{"id":169462,"date":"2023-01-12T05:53:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T05:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=169462"},"modified":"2023-01-12T05:53:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T05:53:20","slug":"liberal-senator-demands-publisher-pull-book-covering-higgins-saga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/liberal-senator-demands-publisher-pull-book-covering-higgins-saga\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal senator demands publisher pull book covering Higgins saga"},"content":{"rendered":"
West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has launched defamation action against publishing house HarperCollins and political journalist Aaron Patrick, demanding a book detailing recent political controversies including Brittany Higgins\u2019 rape allegations be pulled from the shelves.<\/p>\n
Reynolds\u2019 lawyers at high-profile Perth firm Bennett have filed a writ against the two parties in WA\u2019s Supreme Court seeking aggravated damages over the contents of Patrick\u2019s book Ego: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party\u2019s Civil War.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Former defence minister Linda Reynolds.<\/span>Credit:<\/span>Alex Ellinghausen<\/cite><\/p>\n In the writ, obtained by this masthead, the former defence minister claims comments in the book were falsely defamatory of her and have caused her loss and damage.<\/p>\n Reynolds is seeking a court order that would force HarperCollins to pull the book from sale and restrain the pair from republishing the alleged defamatory comments.<\/p>\n She also wants them to foot the bill for her legal costs.<\/p>\n The Australian Financial Review<\/em> senior correspondent\u2019s book, released in June, focused primarily on former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s campaign against his successor Scott Morrison and party infighting.<\/p>\n But the book also detailed several of the Liberal Party\u2019s recent political controversies, including an entire chapter dedicated to former political staffer Higgins\u2019 rape allegations against fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann.<\/p>\n Higgins, a former employee of Reynolds, claimed Lehrmann raped her in the then-cabinet minister\u2019s parliamentary office.<\/p>\n Reynolds found herself in the firing line amid the fallout over the government\u2019s response to Higgins\u2019 claims.<\/p>\n The book was temporarily pulled from the shelves shortly after its release over fears it may jeopardise Lehrmann\u2019s high-profile criminal trial.<\/p>\n That trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, and the charge later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.<\/p>\n While the writ does not go into detail about the defamatory contents, Patrick\u2019s book is understood to contain a passage claiming Higgins had suggested Reynolds told her that non-consensual sex was \u201cthe cost of being female\u201d.<\/p>\n It is understood this passage is one of several that Reynolds\u2019 legal team will vigorously contest.<\/p>\n With Lehrmann\u2019s trial aborted, and the federal government having reached a $3 million compensation settlement with Higgins, it is understood that Reynolds was motivated to have her version of events placed on the public record.<\/p>\n Patrick deferred all questions to HarperCollins, which has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n Reynolds has also been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n The Australian Financial Review<\/em> is also owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead.<\/strong><\/p>\nMost Viewed in National<\/h2>\n
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