Lisa Wilkinson

The ACCC has uncovered a spike in dubious claims about environment-friendly and sustainable products; journalist sets out how she will defend defamation ...

[iOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1487780661?mt=8) and [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.guardian.puzzles&hl=en_GB&gl=US). [sign up here](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/23/morning-mail-newsletter-best-daily-news-email-guardian-australia-free-sign-up-inbox-subscribe?CMP=copyembed). Sign up [here](https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/13/afternoon-update-newsletter-best-daily-news-email-guardian-australia-free-sign-up) to play. [Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/13/afternoon-update-newsletter-best-daily-news-email-guardian-australia-free-sign-up?CMP=copyembed). [after he was accused](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/01/minister-helen-whately-rejects-claim-matt-hancock-ignored-advice-on-covid-testing)of ignoring advice on Covid testing. Suspicion turned to a signalling error [but some are already blaming privatisation](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/01/myriad-questions-but-no-evidence-yet-for-cause-of-greece-train-crash). The Courier-Mail exposes what it claims is the [“sick state” of Queensland’s health system](https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/queensland-audit-office-reveals-huge-spike-in-ambulance-and-specialist-doctor-wait-times/news-story/a0d92021eeece153cd752c37d2341e91) thanks to budget blowouts and “ultra-long waits”. [“defined by confusion”](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/jim-chalmers-failed-to-model-superannuation-tax-hit-on-more-than-500000-public-servants-peter-dutton/news-story/65cdeb8ab8bf93011bc23845c6b1c18a). A new report found that of the 13 local government areas that doubled their net internal migration last year, nine were inland locations including the Southern Downs in Queensland (pictured), Murray Bridge in South Australia and Glen Innes in New South Wales. God on his side Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence to the allegations. Now the competition watchdog is on the case as it steps up its crackdown on so-called “greenwashing”.

Bruce Lehrmann has accused news organisations of being "recklessly indifferent to the truth" over rape allegations made by Brittany Higgins.

Lawyers for the journalist said Mr Lehrmann was given multiple opportunities to respond before the interview was aired, including emails to his personal and work addresses, as well as text messages. The defence said Ms Wilkinson cannot admit Mr Lehrmann was reasonably identified by viewers of the story on The Project. In a written defence, lawyers for Ms Wilkinson said they will aim to prove Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House as part of a truth defence.

Bruce Lehrmann has accused two major news organisations of being "recklessly indifferent to the truth" for reporting rape...

The defence said Ms Wilkinson cannot admit Mr Lehrmann was reasonably identified by viewers of the story on The Project. In a written defence to the lawsuit, lawyers for Ms Wilkinson said they will aim to prove Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House as part of a truth defence. Channel 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson has been named in the defamation action against the TV network for the February 2021 interview of Ms Higgins on The Project, while News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden has also been named in the suit against News Life Media.

Lisa Wilkinson claims police were concerned there was a cover-up at Parliament House and is using defences of truth and qualified privilege to defend claims ...

While undergoing fact-checking, Ms Wilkinson says she understood there were constant efforts to check the “veracity of allegations made by Ms Higgins” and was satisfied her claims were truthful. But as part of those inquiries, police said they were concerned a “cover-up” occurred in relation to the allegations, and they were met with “roadblocks from Parliament House” while attempting to obtain information. In her defence of qualified privilege, Ms Wilkinson argues that she acted reasonable as an “experienced, accomplished and careful journalist”. “Lehrmann’s conduct described in the preceding particulars amounted to rape of Higgins in Parliament House in 2019,” the defence says. He says the articles defamed him by implying he “continued to rape Brittany Higgins after she woke up mid-rape and she was crying and telling him to stop” and “left her on a couch in a state of undress”. Lisa Wilkinson claims police were concerned there was a cover-up at Parliament House and is using defences of truth and qualified privilege to defend claims of defamation brought by Bruce Lehrmann.

The journalist will claim the allegations in 2021 interview with Brittany Higgins were substantially true.

Lehrmann always denied the allegations against him. She will argue the imputation that "Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019" and three other imputations she claims are equal in substance are substantially true. In a lawsuit filed in the Federal Court last month, he claims the article conveyed the meaning he "raped Brittany Higgins in Defence Minister Linda Reynolds' office in 2019" and three other defamatory imputations.

Former star of The Project, Lisa Wilkinson is preparing to defend herself against a defamation lawsuit filed by former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

She says that Lehrmann was contacted in the days before the interview through messages to his mobile phone and work and personal emails. Wilkinson’s lawyers have sought to block this application, and if it is allowed to go ahead, she will argue that the allegations made in the interview are substantially true. Brittany Higgins alleges that she was raped by a colleague in the office of then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in 2019.

