David Sharaz has become well-known in Australia through his work in communications, politics, journalism, and law. Many Australians are familiar with both his career experience and recent legal troubles. This article investigates who he is, what he has done, and why his story is significant — particularly in today’s climate of media scrutiny, public accountability, and political communication.

Who is David Sharaz? Unpacking the story

David Sharaz has become a highly notable public figure in Australia, gaining widespread attention whether in the media or in politics. His name is directly linked with his fiancée and former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, and one major reason for this prominence is the sexual harassment allegations that arose in Parliament House.

This article explains the journey of David Sharaz, his professional background, his involvement in one of Australia’s most high-profile political stories, and the subsequent developments that have kept him in the public eye.

Many Australians find that knowing the people behind big news stories helps them understand the issues better. Sharaz’s story proves how the lives of people working in the media are affected, how they often have little control over their own lives, and how public advocacy influences them.

From broadcast journalism to political advisory

David Sharaz began his career in broadcast journalism, which quickly brought him fame and public recognition. His good work built a strong connection with the community, and he established himself on the path of success. In addition, his friendships with many well-known Australians greatly supported him in his professional journey.

Here  are some professional experience of david sharaz:

• WIN News: He worked as a journalist and broadcaster in rural towns such as Canberra, Wollongong, and Cairns.
• Sky News Australia: Sharaz dedicated much of his time to national news channels; therefore, his reporting was based on the activities taking place there.
• Southern Cross Austereo: He also worked as a co-host on many TV shows, which further enhanced his abilities and brought him closer to the public. On these shows, he engaged in daily conversations about current events.

He was very skilled because he had a lot of experience in the media.  He knew how newsrooms worked, how to frame a story, and how to talk to the audience in a way that worked.  These traits would be very important for him in his next jobs and while Brittany Higgins’ story was being told to the public.

A shift into the world of politics

After ten years, Sharaz switched from journalism to politics.  He was a media advisor for the Australian Public Service, where he helped a number of government agencies.  This change put him on the other side of the media equation, where he was in charge of government communications instead of reporting on them.

He knew a lot about how the media and politics work together in Australia because he had worked in both journalism and government communications.  This dual perspective is pretty rare, which made him a great operator in the high-stakes world of political propaganda.

He worked behind the scenes instead of in front of the camera, which is what he did in broadcasting.  But soon everyone would know about his life.

The Brittany Higgins story and Sharaz’s role

When Brittany Higgins said in 2019 that a coworker had sexually assaulted her in Parliament House, David Sharaz became a key player in the public conversation. Her boyfriend Sharaz was very helpful and made sure that the plan for getting the news out about her story worked.

 He knew a lot about the media, which was very helpful.   As the political editor of “The Project,” Samantha Maiden, and Lisa Wilkinson are just two of the well-known writers that he helped Higgins talk to.   This planned move made sure that her story was told in her own words and got attention across the country.   The claims got a lot of attention because Sharaz knew how the news worked. This led to a national talk about safety, responsibility, and the way people work in Australia’s political institutions.

 He had changes in both his personal and work life because he was engaged.   Sharaz has talked about how tense and stressed out things were between him and Higgins.   A lot of people talked about them in public and in the news, and their lives were in the news.

The defamation case and its aftermath

There were a lot of court cases related to the Higgins story, but the most famous one was the defamation case that Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of attacking Higgins, filed against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.  Lehrmann was not found guilty in a criminal trial that was stopped because of juror misconduct. The charge was eventually dismissed because of worries about Higgins’ mental state.

The defamation case looked closely at David Sharaz’s acts and communications. Leaked text messages and audio recordings were very important pieces of evidence that helped explain how Higgins’ tale got out. The court looked closely at the reasons and techniques used by Sharaz, Higgins, and the journalists involved.

Justice Michael Lee’s decision in this case was a big deal for the Federal Court. Justice Lee decided that it was more likely than not that Lehrmann had raped Higgins. This decision was a big win for Higgins and, by implication, for Sharaz, who had been there for her the whole time.

Where is David Sharaz now?

After a lot of public and legal fighting, David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins moved to France. They said they moved to get away from the overwhelming media attention in Australia and find tranquilly and start over. Sharaz has kept up a strong presence on social media, typically talking about Australian politics and media concerns from a distance.

He is still a divisive person. His fans say he is a loyal partner and a smart media strategist who helped bring a very important topic to the attention of the whole country. It is a case study of how powerful the media can be, how hard it is to get justice, and how much you have to give up to be a public advocate.  His rise from provincial journalist to a pivotal character in a national political drama shows how unpredictable the roads that define public life in Australia can be.

No matter what people think, David Sharaz’s narrative is an interesting part of Australia’s recent political history. It is a case study of how powerful the media can be, how hard it is to get justice, and how much you have to give up to be a public advocate. His rise from provincial journalist to a pivotal character in a national political drama shows how unpredictable the roads that define public life in Australia can be.

It is a niche that Sarah Ison has created in Australian journalism; a career in Australian politics as a senior political journalist at The Australian, and a successful career as a comedian. The 30-year-old native Western Australian is a symbol of the new generation of journalists utilising humour to make politics easier to understand among ordinary Australians.

