1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: the news from the Australian. From the Australian, here's what's 4 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: on the Front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Friday, June twenty eighth. 5 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: Olympic Sports will get a half billion dollar windfall from 6 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: taxpayers in the lead up to Brisbane twenty thirty two. 7 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: This morning's major funding announcement comes just a month before 8 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: kickoff at the Paris Olympics. You can read that story 9 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: by John Stenzolt right now at The Australian dot com 10 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: dot au. Police have swooped on bombshell claims in The 11 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: Australian about the disappearance of Bromwyn Windfield. Unsolved homicide detectives 12 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: have done a lengthy formal interview with former neighbor Judy Singh, 13 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: who says she saw Bromwin's former husband John Winfield, driving 14 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: with something that looked like a corpse in the back 15 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: of his car. John Winfield has denied any wrongdoing. A 16 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: new episode of Headley Thomas's podcast Bromwin is live now 17 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: at bromwynpodcast dot com. Bruce Lammon does not have a 18 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: lot of money, but he's just been slapped with a 19 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: two million dollar legal bill for his failed defamation action 20 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: against Network ten and its exiled star Lisa Wilkinson. Ten's 21 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: had to fork over more than half a million dollars 22 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: to Wilkinson and Brittaney Higgins's new husband, David Charraz, has 23 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: set his sights on Federal Court Justice Michael Lee or 24 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: that's in today's episode. 25 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: It is common ground that the applicant is a man 26 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: of modest means. 27 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,639 Speaker 1: Those are the words of Justice Michael Lee talking about 28 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Bruce Lahman, the man he declared was, on the balance 29 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: of probabilities, a rapist. Lee tore apart Lahman's reputation in 30 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: his judgment, saying the former Liberal staffer was a practiced liar, 31 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: so intent upon his own gratification that he had sex 32 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: with Britney Higgins without any regard for whether or not 33 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: she consented. Lahman is appealing that finding. The judge said, 34 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: although Network ten and Lisa Wilkinson's story about Britney higgins 35 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: was deeply flawed as journalism, he believed Higgins's account of 36 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: the rape and questioned Lairman's judgment in bringing the case 37 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: at all, having. 38 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 3: Escaped the lines dead. Mister Lehrmit made the mistake of 39 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 3: coming back for his head. 40 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: And now the judge has landed a new blow on Laman, 41 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: declaring he will have to meet some of Ten and 42 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: Wilkinson's immense legal costs, even if he doesn't appear to 43 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: be rolling in cash. We've used a voice actor to 44 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: bring you the words as spoken in the Federal Court 45 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: on Thursday. 46 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: It is not suggested that there is any real likelihood 47 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: that he'll be in a position to pay a substantial 48 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 2: costs order. 49 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: Lee asked Ten and Wilkinson's lawyers if they could agree 50 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: on a lump sum amount Lahman should pay and agree 51 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: to restrict their claim to this amount. Ten agreed two 52 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: million dollars. Ten told the judge it has spent three 53 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: point six million dollars to date on invoices from their solicitors. 54 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: Bart had applied a discount partly to reflect the fact 55 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: they didn't have a total win. The judge found their 56 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: journalism wasn't reasonable. Laman quibbled with Ten's figures, including the 57 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: number of solicitors who worked on the case. A voice 58 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: actor is reading the words spoken by Lahman's lawyer, Paul's 59 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: Violence in court. 60 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 4: Your honor might notice that there's three to four five 61 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 4: solicitors who have been engaged at least three to four 62 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 4: full time in the matter. No explanation is given in 63 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 4: the affidavit as to why three to four solicitors have 64 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 4: been required to run the matter. 65 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: Paulse Violence said, when the judges associate sends an email 66 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: to the firm representing Ten, it's copied to five solicitors. 67 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: He asked, are they all charging the client to read 68 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: an email simultaneously. Lehman's lawyers also raise the fees charged 69 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: by Ten's leading senior council, Matt Collins KC eleven thousand 70 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: dollars per day in court. That's in excess of the 71 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: Federal Court's National guide to council fees, which has a 72 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: top rate of seven thousand, six hundred and fifty dollars 73 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: per day. Remember Suchrisanthu SC the council for Wilkinson, was 74 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: charging the comparatively bargain rate of eight thousand dollars per 75 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: day in court. The judge said he thought Collins's fee 76 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: was reasonable, especially when compared to layde in commercial litigation, 77 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 1: such as disputes between two companies. 