Former Australia Post CEO, Christine Holgate, has accused the Prime Minister and the chairman of Australia Post of bullying her out of her position.
Speaking at a Senate inquiry hearing established by the Greens and Labor to enquire into her departure, Ms Holgate told a Senate Committee she was "humiliated" and pushed out of her job as chief executive officer unwillingly by the company's chair over a decision to give Cartier watches to staff.
Ms Holgate testified:
"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.
"But I'm still here and I'm stronger for surviving it."
Ms Holgate’s case is that she had done nothing wrong and that the chairman of Australia Post, Lucio Di Bartholemeo, had stood her aside unlawfully at the instigation of the Prime Minister.
The former CEO further said the investigation that found she had breached the standards required of a CEO of a statutory authority, was biased.
In an additional comment, she said that the response to her actions was gendered and a male would not have faced the same consequences.
In another attack on Scott Morrison, she said he had made no effort to contact her and hear her side of the story.
It should be noted that at the time Ms Holgate’s decision to give four senior executives Cartier watches was made public, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese, both called for her to stand aside.
Neither has commented on her appearance before the Senate committee as yet.