
>>7789587 Twitter Thread by Mark, @awakeinaus: Bruce Wolpe email to John Podesta - Abbott climate denialism is over
>>7798778 Virginia Roberts Giuffre backs DHS campaign against human trafficking
>>7799070 Don't hide hacks: cyber security boss Rachel Noble, director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate
>>7799563 Liberal National Club president dies after protesting at Brisbane library

>>7799930 2 21-year-old models fall to their deaths on same day, different countries (Sydney and Moscow)
>>7808293 State prosecutors demand court set date for Leifer extradition hearing
>>7808319 Twitter Threads by Dassi Erlich: Psychiatric report is to be presented to Judge Lomp tomorrow. What can we expect next?
>>7808430 Man, 29, arrested as Britain's worst paedophile Richard Huckle stabbed to death in cell
>>7811804 Malka Leifer, former Melbourne principal and accused child abuser, granted further delays in extradition process
>>7811804 Dassi Erlich Tweet: Over an hour long repetitive hearing of defence screaming & attempting to delay the process again
>>7812340 'It would be an issue': Malcolm Turnbull intervenes in UK's Huawei debate
>>7812514 Joe Hockey's farewell draws elite of US industry and politics
>>7812821, >>7812974 White House is Democrats' to lose, says anti-Trump Republican
>>7816058 Rockets reported fired at Taji military base in Iraq that hosts US-led coalition troops

>>7816058 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: All Australian personnel have been accounted for & are safe
>>7827691 Huawei hits back at Malcolm Turnbull's 'factually incorrect information'
>>7827691 Turnbull still getting it wrong on 5G ban: Jeremy Mitchell, Director of Corporate & Public Affairs, Huawei Australia
>>7827852 Panel to call for more lay control in Australian church
>>7827870 'I'm deeply disturbed': Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey condemns Archbishop's claims
>>7827870 Mark Bailey Tweet: Deeply disturbed the Brisbane Archbishop opposes laws requiring priests report child sexual abuse
>>7827962 'This is an ugly work' - Trump's giant empty head sculpture descends on Ballarat
>>7828116 UK cops block bid to trace Prince Andrew's location on night he's accused of sex with teen
>>7828116 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: There could only be one reason the bodyguards would not to expose where the prince had been
>>7828116 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: You saw me at your parties, you saw me in Epstein's homes, you saw me on the plane…

>>7836768 Westpac linked to international paedophilia case after Australian man charged
>>7836807 Man detained over 'high level exploitation' of foreign workers
>>7836897 Search for next Australian Cyber Security Centre chief begins as outgoing head Rachel Noble prepares to leave
>>7837080 Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell and Virginia Giuffre appear in court to hash out plan to unseal documents
>>7837080 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: Sigrid McCawley is a warrior badass!! Watch her standup for the countless victims of Epstein & Maxwell
>>7837465 Government used sporting grants as slush fund for re-election campaign
>>7838666 White House chief of staff confirms Trump's desire to visit Australia
>>7843308 Catholic priest 'confessed 1,500 times to abusing children', victim says mandatory reporting could have saved him
>>7848771 FBI Interview Notes With Carter Page and George Papadopoulos Are Released
>>7859575 Australian police using face recognition software as privacy experts issue warning

#7994260 at 2020-02-01 22:08:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

#6 - Part 10
>>7760148 Scott Morrison confirms Australian troops will remain in Iraq after Iran's missile attack on US bases
>>7762786 Panel finds accused sex abuser Leifer fit to stand trial, feigned mental illness
>>7770285 Australia echoes western leaders in alleging Iran accidentally downed Ukraine plane
>>7770479 Australian Prudential Regulation Authority teams up with spy agencies
>>7770551 Singapore student charged over child-like sex doll
>>7788532 George Pell reportedly moved after drone flown over jail
>>7789587 Twitter Thread by Mark, @awakeinaus: Bruce Wolpe email to John Podesta - Abbott climate denialism is over
>>7798778 Virginia Roberts Giuffre backs DHS campaign against human trafficking
>>7799070 Don't hide hacks: cyber security boss Rachel Noble, director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate
>>7799563 Liberal National Club president dies after protesting at Brisbane library

