In a world exclusive, The Bug has been handed the transcript of tonight’s Channel 7 Spotlight interview with Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins.
We reprint the entire interview in full, without comment.
And we make no apologies whatsoever for stealing Seven’s thunder. The world of investigative reporting is indeed a vicious, dog eat dog, one.
Channel 7: Bruce Lehrmann, welcome to Seven’s Spotlight.
Lehrmann: Thanks for having me on.
Channel 7: Before we carry on, can we just clear up two key points of interest to our audience tonight?
Lehrmann: Sure.
Channel 7: That you are totally happy to dedicate this entire interview to the events that happened late at night at Parliament House in March 2019?
Lehrmann: Absolutely.
Channel 7: And that you are not being paid anything for this interview.
Lehrmann: What!
Channel 7: Just joking. Okay. let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
Lehrmann: Fine by me. As your promos have been saying .. despite the headlines, despite the accusations … I’ve never said a word before. It’s my time now to clear my name once and for all. I only wish my legal people had allowed me to testify in my own defence at trial. I had really wanted to do that.
Channel 7: Excellent. Let’s move straight past the many drinks had at that Canberra watering hole before hand, what was the reason you and Brittany Higgins went back to Parliament House that night?
Lehrmann: I had only half-completed a speech I was writing for Linds…
Channel 7: Your minister Linda Reynolds?
Lehrmann: That’s right. I’d thought up some good material back at the pub and wanted to get it down before I forgot it. You know how it is when you’re on the piss. You have some great ideas and then wake up next morning and they’re gone.
Channel 7: Tell me about it. It wasn’t to drink the minister’s free scotch?
Lehrmann: Good lord, no. We’d had more than our fair share of drinks. It was time to get down to work.
Channel 7: No ulterior motives?
Lehrmann: I’m sorry, I’m not with you there?
Channel 7: Can we be blunt here? You’re a fine looking young man.
Lehrmann: Thank you. That is true.
Channel 7: And she’s a lovely looking young woman. Two young people who have taken drink. A lot of drink. Together, alone in secure space with no chance of prying eyes to see what might be unfolding there? Right in the heart of the seat of power? And isn’t power the ultimate aphrodisiac?
Lehrmann: Ah, I see where you’re going there. And can I be frank?
Channel 7: Sure. That’s what we’re here for.
Lehrmann: I was a bit worried at the time that Brittany might indeed make a pass at me. Apart from the fact that she’s only human, Brittany had a bit of a reputation among the guys in the various ministerial offices for, you, know,…
Channel 7: Having one too many?
Lehrmann: That too but, you know, passing it around a bit? Being just a little bit too easy with her affections, if you know what I mean. Tonguing for it after a few sherbets.
Channel 7: Right. So you were a bit worried that she might come on to you?
Lehrmann: That’s right. She’s only human after all. But I was also her boss and she might have seen some sort of advantage of trying one on to curry favour but I knew in my heart of hearts nothing was ever going to happen that night!
Channel 7: You were too pissed?
Lehrmann: No! not that.
Channel 7: You’re gay?
Lehrmann: Heavens no!
Channel 7: You were born without a dick?
Lehrmann: What!
Channel 7: Then why were you so sure nothing was going to happen?
Lehrmann: Because I already had a girlfriend.
Channel 7: Okay, maybe that’s a good time for a commercial break to let Mad Fucking Witches compile their list of the advertisers stupid enough to be associated with this program.
(several minutes pass)
Channel 7: Okay, welcome back and we’re here with Bruce Lehrmann, speaking out for the first time and determined to clear his name. And fair enough, too. So, what happened next?
Lehrmann: Well, after I tidied up my speech notes and added some briefing notes to the minister for the next day, I started to go through the previous week’s Hansards to check for errors. I do that at the end of each sitting week.
Channel 7: Right. And what happened then?
Lehrmann: Well, Brittany got bored and said she was going into a little side room towards the front of the minister’s main office suite and have a rest on the couch there.
Channel 7: Right.
Lehrmann: And then quite a bit later, I’m sure I heard her call out: “I’m off!” or words to that effect and I yelled out: “Okay Brit, see you on Monday!”
Channel 7: And that’s why you left some time later without checking on her?
Lehrmann: Exactly! I wasn’t till much later that I heard the air-conditioning wasn’t working in that side room and that’s apparently why Brittany had taken all her clothes off and why security found her like that!
Channel 7: And when you heard her say “I’m off!” that could have just been her snoring or perhaps coughing in her sleep? Maybe even talking in her sleep?
Lehrmann: Or when she vomited.
Channel 7: Oh, did she?
Lehrmann: Apparently, the poor thing. That’s why they had to have that couch steamcleaned almost straight away.
Channel 7: And it’s perhaps the noise of her vomiting that you misunderstood as the words “I’m off!’? When you think about it, “Ruth!” could be mistaken for “Right! I’m off!” or something similar?
Lehrmann: Quite possibly, in hindsight. It’s why I hope your viewers can understand how hurt I’ve been over recent years that people could think I’m the sort of person with the chance of a parliamentary career ahead of me who would deliberately leave a clearly heavily intoxicated and disoriented young girl …
Channel 7: A naked young girl….
Lehrmann: As it turned out, yes … to think I’d do that is very, very, hurtful indeed. You wouldn’t know the number of times I’ve regretted not checking that sideroom on my way out.
Channel 7: No, Bruce it all sounds very, very, plausible!
Lehrmann: Thanks. We thought so.
Channel 7: We?
Lehrmann: Me and my defence barristers.
Channel 7: And how long did it take you and your defence team to come up with that scenario?
Lehrmann: Not long at all, really.
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