The Australian Financial Review senior correspondent’s book focused primarily on former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s campaign against his successor, Scott Morrison, and party infighting.

Loading

But the book also pored over the details of several of the Liberal Party’s recent political controversies, including an entire chapter dedicated to former political staffer Higgins’ rape allegations against fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Higgins, a former employee of Reynolds, claimed Lehrmann raped her in the then-cabinet minister’s parliamentary office.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and denied ever having sex with Higgins.

Reynolds found herself in the firing line amid the fallout over the government’s response to Higgins’ claims.

Lehrmann’s high-profile criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, and the charge later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

This masthead understands Reynolds’ legal team intends to contest several passages in the book vigorously, including one which suggested Reynolds told Higgins that non-consensual sex was “the cost of being female”.

With Lehrmann’s trial aborted, and a $3 million compensation settlement reached between Higgins and the federal government, Reynolds told WAtoday she was now in a position to vindicate her reputation.

She blamed incorrect and irresponsible media coverage for damaging her reputation and causing considerable distress.