>>7799930 2 21-year-old models fall to their deaths on same day, different countries (Sydney and Moscow)
>>7808293 State prosecutors demand court set date for Leifer extradition hearing
>>7808319 Twitter Threads by Dassi Erlich: Psychiatric report is to be presented to Judge Lomp tomorrow. What can we expect next?
>>7808430 Man, 29, arrested as Britain's worst paedophile Richard Huckle stabbed to death in cell
>>7811804 Malka Leifer, former Melbourne principal and accused child abuser, granted further delays in extradition process
>>7811804 Dassi Erlich Tweet: Over an hour long repetitive hearing of defence screaming & attempting to delay the process again
>>7812340 'It would be an issue': Malcolm Turnbull intervenes in UK's Huawei debate
>>7812514 Joe Hockey's farewell draws elite of US industry and politics
>>7812821, >>7812974 White House is Democrats' to lose, says anti-Trump Republican
>>7816058 Rockets reported fired at Taji military base in Iraq that hosts US-led coalition troops

>>7816058 Defence Minister Linda Reynolds Tweet: All Australian personnel have been accounted for & are safe
>>7827691 Huawei hits back at Malcolm Turnbull's 'factually incorrect information'
>>7827691 Turnbull still getting it wrong on 5G ban: Jeremy Mitchell, Director of Corporate & Public Affairs, Huawei Australia
>>7827852 Panel to call for more lay control in Australian church
>>7827870 'I'm deeply disturbed': Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey condemns Archbishop's claims
>>7827870 Mark Bailey Tweet: Deeply disturbed the Brisbane Archbishop opposes laws requiring priests report child sexual abuse
>>7827962 'This is an ugly work' - Trump's giant empty head sculpture descends on Ballarat
>>7828116 UK cops block bid to trace Prince Andrew's location on night he's accused of sex with teen
>>7828116 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: There could only be one reason the bodyguards would not to expose where the prince had been
>>7828116 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: You saw me at your parties, you saw me in Epstein's homes, you saw me on the plane…

>>7836768 Westpac linked to international paedophilia case after Australian man charged
>>7836807 Man detained over 'high level exploitation' of foreign workers
>>7836897 Search for next Australian Cyber Security Centre chief begins as outgoing head Rachel Noble prepares to leave
>>7837080 Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell and Virginia Giuffre appear in court to hash out plan to unseal documents
>>7837080 Virginia Roberts Giuffre Tweet: Sigrid McCawley is a warrior badass!! Watch her standup for the countless victims of Epstein & Maxwell
>>7837465 Government used sporting grants as slush fund for re-election campaign
>>7838666 White House chief of staff confirms Trump's desire to visit Australia
>>7843308 Catholic priest 'confessed 1,500 times to abusing children', victim says mandatory reporting could have saved him
>>7848771 FBI Interview Notes With Carter Page and George Papadopoulos Are Released
>>7859575 Australian police using face recognition software as privacy experts issue warning

#7816058 at 2020-01-15 01:36:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

Rockets reported fired at Taji military base in Iraq that hosts US-led coalition troops

Rockets have been fired in the direction of Camp Taji, a US-coalition base north of Baghdad in Iraq, local media report. At least one member of Iraqi security forces has reportedly been wounded.

A rocket has landed near the gates of the base, which houses soldiers from the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries whose personnel remain in Iraq after Parliament ordered foreign soldiers to leave earlier this month. At least two rockets are believed to have hit near the base, which is 17km north of Baghdad.

The situation has become markedly more tense since the Trump administration's assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, which provoked Iran to fire a barrage of missiles into the US' Ain al-Asad airbase and Erbil. The strikes resulted in zero casualties but gave evidence of precision strike capabilities and came with a warning that Tehran would strike Dubai or Haifa next should Washington attempt to retaliate.

US basis were targeted in small-scale rocket strikes over the last two months, with no group taking credit and in most cases no casualties. Eight rockets hit northern Iraq's Balad Air Base on Sunday, wounding four Iraqi soldiers.