Career Path: Regional To National Politics

Ison started her journalism career in 2017 in The Busselton Dunsborough Times in the South West of Western Australia, where she honed her skills in reporting on local emergency services and the environment. This local background was very fruitful, and she learned the basics of community journalism and photography.

Her career path became fast-tracked in 2018 when she joined Seven West Media, serving in the Perth news desk before making the big jump to Canberra as a Federal Political Reporter in August 2019. She also reported on major national events during her time with The West Australian, such as the coronavirus pandemic and has interviewed high-profile politicians such as Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Beazley.

Ison was made a senior political reporter in The Australian in January 2022, establishing herself as part of the elite press gallery journalists in Parliament House in Australia. She has been reporting on a wide range of portfolios, especially in social affairs, education and defence issues.

The Okay Phenomenon in Politics

What makes Sarah Ison unique in comparison with other political journalists is that she has opened up politics, innovating in her YouTube series called Politics Made Okay (PMO). The show was launched in August 2021 to make Australian politics less confusing to younger audiences who could find traditional political coverage to be dry.

The show has addressed difficult issues in an entertaining and understandable way, such as:

• Pre-election explanation: Australian political parties explained before the 2022 federal election.
• Climate policy, international commitment.
• Rankings of prime ministers and the history of politics.
• Lobbying and back-door experience.

An honest approach by Ison was quite refreshing with regard to the “circus of the ridiculous” in the political scene, but without journalistic compromise. Her catchphrase of making politics okay and bearable to everyone appealed to the people who wanted to gain political education without partisanship.

Festival Circuit and Comedy Career

Sarah Ison has made a name in the Australian comedy scene, besides the journalism field. Her established performance, You Laugh, Therefore I Am, has been touring all over the land with appearances in major festivals such as:

• Perth Fringe Festival
• Adelaide Fringe
• Sydney Fringe
• Circuit Melbourne Comedy Festival.
• Canberra Comedy Festival

The program is a brilliant blend of philosophy and comedy that takes viewers through centuries of philosophical ideas of Plato and Socrates, up to the present-day philosophers. Critiques are very complimentary about her physical comedic talents and ability to perform well in crowds, but mention that the ambitious nature of the format results in unbalanced timing at times.

Personal Background and Age

Sarah Ison was born around 1994-199,5 and she is 30 years old at the time of writing this text, with her milestone birthday in February 2025. She attended the University of Western Australia, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media between 2013 and 2014.

Her age has also been used to her advantage as she reaches younger audiences that are usually uninterested in conventional political news. She noted that at 26, she could recall vividly what it is like to not actually understand politics, and this put her in a unique position to close the generation gap in the political sphere.

Television and Media Appearances

Ison has already become a household name in Australian television, having featured in:

• ABC -Insiders- Political commentary and analysis.
• The Drum – talking of what is going on and what is political.
• Sky News shows such as Afternoon Agenda.
• Hack- Triple J is appealing to younger audiences on political matters.

Her television career shows that she is a versatile person who can shift quickly between her serious political analysis and less serious and more approachable commentary forms.

Personal Life and Interests

Although Ison does not cross professional boundaries, she does post some personal details on her social media occasionally. Her Instagram feed, sarahisonfire, features the combination of professional updates and personal ones, such as visiting the family in Perth, and behind-the-scenes shots of her comedy shows.

The difficulty of managing her two careers has been forthcoming as she says she is mostly tired of doing her best to balance her dual careers of journalism, comedy, podcasting, and content creation. Her sincerity regarding the expectations of the contemporary media workforce appeals to a reader who also has to deal with such work-life balance issues.

Australian Political Discourse Impact

The unusual role of Sarah Ison as a serious journalist and a comedy performer has left a new dimension in Australian political commentary. The fact that she has the time to interview the government ministers in the daytime and do stand-up comedy in the evening gives her insights that are not accessible to most political reporters.

Her Politics Made Okay series bridged an important need in the Australian media by offering non-partisan political education at a time when the traditional media was being accused of partisan news coverage. The success of the show proved that the audiences were interested in informative and entertaining political content.

Present status and Future opportunities

Being a senior political reporter of The Australian, Ison still does regular coverage of major stories in the country and sustains a career as a comedic figure. Her seat in the Parliamentary Press Gallery gives her the best access to the top of Australian politics, and her comedic history provides her with some of the most insightful information about communication with people and their attention.

The content on her social media indicates that both careers will keep growing, as in the recent posts, she is promoting upcoming comedy shows as well as reporting on breaking political news. This two-pronged strategy puts her in a promising position as the media continues to change, with journalists having to possess a variety of abilities and have direct audience connections.

Sarah Ison, 30, is the future of Australian journalism – knowledgeable in the profession, digitally native, and does not fear employing humour as a means of civic engagement. Her success proves that serious journalism and entertainment may be united in this way, and new directions to political education and democratic involvement emerge.

Lidia Thorpe is an Australian senator, which means she is paid the base salary of all federal parliamentarians: $233,660 a year. Being an independent senator, the compensation package of Thorpe is not limited to her basic wages, but includes other allowances and benefits that are specific to her work as a parliament member.

