Brittany Higgins’ husband lands new senior role at political activist group: ‘Proud of you boo’

A left‑wing activist group has appointed the husband of Brittany Higgins to a senior leadership role as it ramps up a new political fight against conservative organisations and right‑wing media powerbrokers.

GetUp has hired former journalist‑David Sharaz as it seeks to rebuild its influence and take on groups such as Advance, amid warnings that ‘far‑right’ forces pose a growing threat to Australian democracy.

Sharaz is married to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, whose allegation that she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann inside Parliament House in 2021 sparked a national political firestorm and fundamentally reshaped federal politics.

In his new role, Sharaz will oversee GetUp’s campaigns on media accountability, misinformation and political operations, drawing inspiration from overseas activist groups including Britain’s controversial Hacked Off media reform movement.

GetUp claims it mobilises more than one million supporters to influence elections, pressure governments and confront powerful interests across issues ranging from voting rights and climate change to mental health funding.

Ms Higgins publicly celebrated the appointment, posting on Instagram that she was ‘proud of you boo’.

The organisation is understood to be rebuilding after recent political setbacks, with insiders claiming it now has a growing supporter base and a war chest of around $1million.

Interim co‑chief executive Paul Ferris said Sharaz’s appointment reflected what he described as a rapidly changing political environment.

‘Rupert Murdoch and his billionaire media mates have used their outlets as weapons, pursuing vendettas and distorting politics in this country,’ Ferris told The Guardian.

‘We can’t keep allowing that level of power to operate without scrutiny.’

Ferris warned that far‑right groups were becoming increasingly sophisticated, well‑funded and adept at using both mainstream media and social platforms to influence public debate.

‘The democratic threat is real,’ he said, adding that GetUp was investing heavily in campaign infrastructure and staff as the political stakes continued to rise.

GetUp has been contacted for comment.

Last month Bruce Lehrmann made a last-ditch effort to clear his name of findings he sexually assaulted Ms Higgins in Parliament House.

In April 2024, Justice Michael Lee dismissed the civil lawsuit, describing it as an ‘omnishambles’.

The judge’s findings that Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities were upheld on appeal by the Full Federal Court in December.

The allegations were made public during an explosive interview on The Project in February 2021.

If Lehrmann loses his High Court bid, he could be forced into bankruptcy due to court orders he pay a $2million legal bill to Ten.