Middle East analyst Ammar Waqqaf suggested that the Popular Mobilization Forces, Iraqi Shiite militias allied with Iran, are unlikely to be behind the recent attacks because the weapons used have a "huge" margin of error and the bases targeted also house Iraqi soldiers. "Whoever targets this base does not necessarily care about the Iraqi army or personnel," he told RT.

https://www.rt.com/news/478263-rocket-fired-taji-base/


—


Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds Tweet

I am aware of a rocket attack in the vicinity of the #Taji military base, Iraq. All Australian personnel have been accounted for & are safe. At the time of the attack there were no Australians in the immediate vicinity. The safety of our service men & women is our utmost priority

https://twitter.com/LindaReynoldswa/status/1217251286652899328

#7747639 at 2020-01-08 04:00:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

Australians safe after attacks in Iraq: PM

Australian troops and diplomats have been confirmed safe after Iran attacked coalition forces in Iraq.

"We're doing everything to ensure their continued safety," Scott Morrison told reporters on Wednesday.

The prime minister said the situation in Iraq was "fluid" after Iran launched attacks on two US military bases.

Defence chief Angus Campbell has been told to do whatever is necessary to keep Australians safe.

Iran launched more than a dozen surface-to-air missiles in retaliation for the killing of its most senior military leader Qasem Soleimani.

US and coalition forces at the Al-Assad and Irbil bases have come under attack.

Australian troops are located close to where the attacks took place.

"The government is closely monitoring the unfolding events in Iraq," Scott Morrison said.

The prime minister has directed Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell to do "whatever actions are necessary" to protect and defend Australian military and diplomatic personnel.

The national security committee of cabinet has been meeting since Saturday to review the situation.

It is due to meet again on Thursday.

The prime minister has briefed Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on the unfolding situation.

Mr Albanese has urged the United States and Iran to exercise restraint.

"I don't want to see Australia drawn into a military conflict in the Middle East," he told reporters in Adelaide.

"The first priority should be ensuring that Australians are kept safe."

The Pentagon says it has taken "all appropriate measures" to safeguard its personnel and partners.

"These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region," a US Department of Defense spokesman said.

"As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners and allies in the region."

Mr Morrison learnt about the attack while flying from Canberra to South Australia to visit bushfire-ravaged Kangaroo Island.

He has spoken with General Campbell and minister Linda Reynolds about the rocket attacks.

There are reports "shelter in place" sirens have been heard at the Taji base in northern Baghdad, which houses Australian and allied troops.

Australia has hundreds of troops deployed to Iraq along with diplomats housed at an embassy in Baghdad.

https://www.bellingencourier.com.au/story/6571495/australians-safe-after-attacks-in-iraq-pm/

#7710368 at 2020-01-04 06:26:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

PM calls for restraint of US-Iran tensions as embassy 'locked down'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will pursue "restraint" and a "de-escalation" of tensions in the Middle East after admitting his government was blind sided by US President Donald Trump's decision to take out a top Iranian military commander in a Baghdad air strike.

Mr Morrison said the Australian embassy in Iraq was now in lockdown after a targeted US drone strike at Baghdad Airport killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force in the Middle East, early on Friday.

A second US air strike on Saturday, targeting an Iraqi militia, killed six people on Taji road north of Baghdad, near Camp Taji, an Australian military base.

About 280 Australian Defence personnel are currently stationed at the base.

Mr Morrison said he was not advised of the Trump administration's intentions prior to the strikes, but was in "constant contact" with allies in the region and had made efforts to ensure the safety of Australians.

"The United States took this action based on their own information and they took that action without discussing it with partners," Mr Morrison said on Saturday.

He said he had "been aware" of Mr Trump's concerns in relation to some practices by Iranians "for some time", but he would "leave it to them to talk to what their actions are".

"We've been aware of their strong views about those things for many years and I think that speaks for itself," Mr Morrison said.

"We are very mindful and have spent a lot of effort focusing on those Australians who find themselves in the Middle East at this point and particularly in Iraq and also in diplomatic posts in the region.

"Our goal remains a united and stable Iraq, which is what also the Canadian government have said and we echo the sentiments they've expressed."

The strike has marked a major escalation in the conflict between Washington and Iran, as Iran vowed "harsh retaliation".

The two nations have faced repeated crises since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.

British government officials expressed alarm about the lack of consultation from the US, with Downing Street taken "by surprise", causing anger among ministers who had to scramble to react to the rapidly-escalating crisis.

Mr Morrison said Australia's Baghdad embassy had moved to "a very heightened sense of security" and was "effectively in lockdown" following the strikes.

He said Australia's 2000 personnel deployment was "always under constant reassessment" and this was particularly the case in the Middle East.

