Supporters of ex Australia Post boss Christine Holgate mailed $5 notes to Prime Minister Scott Morrison amid the Cartier watches scandal – but what happened to the cash?
- Post offices licensees sent $5 notes to the PM in support of Christine Holgate
- The money was to help cover costs of Cartier watches purchased for executives
- Ms Holgate resigned after she bought four of the watches worth $5000 each
- She told a Senate inquiry she believed more than 20,000 notes had been sent
Supporters of ousted Australia Post boss Christine Holgate who sent $5 notes to Scott Morrison to cover the cost of Cartier watches purchased for four highly-paid company executives have demanded to know where their money went.
The Licensed Post Office Group – representing 3,000 privately owned and operated post offices – launched the $5 campaign after being angered by comments made by the Prime Minister in the wake of controversy over the watches, worth $5000 each.
In a heated Question Time debate after the lavish gifts came to light in October last year, a furious Mr Morrison called for her to stand aside, saying ‘she can go’.
The watches were a reward for securing a Bank@Post deal with three of the four big banks, for which Australia Post earned $220million.
Supporters of Christine Holgate (pictured), who resigned as Australia Post CEO in November, sent $5 notes to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in response to controversy surrounding the purchase of Cartier watches for company executives
The $5 notes were sent to cover the cost of the watches, four of which were purchased for $5000 each (stock image)
Ms Holgate eventually resigned in November – but claims she was illegally forced to step aside.
She told a Senate inquiry into Australia Post last week she was of the belief more than 20,000 notes had been sent to Mr Morrison by angry post office licensees.
‘(We) were told that it was over 20,000 $5 notes, but we don’t know. It’s hearsay,’ Ms Holgate said.
Angela Cramp, Licensed Post Office Group executive director, said she and her members were curious to know where their money ended up, in response to a question by Senator Kimberley Kitching during the inquiry.
Senator Kitching said she had put a question to the Prime Minister’s office asking how money $5 notes were sent but never got a response.
‘We suspect there are many thousands of people who would like an answer to that,’ Ms Cramp said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) called for Ms Holgate to stand aside, saying ‘she can go’ after details of the watch controversy came to light
The watches were awarded as a bonus to Ms Holgate’s team after they successfully pulled off a $70 billion deal to create Bank@Post, which provides banking services at every post office (stock image)
‘A lot of taxpayers told us that they had sent one in. They sent emails and sent pictures of themselves sending them in. We suspect thousands did.’
But according to Mr Morrison’s office, the amount of cash sent to the Prime Minister only equated to 180 people sending in $5 notes.
‘The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet handles correspondence sent to the Prime Minister. There was a total of $900 sent regarding the Australia Post matter,’ a spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms Holgate told the inquiry on Tuesday Mr Morrison’s comments during question time amounted to bullying and harassment and insisted she did nothing wrong.
She also said she was left suicidal and took insomnia medication due to her poor mental health as a result of Mr Morrison’s public rebuke.
In an interview with The West Australian on Wednesday, Mr Morrison said he regretted causing distress but stopped short of an apology.
‘I see that this has caused some very strong reaction from Christine and had hurt her deeply. That was not my intention and so I regret that,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
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