Senate Salary Structure at the moment

Based on the Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination 2024, all members of the Australian Senate and the House of Representatives are paid the same base salary. This was enhanced by 3.5 per cent to $233,660 as of July 1, 2024, and is a major increase compared to the past years.

The salaries are determined equally for all parliamentarians, whether they are affiliated with a certain party or are independent. It implies that Thorpe gets the same amount of base pay as the senators of the big parties, such as Labour, Liberal, or the Greens.

Additional Committee Chair Salary

Each year, Senator Thorpe is paid an additional $ 25,702 to chair the Select Committee on PFAS(per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). This extra pay is based on extra duties and additional workload of being in charge of parliamentary committees work.

The roles of committee chairmen are usually accompanied by a supplementary salary as a percentage of base salary. In the case of committee chairs whose work is connected to the parliament matters of the people and not domestic, the extra remuneration will be 3 per cent of base salary.

Electoration Permissions and Favours

In addition to her basic salary, Senator Thorpe has a number of allowances and benefits:

Electorate Allowance

Thorpe gets a sum of $39,700 per annum as an electorate allowance as a senator. This allowance assists in meeting the expenditure incurred in the course of performing parliamentary functions, and the amount that is not utilised is considered taxable.

Transportation Benefits

Senators can choose between:

• A privately plated car that was issued by the Commonwealth.
• Another 19,500 vehicle allowance as an electorate allowance.

Travel Allowances

Senators are paid travel allowances at different rates depending on their destination when going to parliament on business. As an illustration, a journey to such big cities as Melbourne, Perth or Sydney will cost at least $428-480 per day in allowances of accommodation and meals.

Total Annual Compensation

All of this, plus a base annual compensation package, amounts to the total annual compensation package of Senator Thorpe.

• Base salary: $233,660
• Additional salary of committee chair: 25702.
• Electorate allowance: $39,700
• Vehicle allowance or a car that has been plated privately: up to $19,500 worth.
• Travel allowances: This depends on the parliamentary business variable.

This makes her annual package about 318,0000-340,0000 without factoring in the travel allowances and other expenses that are incurred in the course of doing business in parliament.

Historical Overview and Comparisons

The parliamentary salary is a big leap when compared to the past. The parliamentarians have enjoyed a huge increment in their pay rate in the last ten years with the base salary in 2012 coming in at 190,550.

In comparison with the average wages in Australia, the salaries at the parliament are roughly 2.8 times higher than the average annual wage, making it one of the highest rates in history compared with the community standards.

Thorpe’s Financial Journey

The fact that Senator Thorpe is now making a comfortable salary is a contrast to her last financial problems. In 2013, she was declared bankrupt owing more than 700,000 in debts, with 55,000 being owed to the Australian Taxation Office. Her lack of money was blamed on domestic violence, as she claimed to have done it so as to keep herself and her family out of an impossible situation.

In 2016, four years prior to her election into the Senate, Thorpe came out of bankruptcy. This financial recovery can testify to the great alteration of her situation since entering federal parliament.

Independent Senator Status

Thorpe has been an independent senator since February 6, 2023, following his resignation as an Australian Greens member due to the dispute over the proposal of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Her independent position would not have an impact on her salary rights because parliamentary remuneration consideration is based on position and not party.

Scandal and Political Investigations

The salary of Thorpe has been brought into the limelight of the people, especially in controversial cases. The opponents have pointed out that no one is compelling Senator Lidia Thorpe to accept the $217000 a year income and other advantages at the expense of the tax-paying citizen, citing her condemnation of the Australian political institutions and taking of the benefits of parliament.

Superannuation and Additional Benefits

Thorpe has a salary package that includes superannuation contributions, asdos all parliamentarians. The existing system states that the base salary of $48,790 is not counted as parliamentary allowance, which is subject to superannuation.

The other benefits that are given to parliamentarians include:

• Residential phone and internet costs reimbursement.
• Parliamentary facilities and resources.
• Post-retirement travelling allowance benefits (to qualifying former members)

Future Salary Prospects

The Remuneration Tribunal reviews parliamentary remuneration on an annual basis, and adjustments are usually made in line with the economic indices and general trends in the remuneration of the public sector. Being an independent senator and having a term that extends to 2028, Thorpe will be in a position to receive regular salary increases depending on the tribunal decision.

The elimination of the parliamentary authority to reject the tribunal decisions in 2011 implies that the remuneration increment automatically takes place without political influence, which guarantees a consistent remuneration increment.

Public Service Comparison

The remuneration package of Thorpe is in the wider framework of senior public service. Although it is a considerable amount, it is worth taking into account that there are senior public servants who earn much higher – the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet earns more than $1 million a year, which emphasises how parliamentary salaries are placed in the system of government payments. The amount of $233,660 plus other allowances that Senator Thorpe receives is the normal package that the parliamentarians of the Australian federal parliament earn to enjoy a measure of financial security that will help her concentrate on her duties of legislating and representing the people as an independent voice in the Senate