"We have personnel in Iraq in three separate locations and the CDF

[Chief of the Defence Force, General Angus Campbell] and his team are doing a reassessment but we are making sure that they are as safe as we can make them," he said.

Mr Morrison said Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Foreign Minister Marise Payne would be speaking to the US counterparts on Saturday.

Australia has committed the HMAS Toowoomba, with 177 sailors, to join a US-led coalition to guard against oil supplies being threatened by Iran in the increasingly tense Strait of Hormuz in February.

Mr Morrison said the ship would be making its way towards India in the coming days and the government would "continue to monitor that situation very closely".

Mr Trump said he ordered the killing of Soleimani because the general was "plotting to kill" many Americans and was also responsible for killing and wounding "thousands" of Americans in the region.

"He should have been taken out many years ago," Trump tweeted from his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he was on holiday.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pm-calls-for-restraint-of-us-iran-tensions-as-embassy-locked-down-20200104-p53orx.html

#7574260 at 2019-12-20 21:33:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

Rachel Noble to become the first woman to lead a major Australian spy agency

The Federal Government has appointed the first woman to lead a major Australian spy agency.

Rachel Noble will become the next director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which intercepts electronic communications from foreign countries.

She is currently the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).

Ms Noble replaces Mike Burgess, who is now Australia's spy chief at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

"Her appointment to this leadership role is a significant step forward for women in the national security sector and we congratulate her," Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said in a statement.

Ms Noble's promotion is the third major security appointment in recent months for the Federal Government, following the retirements of Australian Federal Police boss Andrew Colvin and former ASIO head Duncan Lewis.

The ACSC sits within ASD. Before joining the organisation, Ms Noble was a senior official at the Department of Home Affairs.

Her public sector experience also included stints at the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Immigration and Defence departments.

She was also previously deputy chief of facility at Pine Gap, the highly secretive defence facility in the Northern Territory.

"Ms Noble's deep experience in intelligence strongly positions her to lead ASD in executing its important national security mission," the Government's statement said.

"She has vital technical expertise having previously worked in ASD and has a strong understanding of the role the organisation plays in the national intelligence community."

Ms Noble's role at the ACSC saw her tasked with leading the nation's cyber security capabilities.

She will take on her new job in February 2020.

The Government thanked Lieutenant General John Frewen, the principal deputy director-general, for acting in the director-general role while ASD searched for a replacement for Mr Burgess.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-13/rachel-noble-first-woman-to-lead-australian-signals-directorate/11797046

#7410587 at 2019-12-02 08:22:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #6 - YEAR OF THE BOOMERANG Edition

ASIO takes lead as spy agencies are put on war footing

An elite intelligence taskforce led by ASIO, the Australian Signals Directorate and Defence intelligence will be created to put the country on a virtual war footing to combat national security threats from an unprecedented level of foreign interference and espionage.

The move will see the role of ASIO expand for the first time to share classified intelligence with Australian Federal Police on foreign interference. The pooling of intelligence - through security investigations conducted by ASIO and criminal investigations under the AFP - will help determine whether charges are laid against foreign targets or whether they are quietly thrown out of the country.

The taskforce will also bring in aerial and satellite intelligence-gathering used by the Defence Department's Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, as well as drawing on Austrac's financial intelligence capabilities.

The formation of the unit, which will begin with initial new funding of almost $90m, comes amid the Chinese spy scandal involving claims by defector Wang Liqiang that he was a Chinese spy. The validity of Mr Wang's claims have been questioned as ASIO seeks to confirm his story while confirming that it is also investigating claims China sought to install an agent in Australia's federal parliament.

The government said the creation of the taskforce was not ­related to the recent claims of Chinese interference and that it had been in development for months. It was, however, signed off by cabinet last week.

Scott Morrison confirmed the establishment of the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, saying it would elevate the intelligence agencies' abilities to detect and disrupt foreign interference attempts and bring prosecutions under criminal espionage offences passed last year.

…..

A joint statement to be released by Mr Morrison, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and ­Defence Minister Linda Reynolds says the taskforce will address the issue of trying to bring prosecutions against known targets operating on Australian soil. The lack of arrests and criminal prosecutions has been a source of criticism of the agencies before significant changes, including new criminal offences, were brought in last year, alongside foreign interference laws.

The most significant changes will be specialised legal capabilities for ASIO to provide briefs - using what would have otherwise been classified intelligence - to the AFP for potential prosecution.

