A Senate probe into the Australia Post Cartier watch scandal has concluded that Christine Holgate was treated terribly, denied justice, and that Scott Morrison should apologise to her.
“The committee recommends that the Australia Post Board and Shareholder Ministers and the Prime Minister apologise to Ms Holgate for denying her the legal principles of procedural fairness and natural justice in her departure from Australia Post,” it reads.
The report also calls for Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo to resign, and a restructuring of the board to include MPs and Senators, making the board more accountable to the public.
In total, the committee made 25 recommendations.
Not surprisingly, Liberal and Nationals senators released their own dissenting report, questioning “aspects of the analysis of evidence” and disagreeing with “many of the recommendations of the majority report.”
“The claim that Ms Holgate was denied procedural fairness and natural justice is contested,” it reads. “Evidence to the inquiry was characterised by differing recollections of events and interpretations placed on evidence such as phone records.
“The evidence of the Chair of Australia Post, Mr Lucio Di Bartolomeo, confirmed that the Minister for Communications had asked him to stand Ms Christine Holgate aside.
“However, despite agreeing, Mr Di Bartolomeo gave evidence this had not been taken as a ‘formal direction’,” the report said.