78 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: The daily rate of mister Collins is at the top 79 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 2: of the range of fees charged by members of the 80 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 2: defamation bar but given his seniority and experience in the area, 81 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: this is to be expected. 82 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: The judge said this of Colin's rate, it'd. 83 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 2: Be cheap as chips if it were commercial work at 84 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 2: his level of seniority. 85 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: Network ten has another bill to pay a portion of 86 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: the costs incurred by Lisa Wilkinson on her own legal representation. Remember, 87 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: Wilkinson is still an employee of Network ten. Laman sued 88 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: Ten and Wilkinson, and although Ten tried to have Wilkinson 89 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: agree to be represented by their lawyers, Wilkinson strongly believed 90 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: she needed her own. In fact, well before this matter 91 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: came to court, she'd engaged one of the country's most 92 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: famous defamation barristers, Sue Chrisantho sc and a different firm 93 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: of solicitors to the one Ten was using suspicion because 94 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: when the litigation was looming, Wilkinson's relationship with Ten had 95 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: completely deteriorated. Wilkinson made a speech to the logies in 96 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: which she heralded Brittney Higgins bravery and the. 97 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 5: Truth is this honor belongs to Britney. It belongs to 98 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 5: a twenty six year old woman's unwavering courage. It belongs 99 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 5: to a woman who said enough. 100 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: That speech caused a furious act Chief Justice Lucy McCallum 101 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: to declare Wilkinson had endangered Bruce Lahman's right to a 102 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: fair trial. She was removed from her role at current 103 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: Affairs show the Project. 104 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 5: I have decided that it's time to reprioritize a few 105 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 5: things in my life. And after almost fifteen years of 106 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 5: the early alarm of Breakfast TV, and now another five 107 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 5: years here at the Project desk, I'm looking at how 108 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 5: I want the coming years to play out, both professionally 109 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 5: and personally. So Frompton I right, I am stepping back 110 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 5: from hosting the show. 111 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: And she believed Ten didn't live up to its offer 112 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: to find exciting new on air projects for her. The 113 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: trust was eroded further when Ten tried to persuade Wilkinson 114 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: if she was insisting on having her own lawyers to 115 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: drop the ones she'd already chosen. That was because Ten 116 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: had been told their likely star witness, Brittney Higgins, wouldn't 117 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: cooperate with Chris Hanfu. Here's what Higgins solicitor Leon's Wire 118 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: told Ten in an email, it's not his voice. 119 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 6: For the avoidance of any misunderstandings, Brittany has instructed me 120 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 6: not to assist lawyers and counsel currently retained by Lisa 121 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 6: Wilkinson to defend civil claims commenced by Lerman against Lisa Wilkinson. 122 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 6: I am not prepared to work with Lisa's current senior 123 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 6: counsel under any circumstances. 124 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: Ten eventually asked Wilkinson to let another senior barrister, Brett Walker, 125 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: sc to give her advice on whether she needed her 126 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 1: own lawyer. Walker told Wilkinson to stick to her guns 127 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: and to stick with Chris Anthu during the trial. This 128 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: question of costs caused Ten serious damage because it was 129 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: refusing to pay Wilkinson's bills as they were invoiced. During 130 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: the trial, Wilkinson brought a cross claim against Ten, which 131 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: was heard by Justice Lee. That cross claim threw up 132 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: all sorts of stuff Ten didn't want in the public domain, 133 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: including the fact it had given legal advice to Wilkinson 134 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: and okayed her Loki speech. Wilkinson was originally seeking more 135 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: than one point eight million dollars from Ten. Ten offered 136 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: just under six hundred and eight thousand dollars in court 137 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: on Thursday, Ten said it had decided that was too 138 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: generous and offered to agree on a figure of just 139 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: under five hundred and forty nine thousand. The judge and 140 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: Wilkinson both agreed. That leaves the court to still decide 141 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: how much of Wilkinson's fees Bruce Lamban should have to pay, 142 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: and that it's been sent off to an independent referee. 