The watches were gifts to four execs who'd negotiated a $220 million deal to bring banking services to local post offices, a win for Australia Post and for local communities. She had authority to give bonuses of up to $150,000. And the treatment Ms Holgate endured during her removal from the chief executive's chair drove her, quite literally, to the brink. Thus what started out looking like an easy headline grab by the prime minister's office now looks more like a vicious and calculated political hit job - one that, fairly or not, will reignite criticism that Mr Morrison "just doesn't get it" when it comes to the treatment of women.