Patrick Bell

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the territory budget's deficit increased 75 per cent due in part to a revenue shortfall from GST and payroll tax, but government spending has also increased — and drawn criticism from the Canberra Liberals.

An independent review finds the ACT Greens should have gone to police as soon as the party was advised of rumours of sexual misconduct against former backbencher Johnathan Davis.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison's press secretary made an angry phone call to a Network Ten news executive after it aired an interview between Brittany Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, court documents have revealed.

Final submissions released by the Federal Court in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson outline fresh attacks on the credibilities of Mr Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins.

Enormous volumes of evidence were given in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, and will now be considered by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee, but a decision isn't expected until well into next year.

Bruce Lehrmann's barrister tells the Federal Court it cannot rely at all on the evidence of Brittany Higgins, as he makes his closing arguments in the defamation case brought by the former Liberal staffer.

Network Ten's lawyers are summing up the broadcaster's defence before Bruce Lehrmann's legal team gives its closing arguments on Friday. 

Lip-reading expert Tim Reedy gives evidence on CCTV of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins speaking at a bar on the night of her alleged rape at Parliament House.

Fiona Brown, who was chief of staff for Senator Linda Reynolds at the time of Brittany Higgins's alleged rape, has been allowed to give evidence in a closed session as part of the defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, due to the potential for adverse effects on her mental health.

Maybe it's the celebrity touch, but the public fascination with Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case has only increased this week, as journalist Lisa Wilkinson was cross-examined by Mr Lehrmann's barrister.

Lisa Wilkinson is facing a second day of cross-examination as she defends a defamation case brought by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Bruce Lehrmann is suing Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten over a 2021 The Project interview in which Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped at Parliament House.

Angus Llewellyn is facing his second day of cross-examination by Bruce Lehrmann's lawyer, focusing on alleged contradictory statements Brittany Higgins made during her interview on The Project.

Sky News complies with Justice Michael Lee's order to hand over an alleged recording between lawyer Leon Zwier and David Sharaz that purportedly took place during Brittany Higgins's testimony. 

Senator Linda Reynolds's former staffer Nikita Irvine says "women's intuition" told her not to spend time with Bruce Lehrmann.

Lauren Gain worked in the Department of Defence at the time of the alleged rape in March 2019 and has today given evidence to Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

After more than four days in the witness box, Brittany Higgins concludes her evidence to the Federal Court, in a defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

The exclusivity agreement and an invoice have been released by the Federal Court as part of Mr Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

While under cross-examination as part of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation action, Brittany Higgins says she "wasn't hiding from anyone" when a re-trial of his criminal case was abandoned, and was willing to go through a second criminal case.

Brittany Higgins's allegation she was raped by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in then-minister Linda Reynolds's office has had far-reaching consequences, and perhaps the most extraordinary part of the tale has been playing out in Federal Court this week.

Brittany Higgins tells the Federal Court she tried to "reclaim" the dress she alleges she was sexually assaulted in by wearing it at a Liberal Party function in the months afterwards.

Brittany Higgins breaks down during cross-examination in the Federal Court, after labelling assertions by Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers that her alleged sexual assault was false as "insulting".

Brittany Higgins tells the Federal Court she was the most intoxicated she had ever been on the night in question.

Bruce Lehrmann has now been on the stand for four days being questioned about the night Brittany Higgins alleges she was raped and the media coverage which followed it.

The former Liberal staffer is facing a fourth day on the stand as part of his defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.