Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says embattled former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate has “broken no laws” but ultimately lost her job because she “transgressed the pub test”.
The Cartier watch scandal and Christine Holgate’s exit from Australia Post were examined on Tuesday during a three-hour Senate inquiry.
Mr Greenwood said it looks as if someone from Australia Post was trying to “discredit” Christine Holgate and he noted the former CEO believed the movement against her was “politically inspired”.
“Then of course it raised the ire of the prime minister and he went to the floor of Parliament and said ‘if she won’t stand down then she must go’ and as a result of that then the wheels, the mechanisms were put in place for Christine Holgate to be gone”.
Mr Greenwood pointed out “you can see the connection here between the government and indeed the very senior Liberal operatives and the board of Australia Post”.
High-profile Liberal figure Tony Nutt was one of many people on the board with Liberal party connections.
Ms Holgate said “the simple truth is I was bullied out of my job. I was humiliated and driven to despair. I was thrown under the bus so the chairman of Australia Post could curry favour with his political masters”.