Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
Former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate has given evidence to a Senate inquiry into her dramatic exit from Australia Post.
Holgate left her position last year, when the prime minister denounced her in parliament for giving Cartier watches as rewards to Australia Post executives.
Victim of a hit job, Holgate inflicted damaging hits of her own – delivering blows against Scott Morrison and Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo, and following up her evidence with a media blitz.
She accuses Morrison of bullying and says Di Bartolomeo should resign.
Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who sat in on her appearance, also believes Di Bartolomeo should go.
“The CEO of Australia Post, just like any government organisation, is not appointed by the minister or the government. The government appoints a board and then the board, under the chair’s direction, hires a CEO.
"The big main job of the chair is to find a good CEO and give them good direction. And that hasn’t occurred here.
"And I think, therefore, the buck must stop with Lucio.”
Despite this, Canavan doesn’t believe an apology is owed by the prime minister for his “parliamentary reaction”, as it was “understandable and everyone had a similiar reaction”. An apology is required from the government, however, for the “dismount, how we’ve handedled the situation post the initial scandal”.
Canavan belongs to the group within the Nationals known for being pro-coal, stirring the pot, and putting pressure on leader Michael McCormack. On this podcast, he discusses the Nationals’ election prospects, as well as the possible return to parliament of former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister John Anderson, who is seeking preselection for a Sneate run.
“[John Anderson is] making a major contribution to the intellectual richness of our country[…] he’s quite a thought leader. I think having the platform of the Senate would amplify that voice a bit. I think he’d also play a very stabilising and educating sort of role in our party room.”
Defence expert Allan Behm on the background to the Brereton report
Joel Fitzgibbon on Labor climate policy and leadership
economist Danielle Wood on Australia’s ‘blokey’ budge
a budget for a pandemic
Chris Richardson on what Tuesday’s budget will and should do
New Zealand’s Helen Clark on the pandemic inquiry and avoiding election ‘cat fights
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Angus Taylor on the 'gas-fired' recovery
Jodie McVernon on Melbourne’s modelling, a Covid vaccine, and the role of experts in a crisis
Chris Bowen on the recession, aged care and priorities for health policy
Former Greens leader Richard Di Natale on COVID, climate and his successor
Professor Barney Glover on the bleak years ahead for higher education
Jim Chalmers on tax cuts, inequality, and the Queensland election
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells on aged care – what needs to be done differently
Patricia Sparrow on the need for aged care reform
Geoff Kitney on a life in journalism and the contemporary media landscape
After the crisis: what lessons can be drawn from the management of COVID-19 for the recovery process?
Jane Halton on the risk of 'vaccine nationalism'
Christopher Pyne on being 'the ultimate insider'
two leading economists on Australia’s post-COVID economy
Politics with Michelle Grattan: The Battle for Eden-Monaro – interviews with Kristy McBain and Fiona Kotvojs
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free