He said that every government agency boss was now on notice.
"There wouldn't be a board member of a government agency or a CEO of a government agency that didn't get my message yesterday. I think they got it with a rocket,"Mr Morrison said.
Australia Post confirmed on Friday that Ms Holgate would continue to be paid her base salary of $1.4 million,or $27,000 a week,during the month-long investigation,which willdetermine her future at the helm of the postal service.
The organisation's annual report states she must be given six month's notice of termination or be paid out for the notice period,unless she is found have breached certain contract conditions,such as engaging in improper conduct.
The investigation,to be led by the Finance and Communications departments,was triggered after Ms Holgate admitted to a Senate estimates hearing that her office had spent $3,000 each on Cartier watches for four senior employees in October 2018.
The Australia Post board released a statement on Friday saying it is"acutely aware of community and shareholder feedback over the last 24 hours."
"The board was advised at today’s meeting that a check of board papers and minutes from this period show the then board was not asked to approve or note the purchase of those Cartier watches,"Mr Di Bartolomeo's statement said.
"The board was further advised today that these papers and minutes do not record any subsequent reference to the purchase."
Ms Holgate told the Senate the gifts were organised through her office on the recommendation of then-chair John Stanhope. However,she could not recall whether the purchases were made on her corporate credit card. The board promised full cooperation with the government's inquiry.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire mounted a vociferous defence of Ms Holgate,who is on the Collingwood board,describing her as"one of the most impressive people I've ever met"and said she was the victim of a"pile on".
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"Why do we go and get superstar,business people to run public entities,and then try and make them play like dullards?,"Mr McGuire told news.com.au.
During the estimates hearing,Ms Holgate said she sought to justify the gifts on the grounds they were not paid for by Australian taxpayers.
"I have not used taxpayers'money. We are a commercial organisation,"Ms Holgate told the hearing.
This line rankled inside government circles,where it was referred to as an"11-word suicide note".
Ms Holgate said the watches were a reward for the"inordinate"work senior employees – Gary Starr,Deanne Keetelaar,Anna Bennett and Greg Sutherland – had done landing the Bank@Post deal with Commonwealth Bank,National Australia Bank and Westpac. The deal involved the banks paying a fee of $22 million a year to provide banking services at Australia Post offices.
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