Labor will try to compel the government to release a review into Australia Post’s expenses culture under former chief executive Christine Holgate after the communications minister backtracked on a suggestion it would be made public.
On Monday a spokesman for Paul Fletcher confirmed the government had “received and considered” the report triggered by Holgate’s decision to spend $20,000 on Cartier watches for four executives, but refused to release it.
The Australian Financial Review has reported that Holgate was cleared of any wrongdoing, with a specific finding she had not breached any rule, policy, procedure or governance requirement – a conclusion that was not disputed by Fletcher’s office.
In October Holgate stood down after the prime minister, Scott Morrison, denounced the corporate gifts as “disgraceful” – comments she later labelled “humiliating”.
Despite warning the government that the “optics” of the situation were not sufficient to make her stand down, Holgate resigned early in November, expressing regret over the gifts.
In November Fletcher told ABC TV he expected the report would be released “in due course” and with appropriate redactions to respect individual privacy, but that the final decision would be one for cabinet.
On Monday Fletcher’s spokesman said only that departments would “apply the lessons learned from the investigation to ensure that Australia Post and other government business enterprises comply with their legislative obligations, reflect community expectations, and have appropriate internal systems in place in their use of public resources”.
The shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, said the decision to keep the report secret “is pathetic and, just like the purchase of Cartier watches, does not pass the pub test”.
“If there is nothing to see here, why is the government burying the report?
“If no breaches were found, why was the former CEO seemingly pressured into quitting without pay?”
Rowland accused the government of an “abuse of process” by using cabinet consideration of the document to shield it from freedom of information requests.
“If the government does not think taxpayers deserve to know whether their money has been wasted by senior Australia Post executives, then the Senate will need to take up the task.”
Labor has criticised Morrison’s handling of the episode as a “panicked” response aimed at securing a photo opportunity.
Morrison’s denouncement of Holgate followed cuts to the Australian National Audit Office and mild criticism of its discovery taxpayers had stumped up $26.7m too much for land owned by a donor to the Liberal party.