The taskforce, which will be led by an as yet unnamed ASIO official, will enjoy greater intelligence sharing between agencies at the highest level, with the Office of National Intelligence providing strategic advice to government. It will also be given greater responsibility for analysis of foreign disinformation activity designed to interfere with Australia's political system.

The AFP, as announced last year, will have an investigation unit dedicated to countering foreign interference and this will be represented on the taskforce.

It will also be tasked with greater "specialist covert and technical collection support capabilities".

Austrac, which has recently come to public attention with its discovery that Westpac bank had breached anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws 23 million times, will be tasked with using its financial intelligence capabilities for foreign interference stings.

The secretive Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, which uses satellite and aerial imagery for primarily military purposes, will also join the taskforce. The statement to be released on Monday says the taskforce will be an advancement in intelligence sharing and capabilities in tackling what ASIO has repeatedly warned has become the most prolific level of espionage activity since the height of the Cold War.

"This is a boost to our ability to discover, track and disrupt foreign interference in Australia," the statement says. "The increase in intelligence collection, assessment and law enforcement capabilities will help turn more intelligence assessments into operational disruptions to better protect Australians from foreign interference. The new dedicated capability of the taskforce will also increase the collaboration and streamline the decision-making between agencies, and strengthen Australia's analysis of the sophisticated disinformation activities happening across the world, particularly against democratic processes and elections."

In a submission to the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security in January last year, ASIO cited six examples of individuals it had targeted that were involved in espionage or foreign interference, including Australian nationals working on behalf of foreign states.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/asio-takes-lead-as-spy-agencies-are-put-onwar-footing/news-story/85ca619855e98408a03689fbc8be012f

>Information warfare.

#7196599 at 2019-07-26 06:23:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Top US officials to visit Australia next week for talks with Morrison

New York: US President Donald Trump's top diplomat and his newly-installed defence chief will travel to Australia next week for meetings with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other senior Australian politicians.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mike Esper will lead the US delegation to Australia for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in Sydney on Sunday, August 4.

The meetings are held every year between the two countries' top foreign affairs and defence officials, alternating between the US and Australia.

They come a month before Morrison travels to Washington DC, where he will receive a rare state dinner with Trump.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who was then defence minister, attended last year's talks in California alongside her predecessor Julie Bishop. This will be the first time Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has participated in the talks.

This year's event comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate and with the US and China about to re-open negotiations on trade.

"As part of his AUSMIN engagement, the secretary will participate in dialogues aimed at strengthening the Alliance, working shoulder-to-shoulder with Australia to meet global and transnational challenges, and safeguarding sovereignty in Pacific Island countries and Southeast Asia," US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

"The secretary will also meet with Prime Minister Morrison to discuss continued collaboration on advancing our shared set of values, principles, and overlapping interests."

Pompeo, one of Trump's most trusted advisers, will also travel to Thailand and Micronesia on the trip.

Esper was only confirmed to the position this week by the US Senate, making this his first overseas trip since being appointed the permanent defence secretary.

He replaces James Mattis, who resigned just before Christmas because of policy disagreements with the President.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/top-us-officials-to-visit-australia-next-week-for-talks-with-morrison-20190726-p52axo.html

#6978965 at 2019-07-10 08:08:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

No way on Huawei: Morrison government doubles down on ban of Chinese telco supplier

Two senior Cabinet Ministers have declared that the Morrison government will not lift its ban on Huawei, despite signs key ally the United States may soften its stance towards the controversial Chinese telecom equipment supplier.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher emphatically ruled out any weakening of the Federal Government's policy to block the involvement of China-based providers in new ultra-fast '5G' mobile networks. His comments came just hours after Defence Minister Linda Reynolds used her first visit to the UK to urge Britain to copy Australia's ban on Huawei.

"The government last year took a decision in relation to 5G networks and it's a decision that has been publicly announced and well articulated," Mr Fletcher said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. "The government won't be changing that decision."

The Turnbull government banned Huawei and ZTE from providing equipment to Australian telcos for their upcoming 5G networks on the basis of security concerns in August 2018. The US blacklisted the company in May, but President Trump last month appeared to open the door to its involvement in the world's largest economy as part of a broader trade deal.