143 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: Coming up, what Justice Michael Lee is getting up to 144 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: outside the courtroom. Our subscribers are the first to hear 145 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: all the updates in this lengthy legal saga. Class there's 146 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: expert analysis, exclusive content and a dedicated app. Check us 147 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: out at the Australian dot Com dotu and we'll be 148 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:37,839 Speaker 1: back after this break. The defamation action brought by Bruce 149 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: Lahman against Network ten and Lisa Wilkinson featured a cast 150 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: of colorful characters, but none appear to have intrigued Justice 151 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: Michael Lee more than David Schiraz. Breshnia, Higgins's new husband, 152 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: was conspicuous by his absence from the lengthy proceedings. He 153 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: was never called by the prosecution or the defense to 154 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: give evidence. A trial bart his name popped up again 155 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: and again. That's because Sharaz was the driving force behind 156 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: the Project's interview with Brittany Higgins, in which she alleged 157 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: she'd been raped inside Parliament House in twenty nineteen and 158 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: that it was covered up by senior members of the 159 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: Coalition government. That claim has been vehemently denied by former 160 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: ministers and staff. 161 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 2: And so I would, I would try and raise it, 162 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 2: and I would try and bring it up. 163 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 6: Then it was always it always sort of came back 164 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 6: to sort of being a me issue, and I said, 165 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 6: if you can't deal with it, then you can leave. 166 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: Sharaz pitched the story to Lisa Wilkinson in an email 167 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: with the subject line me too. Liberal Party Project pitch 168 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: and so Justice Lee asked counsel repeatedly over the course 169 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: of the trial if Sharaz would enter the witness box 170 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: and if not, why not. The judge said he was 171 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: like Elijah, always welcome but never showing up. The judge 172 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: was invoking the Jewish tradition of leaving a cup of 173 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: wine and a chair at the passover table for the 174 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: ancient prophet who ascended to heaven in a flaming chariot. 175 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: The idea is that when Elijah returns, it's a sign 176 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: the Messiah is coming. 177 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 3: The motivations of mister Sharaz in selecting the journals to 178 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 3: tell on user story were manifest, and rather than this 179 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 3: motive being a course of some degree of circumspection, mister 180 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 3: Lewellen and Miss Wilkinson indicated their willingness to assist in 181 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 3: the political use of the allegations, as Miss Higgins and 182 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 3: mister Sharaz intended. 183 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: That's a snippet of the criticism leveled at David Sharaz 184 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,839 Speaker 1: by Michael Lee. On August nine, the Distinguished Judge will 185 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: sit down with the former ABC chair Eite Buttrose for 186 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 1: what's being touted as a candid conversation about the intersection 187 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: of media, law and society at the national conference of 188 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: an organization called Women in Media. Tickets cost almost five 189 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: hundred dollars a pop, and David Scharaz has questions about 190 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: what attendees are signing up for. According to reporting by 191 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: The Australian's Stephen Rice, Scharaz wrote to the conference organizers 192 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: demanding to know if the defamation case was on the agenda. 193 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: They reportedly told Sharaz they didn't expect Lee to discuss 194 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: the case specifically, but Charaz wasn't satisfied. A voice actor 195 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: is reading his response. 196 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 4: So he will not discuss the Laman case for which 197 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 4: he has made his name and for what you're looking 198 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 4: him for. 199 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: The spokesperson for Women in Media told The Australian what 200 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: Justice Lee talks about is up to him. We've used 201 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: a voice actor. The content that Justice Lee chooses to 202 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: share with attendees is a matter. 203 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 2: For Justice Lee. 204 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: While we appreciate people might have their own views about 205 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: speakers at the conference, programming decisions are a matter for 206 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: Women in Media. You can keep up with the latest 207 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: in the Laman legal saga at The Australian dot Com 208 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: dot a U thanks for joining us on the front 209 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: this week. Our team is Kristen Amiot, Leah sam Mclaw, 210 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 1: Joshua Burton, Jasper League, Tiffany Dimack, Matthew Condon and me 211 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: Claire Harvey.