Sky News commentator Peta Credlin says the government’s mistreatment of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation is “sadly not a surprise”.

In a statement, Ms Higgins has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of “victim-blaming”, saying his rhetoric on the matter is “personally very distressing”.

Ms Credlin told Jim Wilson federal parliament’s “Upstairs, Downstairs” culture is an ongoing problem.

“We’ve got to say that word ‘rape’, because it’s incredibly important we understand how severe this all is.”

The Prime Minister has claimed he was informed about the allegations on Monday (February 15), though his office was informed the previous Friday.

As a political insider who has worked for both a prime minister’s office and a defence minister, Ms Credlin explained Mr Morrison’s timeline “doesn’t stack up”.

“There is no way, if I was aware of an allegation like that, that the Prime Minister wouldn’t have known.

“Misleading the parliament is a very, very grave offence, but this doesn’t smell right to me.

“I think there are certainly missing parts of this story.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Sky News, Nine News