Brittany Higgins is returning to frontline politics, launching a campaign against Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and what she describes as a rising tide of “misogyny, extremism and anti-democratic movements” in Australia.
Higgins has been appointed executive director of the Vida Fund, a progressive fundraising and advocacy group established to support independent candidates and push gender equity reforms. In her first major role since leaving politics, she said the organisation would target the growing influence of the “new right”, including female One Nation voters.
Higgins also signalled she would not limit her criticism to conservative parties, arguing the Labor government had failed to move quickly enough on gender equality reforms.
The former Liberal staffer, whose allegations of rape inside Parliament House triggered a national reckoning over workplace culture and women’s safety, said conservative populist movements were attempting to import US-style political battles into Australia.
“One Nation and the new right are trying to mainstream misogyny on a scale Australians have never seen before,” Higgins said. “With [One Nation MP] Barnaby Joyce championing this US-style war on reproductive rights, it has never been more important to get organised and take action,” she said.
Her appointment marks a significant escalation in the political activism of the Vida Fund, named after Australian suffragist icon Vida Goldstein, which helped bankroll several teal-backed female candidates in 2025 and is preparing for state election campaigns and the next federal poll. According to Australian Electoral Commission returns, it donated more than $500,000 to several independent MPs including Monique Ryan, Kate Chaney, Helen Haines and the defeated Zoe Daniel.
This masthead’s Resolve Political Monitor data shows One Nation now has more female supporters than male, alongside a notable surge in backing from younger voters, higher-income earners and residents of inner-city areas. While the party’s base remains strongest among older, regional Australians, the broad-based growth in support across demographic groups underscores its expanding electoral reach and the challenge it poses to both major parties.
Higgins accused One Nation of being vulnerable on issues of violence against women.
“We recently saw One Nation panic when the Sean Black scandal hit the headlines. That tells us they know their atrocious track record on gendered violence is a liability,” she said.
Higgins rose to national prominence in 2021 after alleging she was raped inside Parliament House by her then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Criminal proceedings were discontinued after juror misconduct and concerns for Higgins’s welfare. Lehrmann has always denied guilt, but a civil finding by Justice Michael Lee later found, on the balance of probabilities – the standard of proof in a civil court matter – he had raped her.
She later received a $2.4 million Commonwealth settlement but became embroiled in protracted defamation proceedings brought by former senator Linda Reynolds over social media posts with claims she had tried to cover up Higgins’ rape in Parliament House. Last year, the Federal Court ruled she was bankrupt following Reynolds’ costs and damages claims, marking a significant legal and financial turn in a case that has continued to reverberate through Australian politics.
The organisation announced Higgins’ appointment as it unveiled a three-year strategy focused on gender equity, democratic reform and countering the rise of far-right political movements.
Higgins said the fund was created to ensure gender equity remained a defining political issue in Australia and not just a one-off moment.
The fund plans to back “values-aligned” independent candidates, commission research into the role gender plays in support for far-right movements, and campaign on issues including violence against women, online safety and female representation in politics.
Higgins said women faced a co-ordinated political challenge that demanded an organised response.
“Stopping gendered violence, ensuring safety of girls and women online, and lifting women’s representation in our democratic institutions must be treated as political priorities,” she said.
The fund has attracted financial support from a network of wealthy business, technology and arts figures, including former Apple Australia managing director Diana Ryall, Climate 200 adviser Anna Josephson and corporate director Nicolette Rubinsztein.
Vida Fund advisory council chair Wendy McCarthy said Higgins’ appointment came at a time when gains made by women could not be taken for granted.
“We need courageous leadership, and Brittany understands both the personal cost and the national importance of this work,” she said. “The gains won over decades, often through relentless struggle by women who refused to accept inequality as inevitable, cannot be taken for granted.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au), the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
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Rob Harris is the national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Canberra. He is a former Europe correspondent.Connect via email.