Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

As Shareholder Ministers, we were surprised this morning to learn about the gifts provided to senior managers at Australia Post.

We have instructed the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, together with the Department of Finance, to conduct a formal investigation into the matter.

The investigation by the shareholder departments will be supported by an external law firm.

We expect this investigation to commence immediately, and to be completed within four weeks.

The Government expects all government entities, including Government Business Enterprises, to act ethically and adhere to high standards regarding the expenditure of money, as the public also rightly expects. The independent investigation will determine whether or not these high standards were met.

The investigation will also examine the actions of Board members in relation to this matter, and will report back to Cabinet.

The Chief Executive of Australia Post will be standing aside from her position for the duration of the investigation.