Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has not denied reports that she called former staffer Brittany Higgins a “lying cow”.

Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by a colleague in the Minister’s office.

Senator Reynolds doesn’t deny calling Ms Higgins a lying cow in front of other staff, but argues the comment was in relation to how the matter was being reported.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison this morning said he has spoken to Ms Reynolds about the comments.

“She has already spoken to her staff and apologised for those comments. So she knows those comments to have been inappropriate and wrong … and I share her view, obviously, about that,” he said.

“The second point is they were made in her private office in a stressful week. They weren’t made in a public place and nor were they intended for that. That doesn’t excuse it, not for a second. She made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that.

“The third one I want to be very clear about is she was not making those comments, as she said to me this morning, in relation to the allegation of sexual assault.

“Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support.”

Press PLAY below for Neil Mitchell’s thoughts on the Prime Minister’s response.