Australia Post’s former chief executive, Christine Holgate, has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo of launching a sexist campaign of bullying and harassment following revelations she had gifted $19,950 worth of luxury watches to senior executives.
Speaking at an inquiry this morning, Holgate questioned Morrison’s double standards by allowing ministers accused of rape, harassment and assault to remain in their roles while she was forced out of hers on his direction.
‘I was forced to stand down’
The watches were gifted as a bonus to four executives in 2018 for raising $22 million with banking services deals. When the gifts were revealed in Senate estimates last year, all hell broke loose. Morrison instructed Holgate to step aside during an investigation into the gifts, saying, “if she doesn’t wish to do that, she can go”.
Holgate claims that, as a result of his comments, she was subject to a campaign of bullying and harassment which ultimately forced her out of the role.
“[Morrison] has people in members of parliament who have been accused of the most terrible atrocities to women, proven with one of them, and they’re allowed to stand and still remain in their jobs and represent our country,” Holgate said. “I was forced to stand down.”
She said the incident had impacted her health and had led to a campaign of harassment in the media with her being depicted as a sex worker.
Inquiry chair Senator Sarah Hanson-Young asked if Holgate had noted a “stark difference of treatment” towards her compared to members of Morrison’s government. When asked whether this was a gendered issue, Holgate said it partially was but stressed the real problem was bullying, harassment and abuse of power.
The watches, she admitted, didn’t “pass the pub test” although the gifts were legal and approved by Di Bartolomeo at the time. Neither Di Bartolomeo nor the board have faced the same scrutiny as Holgate.
Holgate didn’t hold back when asked about a comment calling Australia Post a commercial organisation (which she has apologised for).
“I really do hope you are not saying to me that I was hung in Parliament — humiliated, not just hung, run over by a bus and reversed on again — because, after four hours of a Senate process, I may have made a wrong comment when it would be perfectly okay to abuse women, and that would be acceptable,” she said.
‘Silenced’ during investigation
Before Holgate had a chance to tell her side of the story at the inquiry today, her replacement had already been announced. Woolworths supply chain head Paul Graham will be taking over the role from September.
Di Bartolomeo sent Holgate a letter in October warning her not to speak to other employees, customers or the media about the gifts. She said the investigation into her conduct was “biased”.
“This is the day the chairman of Australia Post and the other men involved in what happened to me will be held to account,” Holgate said.
Di Bartolomeo has denied Holgate’s claims that he unlawfully stood her down.
Double standards for mates?
Morrison has been accused of double standards when keeping those close to him in power. Then-defence minister Linda Reynolds retained her role despite her poor handling of former staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegations of rape, later calling her a “lying cow” (which Reynolds has since apologised for).
Former attorney-general Christian Porter was not asked to step aside so an investigation into allegations of historic rape could take place and was instead awarded the technology portfolio — an appointment slammed by stakeholders given his limited experience in the industry, and one that may deter women in tech engaging with the government.
Coalition MP Andrew Laming was also backed by Morrison after a spate of harassment allegations. Laming was referred to empathy training and praised by Morrison for not seeking reelection.
Bit much accusing Scott Morrison of having double standards….when he clearly doesn’t have any at all.
an unanswered email to Morrision and Fletcher
““Subject: Apology to Christine Holgate
Comment:
Mr Morrison
I hope that you now realise that the comments that you made in Parliament about Christine Holgate were both unwarranted and false and that an apology is needed.
You appear to not get it!
Ms Holgate is a very capable intelligent woman who has proved her capabilities in at least two areas of activity. The AustPost employees who received watches had gained a significant benefit for AustPost outside their normal duties. I contrast your lack of comment about the NBN employees and their multi million dollar bonuses for simply doing their paid jobs.
I would appreciate a reply and your commitment to undo your unwarranted harsh words and actions against a strong capable woman.
Regards
Peter Wotton
Yes Peter, you have it one Wee said
The Chair, Di Bertolomeo, made a slip this afternoon when giving evidence. At around 3.07pm he mentioned that the Minister, Fletcher, had called him at 1.09pm on the 22nd October prior to Question Time, to say he wanted Holgate to ‘stand down’. Unfortunately, Senator Hanson-Young wasn’t listening sufficiently carefully & mis-repeated it as ‘stand aside‘.
They are two different things.
Di Bertolomeo then adopted the term ‘stand aside’ for the remainder of the hearing.
He had admitted the truth, Hanson-Young had him on the ropes but she, & the whole room, missed it. Unbelievable.Check the tape, it’s there.
I have every confidence that if Morrison had been at risk of losing a single seat in the House over the Aus Post controversy he would’ve protected Holgate.
What a ‘real’ man Scott Morrison is. He is the embodiment of what every bully boy should be. Strike at the most vulnerable or at those whose loss does not impact on his obsession to cling to power. Hence his constant attacks on asylum seekers, on those who ‘don’t bring anything to the table’ and hence are undeserving of government assistance/welfare, on the Islamic population because he knows they are the most disliked group in Australia and finally on females. I mean look at who took the bullet for Sports rort – a woman. And of course when Christine Holgate was ‘found guilty’ for lavishing $20,000 on watches the bully boy couldn’t wait to jump to his feet in a display of phony rage and crucify the offender in a full display of manly strength. One wonders if this sudden show of outrage and strength did not spring from a ‘chat’ with Jen and the kids. All of this from a ‘man’ who values and respects and dishes out respectful treatment to women – hey ladies thank heaven he doesn’t hate women. Ah but our grub of a PM is also an extremely wise man – just note how he ‘knows’ that his man Christian Porter is an ‘innocent man’. He is also a ‘man of steel’ in Question Time in parliament just watch as he sits on his ample backside and deflects every difficult question to one of his lackey ministers at every opportunity. What a man is our ‘daggy dad’.
Yes, she should count herself lucky she lives in this “great country” of Australia… in another country she may have been shot.
Did you catch his ‘excusplanation’ this morning during a damage cotnrol tongue bath on 2GB?
Utterly nauseating.
I’d describe it as fulsome except that that word is no longer understood.
I would not permit such an expectation to become a deterrent.
Aside from the fact that Holgate was highly successful and highly regarded which in itself would certainly irk the narcissist; the underhanded backroom manoeuvres to privatised AP inorder to line the pockets of his mates were threatened by the success of Holgate. Not the money eg compare with Taylor’s water fraud; not the authority-she had that; all about being a successful woman getting in the way.