Brittany Higgins is prepared to give evidence as part of Lisa Wilkinson's truth defence to a defamation claim brought against her by Bruce Lehrmann.

[indicated it would seek to rely on a truth defence](/link/follow-20170101-11mokk) in a defamation case brought against it by Gordon Wood, who was acquitted in 2012 of murdering his girlfriend Caroline Byrne. The defendant will have to prove that the allegations are substantially true on the balance of probabilities, but taking into account the seriousness of the allegations. He is expected to appear in the witness box and be cross-examined by barristers for Wilkinson and Ten. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. News and Maiden are expected to file a defence within days. It is not uncommon for media companies to seek to prove serious crimes in defamation cases. Wilkinson left The Project last year but remains a Ten employee. [And in 2009](https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/549ffa1b3004262463c733a5), The Australian successfully defended a defamation suit brought against it by Serbian paramilitary leader Dragan Vasiljkovic. amounted to rape of Higgins in Parliament House in 2019”. It is the first defence filed in the proceedings. But, crucially, she also seeks to rely on a defence of truth. It is an offence to disobey a subpoena.

Journalist Lisa Wilkinson will try to prove former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann did rape Brittany Higgins and will argue reporting was true.

Here’s why.](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/europe/greta-thunberg-wind-farm-norway-sami-climate-intl/index.html) (CNN) [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64647166) notes, to which a sheepish Glen says “he can only apologise”. The Coalition reckons half a million public servants could be impacted by the change because the $3 million threshold was not indexed, as [The Australian](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/jim-chalmers-failed-to-model-superannuation-tax-hit-on-more-than-500000-public-servants-peter-dutton/news-story/65cdeb8ab8bf93011bc23845c6b1c18a) ($) reports. [own analysis](https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2023/feb/box-c-supply-and-demand-drivers-of-inflation-in-australia.html), there’s nothing to indicate existing inflationary pressures are being driven solely or even primarily by demand as opposed to supply-side problems, the latter of which are the result of things it can’t plausibly influence, much less control. [The New Daily](https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2023/03/01/remote-nt-communities-evacuate-flood-risk/?breaking_live_scroll=1) reports. [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/opinion/australia-defamation-laws.html) ($) called Australia the “defamation capital of the world”. But Richard Holden says Australia is hardly the odd one out — “Real wages grew slowly in most advanced economies during the 2010s,” he writes for the [AFR](https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/drop-in-real-wages-is-no-neoliberal-conspiracy-20230227-p5co0n) ($). [Guardian Australia](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/01/an-attack-on-middle-australia-unpacking-the-claims-over-labors-new-super-policy) explains you’d need to earn $200,000 for your entire working life to even approach a balance that high. He blames it on [Moore’s Law](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mooreslaw.asp#:~:text=In%201965%2C%20Gordon%20Moore%20posited,and%20more%20efficient%20over%20time.) rather than an “international neoliberal conspiracy” against workers as others are suggesting. [The Australian](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/fossil-fuel-shift-electrifying-all-households-could-cost-more-than-60bn/news-story/43e077a8db81c451fe0e7b0f3e56f4fb) ($) that independent Senator David Pocock’s calculation that it’d cost $11.3 million for an ACT suburb proves it, considering Australia is home to 5.1 million households. It comes as a report revealed half of Australian journalists don’t publish things they know are true because of the fear of our crazy-strict defamation laws, [The Newcastle Herald](https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8102100/journalists-withhold-information-over-defamation-fears/?src=rss) ($) reports. [SMH](https://www.smh.com.au/national/wilkinson-seeks-to-defend-lehrmann-defamation-suit-by-proving-rape-claim-20230301-p5cogj.html) ($) reports.

What is Lehrmann claiming? And what arguments will broadcaster Wilkinson use to defend herself?

“The reason that it is very rare is that a significant component of the damages is injury to feelings,” he said. Lehrmann is arguing the hurt and harm he suffered was aggravated by the conduct of the publishers. In other words, she will argue that the imputation that Lehrmann raped Higgins is substantially true. One element he must prove is that he was identified in the relevant publications. [commenced in July 2021](https://lsj.com.au/articles/in-the-public-interest-the-new-defence-in-nsw-defamation-law/), just months after the Channel 10 and News Corp publications. The publishers, he argues, invited viewers to speculate and seek out his identity. Wilkinson is raising an earlier form of public interest defence. and those particulars have not been sufficiently supplied”. What does Wilkinson need to do to successfully defend the claim? Lehrmann alleges the broadcasts carried four defamatory imputations. Wilkinson and Network Ten are being sued over Wilkinson’s interview with Higgins on The Project, which aired on 15 February 2021. Prosecutors did not seek a re-trial due to concerns about Higgins’s mental health.