Christine Holgate plays mediation card against Coalition and Australia Post

Christine Holgate has engaged leading lawyers in relation to legal issues arising from her employment as the chief executive of Australia Post.

Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate. Picture: AAP

Christine Holgate has engaged leading reputational risk lawyer Rebekah Giles and former president of the Law Council of Australia Arthur Moses SC in relation to legal issues arising from her employment as the chief executive of Australia Post.

The Australian understands that through her lawyers, Ms Holgate has invited Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and Senate leader Simon Birmingham, as well as the board of Australia Post, to participate in a mediation session before a retired judge.

The Australian also understands Ms Holgate believes public litigation might involve evidence needing to be given by members of parliament, including Scott Morrison, and this would not be in the interests of the parties involved, hence the mediation offer to settle the dispute.

The board of Australia Post is due to appear before Senate estimates on Tuesday. Under the Legal Services Directions Act 2007, Australia Post is required to be a model litigant, meaning it is obliged to explore settlement options in cases where it may have acted inappropriately.

Ms Holgate through her lawyers has also taken action against online publisher Crikey over an article it published that included allegations against her under the heading “The real reason to attack Christine Holgate”.

The article focused on Ms Holgate’s tenure as a director of Ten Network and suggested she kowtowed to the billionaires who sat on the board with her.

It included a cartoon suggesting she was two-faced. Crikey removed the article and issued a public apology to Ms Holgate.

It is understood Crikey as part of the settlement agreed to pay Ms Holgate’s legal fees.

The apology and retraction follows a backdown by Crikey in relation to action taken by Lachlan Murdoch over the same article.

Ms Giles also acts for former ­attorney-general Christian Porter in his defamation case against the ABC over historical rape allegations that he strong denies.

She also acts for former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and represented Sarah Hanson-Young in her defamation win against former senator David Leyonhjelm.

Josh Frydenberg on Thursday said he believed Ms Holgate would be an asset to any private company. Asked at a business breakfast in Perth whether he would be willing to hire Ms Holgate if he were running a large corporation, the Treasurer said “The answer to that is yes”.

“I think Christine Holgate … would have a lot to offer in various capacities based on her business experience,” he said. “I’ve worked closely with Christine Holgate. I respect her, she is a very decent person, a good person. I worked with her because she wanted to partner with the banks to provide services through their licenced post offices. I was able to speak to bank CEOs, work as an intermediary, and get people to the tables. That’s been a successful story.”

Ms Holgate has claimed she was unlawfully stood down by the board of Australia Post led by chairman, Lucio Di Bartolomeo.

Her legal demands are not known.

Ms Giles declined to respond to a request for comment but the Australian understands Ms Holgate is open to returning to the role of Australia Post CEO.