751 I have set out what the facts are about this incident in some detail. It is now particularly instructive to contrast this series of actual events as revealed in the evidence, with Ms Higgins' recounting of these events in her interview with Ms Maiden – which merit reproduction despite their length (Ex 50 (at 35–41)):
Ms Higgins:
... Oh, so, Linda Reynolds then called my Chief of Staff in Minister Cash’s office. He had obviously had no idea, so she briefed him.
Ms Maiden:
Linda did or Fiona?
Ms Higgins:
Linda did. Linda called Daniel and briefed him on sort of the outline of what had happened.
Ms Maiden:
How do you feel about that?
Ms Higgins:
I don't know. I felt like I was always a passenger in the story. This thing happened to me, it was managed and it just. ... I was always just sort of the complication that was along for the ride. It was already happening, I was just sort of ...
Okay, but isn't that also some sort of breach or your privacy or ... ?
Ms Higgins:
Yeah, it was ... None of this was mine. Once again, it all just felt kind of normal ...
Ms Maiden:
It felt like it was something that was happening to you rather than you having a say in it.
Ms Higgins:
Yeah. Yeah.
Ms Maiden:
So how did you become aware that she'd had that conversation with Daniel?
Ms Higgins:
Because Daniel called me into the office. He let me know that Linda Reynolds had called. He said that he was so sorry and that he said -- 'cause he'd never heard it, so he was quite shocked.
Ms Maiden:
This is f***ing weird. I'm sorry but like I just don't think this is very appropriate.
