From public enemy to wronged CEO: Christine Holgate's path to vindication

Media photographers earlier waited at the parliamentary committee room's doors eager to get snaps of the former Australia Post chief executive.

After initially denying the media's chance to capture images of the experienced business leader, six months after her public downfall, the huddle was let in for a few minutes before proceedings began.

The images reflect the shape of things to come - a woman solemn in her stare and unafraid to tell her truth.

Flanked by two supporters, both wearing all white, Ms Holgate would take aim at all those who she believed did her wrong on that fateful day in October 2020 for the next two hours and 27 minutes.

In her sights was the chair of the postal agency's board, Lucio Di Bartolomeo, who she alleged had bullied her out of the job.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was also singled out for publicly humiliating her in question time.

She said she had never resigned, political interference had affected the board's handling of the Cartier watch scandal,and the independent investigation, ordered by the government, was a "sham".

After her appearance, there was little ground she hadn't covered. Her case was made clear - she had been unfairly treated by a system designed to punish outsiders and protect its insiders.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Only three-and-a-half years earlier, as a freshly instated chief executive, Ms Holgate's future at the government business was promising.

After a successful nine-year stint at health supplement company Blackmores, she was catapulted into the top position at Australia Post in October 2017, when the postal agency's reputation was at its lowest in years.

Ms Holgate, the first woman ever in the role, had a big job to do.

Australia Post had faced a number of criticisms. Its contractors, or "posties", had claimed major underpayments, and there were concerns the postal service was losing its profitability in the digital world.

Previous reports delivered to government in the last decade had identified that major cost-cutting and divestment of the service might be needed in order for it to stay viable.

She also had to accept a major pay cut, to $1.6 million from her predecessor's $5.6 million, following public outcry the salary did not meet the "pub test".

Her challenge was to "fix" the failing business model and reinstate public and government confidence in the postal system.

One of the women sitting by Ms Holgate's side on Tuesday was Angela Cramp, executive director of an association representing the country's licensed post offices.

Ms Cramp said Ms Holgate's tenure was the best thing that had happened to the organisation and to her own business.

Facing insolvency for years, Ms Cramp started LPO Group in 2012 when she felt no one else was listening to the problems small post office owners were facing with outdated payment structures.

In September 2017, Ms Cramp received a letter. It was the month before Ms Holgate would start in the role, but she had gotten in contact with the licensee owners to find out what challenges the network was facing and how they could be resolved.

The letter was the beginning of Ms Cramp's deep respect for the former CEO.

"Christine Holgate expected the company to do the best by everybody, and it changed the culture," Ms Cramp said.

"She is just quality right through."

While Ms Cramp has a personal affinity for her, Ms Holgate also brought her great wealth and profitability.

Ms Cramp had been petitioning management for years to update a payment system that left her operating post offices at a loss. Her complaints often fell upon deaf ears, until Ms Holgate's arrival.

During her time as the postal service's chief, Ms Holgate and her executive team secured a deal with the top banks, resulting in licencees receiving generous fees for each banking transaction completed at a post office.

Ms Cramp said the multibillion-dollar deal meant she landed an extra $50,000 in her bank account each year to pay staff and keep the post office afloat.

But it was the little things Ms Holgate did while in the top job that Ms Cramp said gained the appreciation of the more than 2500 post office licencees, who are throwing their public support behind her and calling for her to be reinstated to the position.

From the outset, Ms Holgate aimed to be reachable, Ms Cramp said. She made her mobile number and email address available to the 80,000-strong organisation, and encouraged people to get in touch with her directly with their problems.

"When [Ms Holgate] started, we said, 'Why don't you send an email to Christine?' and they would get an email back and she would deal with it," Ms Cramp said.

"If you sent [an email] to Christine Holgate, it started going down the line and within sometimes hours, but definitely within days, there was a resolution.

"Everybody knew then that if you didn't do what you should do, and the person who was having the issue went to Christine Holgate, Christine Holgate would want to know why."

It wasn't until October 22, 2020 that Ms Holgate became a household name - for all the wrong reasons.

In Senate estimates, it was revealed four Cartier watches had been gifted to four Australia Post executives.

Ms Holgate admitted the luxury watches were a gift for their work on securing the lucrative banking deal, and dismissed Labor senator Kimberley Kitching's query of the use of public money.

"I have not used taxpayers' money. We are a commercial organisation," Ms Holgate said at the time.

She has since apologised for the statement.

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Within hours of her appearance, the story took on a life of its own. The Prime Minister told Parliament she would need to stand aside while the matter was being investigated, or leave her role.

Senator Kitching doesn't regret asking the question of Ms Holgate which caused the political storm and ultimately led to end of Ms Holgate's tenure.

"It was obvious from her evidence this week that Ms Holgate is certainly under no illusion about who was responsible for her extraordinarily poorly handled termination," Senator Kitching said in a statement.

"Asking questions in relation to the expenditure of taxpayers' money is a part of our democratic system, providing accountability and transparency."

Surfacing again six months after the tide turned against her, Ms Holgate was clear-eyed and ready to reveal all to the very senator who contributed to her downfall.

At Tuesday's hearing, Ms Holgate used her time to outline all the machinations of those working against her: a stacked board of Liberal Party appointees, a dodgy investigation into the watch purchases and a secret review to privatise and cut the service - one she pushed back against.

The review, undertaken by consulting group BCG and kept under wraps by the government for more than a year, was partially released in documents she tabled this week, backing some of the claims she alleged.

The report delivered five recommendations, including the partial selling-off of the service's parcels arm and shutting down hundreds of post offices.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the government has no immediate intention of privatising the service.

Arguing that growth of the business and extending financial services was the way to save postal community services, Ms Holgate said she opposed the review's findings.

In the following year, COVID-19 hit and despite the review's predictions, profits were delivered.

Ms Cramp said she hoped Ms Holgate would be returned to the role, and that public confidence could be restored with independent board appointees.

"[Ms Holgate] was a success and I believe that's what's causing all these problems," Ms Cramp said.

"We want a bipartisan board with people selected because they are qualified to run a $7.5 billion business, and they should be generating a future, successful and growing postal service for Australia for the next 100 years."

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