Today hosts cheeky remark as former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate announces new job

Today host Allison Langdon has taken a cheeky swipe at former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate as she announced her new job at a parcel deliveries business.

Ms Holgate is joining Toll Global Express as the new CEO and plans to grow its eCommerce sales and delivery operations in competition with her old employer.

She appeared on the Today show on Monday morning to discuss her new role, where Langdon could not help but ask Ms Holgate ‘Any Cartier watches?’. 

The question was in reference to Ms Holgate resigning from Australia Post in November after it was revealed she used taxpayer funds to buy highly-paid executives four Cartier watches worth $5,000 each as a reward for signing a lucrative deal with Australia’s biggest banks. 

Today co-host Karl Stefanovic also quipped: ‘How are you, in your new role, going to address the bonus situation… will it change the way you lead?’.  

‘You know, I hope I never stop recognising great people for amazing efforts,’ Ms Holgate said. 

Ousted Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate (pictured) has revealed she has taken on the job as CEO of Toll Global Express

‘The last situation had, in my view, nothing to do with watches. Sometimes people do extraordinary things and I hope I never, ever stop recognising those people.’ 

‘And I bet you if you went back into your local post office tomorrow, they would say the same thing.’

Ms Holgate revealed she was yet to hear personally from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the wake of her resignation but had spoken to ‘several people in government and they’ve actually been very supportive’. 

In a heated Question Time debate after the lavish gifts came to light, a furious Scot Morrison called for her to stand aside, saying ‘she can go’.

Ms Holgate hit back in April, telling a Senate inquiry this amounted to bullying and harassment and insisting she did nothing wrong. 

The former chief executive said she was left suicidal and took insomnia medication due to her poor mental health as a result of Mr Morrison’s public rebuke.  

Ms Holgate appeared on the Today show program on Monday, where she was asked how she would navigate the ‘bonus situation’ at her new job in the wake of the Australia Post Cartier watches scandal 

‘I haven’t heard from the prime minister yet. But he can find my number on the internet and I will take his call any day,’ Ms Holgate told the Today show. 

Ms Holgate added she was looking forward to her new role, calling it ‘a whole new chapter’ and said many of her friends worked at Toll Global Express.   

‘It’s doing something I absolutely love, which is growing a business. It’s a big national infrastructure business, so it’s all about eCommerce and trade and they are things I’m passionate about,’ she said. 

Asked if she thought Australia Post might be a bit worried, Ms Holgate said she hoped ‘they will give me a bit more of their business… competition actually does make you a bit stronger’. 

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