Fiona Brown declares ‘triumph’ after $1.48m settlement stemming from Higgins case

Fiona Brown has declared she “ultimately triumphed” over those who tore her down while warning federal parliament must overhaul the way it treats staff caught in political crossfire.

The former Liberal staffer case brings to a close one of the final pieces of litigation arising from the Brittany Higgins affair, which has spawned multiple court cases, investigations and compensation claims since it erupted in 2021.

She received a $1.48 million settlement from the Commonwealth after reaching an agreement to end her workplace claim, she revealed in a statement tabled in the Senate on Thursday afternoon.

Brown, a former chief of staff to then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, launched Federal Court proceedings against the Commonwealth after becoming embroiled in the political storm surrounding Higgins’ allegation she was raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann inside Parliament House in 2019.

Brown said her years-long legal battle had left her with chronic PTSD and depression and accused the parliamentary system of failing to protect staff caught in political crossfire.

“The girl from Earlwood was the underdog in the race,” Brown said. “I feel I have ultimately triumphed over those who tore me down. With my reputation restored, restitution secured, I have been given a second chance at life.”

But she said the settlement should not be the end of the matter, calling for systemic reform to parliament’s workplace protections and clearer boundaries around parliamentary privilege.

Brown said parliamentary privilege – a set of powers that shield politicians from legal action – had protected politicians who spoke about her while she had no equivalent right of reply.

“Parliamentarians were protected while they spoke about me freely,” she said. “I listened, from my own workplace, to parliamentarians debating accusations and offering commentary about me. Not one of them ever asked me for my account.”

Brown said comments made under parliamentary privilege fed into a torrent of social media abuse and contributed to her isolation in both her community and workplace.

She said ministerial staff were thrust into the political “hothouse” of parliament with few rights of their own when disputes arose involving powerful political figures.

“The same institutional barriers that constrained me remain today, for the next person who finds themselves where I was,” she said. “Under the current system, I fear it will happen again.”

Her claim alleged that the Commonwealth failed to protect her after she was drawn into the political fallout, and that senior figures in then-prime minister Scott Morrison’s office failed to allow her to publicly defend herself against allegations that she had participated in a political cover-up.

The settlement avoids a trial that threatened to reopen the affair and place Morrison and senior advisers under oath.