Any softening of the US government's stance towards Huawei raises the potential Australia could be isolated on an issue that has upset China, the nation's biggest trading partner. While Huawei has also been blocked from supplying 5G equipment to New Zealand's dominant telco, it remains a key provider to mobile carriers in the UK.

New Zealand and the UK are members of the 'Five Eyes' intelligence sharing alliance with Australia, the US and Canada.

While not referencing Huawei by name, Senator Reynolds in a speech stressed the need for the intelligence relationship to be linked more tightly, in line with previous warnings that the UK could endanger the Five Eyes relationship, by failing to ban Huawei.

The upcoming 5G technology is expected to digitally connect a range of industries, including critical infrastructure, driverless cars and remote hospitals. For this reason it's considered particularly sensitive but also lucrative for businesses that can secure major contracts with telcos to provide their equipment.

Huawei has ramped up its campaign against its naysayers globally amid growing pressure on its business, a US-China trade war and additional scrutiny on its security and the possibility the Chinese government could interfere with the infrastructure.

The company's top Australian executives have been intending to organise a meeting with Mr Fletcher in an attempt to persuade him to overturn the ban and consider other security measures like a "testing centre" where independent experts could look for security problems. Huawei funds similar centres in the UK and Belgium.

Huawei and its supporters have argued that knocking out the world's largest player from local rollouts will reduce competition and drive up costs that will ultimately mean inferior technology and higher priced plans for consumers.

Mr Fletcher dismissed these claims in June, saying there were many global vendors who could provide high quality equipment.

The Chinese company in the past few months has launched a scathing attack against the taxpayer-funded National Broadband Network, which it was banned from providing equipment for in 2012, and criticised the US government for "bullying" after being stung with trade restrictions.

A Huawei spokesman said the decision to exclude the company from Australia's 5G market remained a matter for government but the company was "still waiting for written advice on the exclusion and an explanation on why we have been excluded."

"To our knowledge the 5G ban imposed by the Australian Government has been made without any proof of Huawei conducting any wrongdoing in any of the 180 countries around the world in which we successfully operate," he said.

"We will continue to advocate that excluding Huawei from 5G simply means that Australians will be paying more for 5G services and will not be able to access the leading technology and innovation that we bring because of the reduced competition in the market."

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/no-way-on-huawei-morrison-government-doubles-down-on-ban-of-chinese-telco-supplier-20190709-p525i8.html

#6672361 at 2019-06-04 22:46:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #5 - Shill count HIGH Edition

Australia-Japan-United States Defense Ministers Meeting Joint Press Statement
RP from QRes#8498

Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, Japanese Minister of Defense Takeshi Iwaya, and U.S.Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, convened a trilateral defense ministerial meeting in Singapore on June 1 on the margins of the 18th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit (2019 Shangri-La Dialogue). The ministers were united in their shared commitment to do more together in support of security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. This was the eighth meeting among the three nations' defense leaders.



Minister Iwaya and Acting Secretary Shanahan congratulated Minister Reynolds on her appointment to Minister for Defence following Australia's recent elections. The ministers affirmed their shared vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is open, inclusive, rules based and respectful of sovereignty, where disputes are resolved peacefully and free of coercion. The ministers recognized the importance of supporting Association of South East Asian Nations-led regional architecture and their support for ASEAN centrality which has played an instrumental role in establishing norms of behavior and habits of cooperation in the region. The Australian and Japanese ministers welcomed the United States Indo-Pacific Strategy Report announced by Acting Secretary Shanahan. The ministers agreed to continue to closely coordinate support to the region to maximize the benefits of their national and combined engagement activities in the region in a transparent, efficient and effective manner under their shared strategic vision.

The ministers underscored the importance of the international community's ongoing commitment to achieving North Korea's abandonment of all of its weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles, and related programs and facilities in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). The ministers welcomed the United States' and Republic of Korea's diplomatic efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and called on North Korea to return to negotiations with the United States toward this goal. They confirmed that while a diplomatic path to peace on the Korean Peninsula exists, North Korea remains an extraordinary threat, exemplified by its recent missile launches, that requires continued vigilance. They agreed to continue to fully enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The ministers welcomed and reaffirmed their commitment to sustained international cooperation to deter, disrupt, and ultimately eliminate illicit activities, such as illegal ship-to-ship transfers.

https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1863427/australia-japan-united-states-defense-ministers-meeting-joint-press-statement/source/GovDelivery/