What security breach?

MISINFORMATION AND A PAUSED INVESTIGATION

Note: This story discusses sexual assault.

Parliament House security guard Nikola Anderson has recounted to Four Corners her experience of seeing Brittany Higgins on the night and morning of her alleged rape.

Anderson has specifically hit out at claims by Scott Morrison and others in government that the man accused of the rape had his employment terminated over an undisclosed “security breach” given that guards followed protocols on the night. She also says the AFP have not interviewed her.

As The New Daily details, the news comes after Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet — and Morrison’s former chief of staff — Phil Gaetjens revealed that, on March 9, he “paused” his review into what Morrison’s staff knew about the allegations, following an alleged request by police.

However, AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw denies directly requesting a pause on the internal review, only that police raised concerns over a potential “intersection” of inquiries. And while Gaetjens says he emailed Morrison and his staff, news.com.au notes the prime minister last week claimed had not been provided any “update”.

Morrison denies misleading parliament.

PS: Gaetjens also refused to answer several questions out of alleged concern for the AFP investigation, instead taking them on notice “for the benefit of Ms Higgins”. Rebuffed questions include whether Morrison’s staff had retained lawyers in relation to PM&C’s review.

PPS: As of yesterday, Morrison has also avoided nine separate questions on whether he asked his staff if they backgrounded journalists about Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz, who last month alleged the office had released information to reporters and that he left his job at a Canberra media monitoring company over concerns of government contracts.

1800 Respect: 1800 737 732; Lifeline: 13 11 14.

WEATHER: THE STORM

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that “around 10 million Australians in every mainland state and territory” with the exception of Western Australia faced weather warnings last night as two major systems collided over “an area similar to the size of Alaska”.

As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, this meant wind, rainfall and surf warnings across the entire New South Wales coast. The NSW State Emergency Service received 1485 requests for assistance in the 24 hours to Monday night, while the Australian Defence Force will support flood emergency efforts from today. news.com.au also notes a landslide has closed one of the major roads out of Sydney, Bells Line of Road, which connects Richmond in western Sydney with the town of Bell in the Blue Mountains.

Drier conditions are forecast for most of NSW and southern Queensland by Wednesday, and while wet weather is set to continue tomorrow in Tasmania and Victoria the system should be clear of the continent by Thursday.

For the latest updates, see BOM’s national weather warnings, ABC Emergency’s postcode/suburb guide, or NSW State Emergency Service’s interactive Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley map.

A BUNCH OF WANKERS

Material provided to Channel 10 and The Australian ($) shows at least four Coalition staffers filming themselves performing solo sex acts on the Parliament House desks of female MPs, and, subsequently, sharing the material on Facebook Messenger over a two-year period ending last year.

The ABC notes that, in a statement, Scott Morrison has condemned the material and confirmed at least one of the men has been sacked.

LESS-THAN-SUPER PLAN DITCHED

Finally, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women Marise Payne revealed in estimates last night that the government will ditch its early-release superannuation scheme for survivors of domestic abuse, following complaints of its potential for financial coercion and impact on survivors’ long-term financial security.

The news comes as the Morrison government, which briefly brought social security payments above poverty rates last year, prepares to end the coronavirus supplement and bring the rate up just $25 a week — i.e. slashing $50 per week from total payments — starting April 1.