In a highly emotional press conference, Attorney-General Christian Porter unequivocally denied the historical rape allegation against him – but that is unlikely to be the end of the matter.
The media treated the rape allegation against Porter as a political story and watched it play out in the political process — without identifying the attorney-general.
The minister accused of historical rape is set to identify himself on Wednesday, after NSW police on Tuesday declared their examination of the claim “closed”.
Following the airing of an historical claim made by a woman that she was allegedly raped by a man who is presently a member of the federal cabinet, Scott Morrison has been called upon to set up an inquiry.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds faces an agonising question. Should she say to Scott Morrison that she doesn’t feel up to staying in what is one of the most demanding portfolios in the government?
The base level of JobSeeker and related payments will increase by $50 a fortnight from April 1 under changes that will also toughen the obligations on people seeking work.
Kelly said of his decision, ‘If I’m to speak out and to use my voice the best I can, this is the best decision for myself and for the people that I represent.’
One analyst describes Labor’s lead in WA as “scarcely possible”, while new focus on sexual assault at Parliament House has not had an impact on the latest federal Newspoll.
Scott Morrison has been wounded by the revelation this week of an alleged rape in Parliament House. But the fear must be that Brittany Higgins has become a victim twice over – of the incident itself and the fallout these past days.
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has accused Scott Morrison of “victim-blaming rhetoric”, as the PM sought to explain why his own staffer failed to tell him Higgins alleged she had been raped.
The revelation of the alleged rape against a government staffer in 2019 has partially derailed a week that the government would have hoped to be dominated by the coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Senior Lecturer in Political Science: Research Fellow at the Cairns Institute; Research Associate for Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, James Cook University