KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, a staunch supporter of former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate since her unethical dismissal last year will move in the Federal Government a motion to reinstate her as CEO.

He praised her integrity and perseverance in defending her decision to purchase Cartier watches as a reward for key employees securing long-term, profitable banking services which ensured the longevity of Australia Post branches around the country.

“The most successful and honourable businessmen I have ever had the pleasure of being a friend of, Marcus Blackmore, the great innovator in medicinal supplements had Christine for a long period as his Chief of Staff and he swears by her integrity and her competence,” he said.

“I cannot say how much I admire a person that cut her salary in her job down to that of a departmental head in a state government department. This is one of the largest operations in the country and she is the only CEO in Australian history that I can think of that reduced her salary down a fraction of what it had been under her predecessor.

“It is the first time that post offices have spoken positively about their CEOs of Australia Post and she gave them hope for the future. She had worked with owner/operator pharmacies which are owner/operated by law (albeit with corporate oversighting) and she was determined to keep the owner/operator model – clearly the most successful model which guaranteed local ownership throughout the suburbs and towns of Australia.

“Quite frankly she should had been sacked if she hadn’t given these star-performing, hardworking employees a bit of reward for their efforts.”

Mr Katter said, “Call me paranoid but I just can’t get it out of my head that the banking agencies were working so well that the banks were getting toey that there might be another powerful banking player in Australia. The last thing they want is any further competition, particularly from an organisation that has branches in every suburb and town in Australia, places they have long since abandoned.

“Christine has extraordinary capabilities – you don’t run a multi-billion-dollar corporation like Blackmores if you are a fool – was in her vary nature, threatening on the banking front. And a rabid free market government in Canberra whether LNP or ALP except for Rudd, I can’t name one of them that is ideologically bound to a free market mentality, has made continuous efforts to prioritise one of the last assets the Australian people own. Everything has been sold off with the vast bulk in the hands of foreigners.

“Christine did not strike me that she would agree to sell off the magical asset of Australia Post and/or bow to the whims and interests of the banks whose record was so bad that each of the banks did a huge backflip and apologised for their conduct.

“Well now we know the truth. We know now we have been misled and we know now who has misled us.

“We will get a vote in the Parliament and she will be reinstated. And if the Government doesn’t do that, then the way it is headed at the present moment, it will just be another nail in their coffin.”

Click here to download media release