Sir John Kerr resigned in 1977, with his official reason being his decision to accept the position of Australian Ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, a post which ultimately he did not take up, but the resignation also being motivated by the 1975 constitutional controversy. [33] The Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020 was declared by Governor-General David Hurley under Section 475 of the Act. Today, the law ensures the salary is higher than that for the Chief Justice of the High Court, over a five-year period. Governor-General. After receiving their commission, the new governor-general takes an Oath of Allegiance to the monarch and an Oath of Office. 11 November 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government in 1975. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The King's representative . Australian Honours and Awards | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Australian Honours and Awards View the Australia Day 2023 Honours List Overview The Australian Honours and Awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians. [30] In Australia, however, the powers are explicitly given to the governor-general in the constitution; it is their use that is the subject of convention.[31]. There are 736 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, with 48 per cent for women and 45 per cent for service to local communities. In 1976, the letters patent for the order were amended to introduce the rank of Knight and Dame to the order, and from that time the governor-general became, ex officio, the Chancellor and Principal Knight of the order. The Governor-General has specific constitutional and statutory powers. The Governor-General is the Chancellor of the Order of Australia and each year approves awards to recognise the service and contribution of outstanding Australians through the Australian Honours and AwardsSystem. The current Governor-General is David Hurley . YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Australia and its monarch. Governors-general have no fixed term, but have usually served for around five years. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring," the Governor-General said. Australia will be represented at the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley, it has been confirmed. In a very real sense, they represented the British Government. More recent governors-general in this category include Lord Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir John Kerr, Sir Ninian Stephen, Bill Hayden and Sir William Deane. The governor-general of Australia is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, serving as the representative of the Australian monarch (currently Charles III). Sections 58 to 60 allow the governor-general to withhold assent, suggest changes, refer to the Monarch or proclaim that the Monarch has annulled the legislation. The statement was later issued by the Prime Minister's Press Office. He was appointed in July 1900, returning to Australia shortly before the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. The Order belongs to each of us and we each have a part to play. In practice, the associated powers over the Australian Defence Force are only exercised on the advice of the prime minister or minister for defence, on behalf of cabinet. Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014) was the first woman to be appointed to the office. The governor-general presides over a Federal Executive Council. [32], In addition to the formal constitutional role, the governor-general has a representative and ceremonial role, though the extent and nature of that role has depended on the expectations of the time, the individual in office at the time, the wishes of the incumbent government, and the individual's reputation in the wider community. In the United Kingdom, the reserve powers of the monarch (which are typically referred to as the "royal prerogative")[29] are not explicitly stated in constitutional enactments, and are the province of convention and common law. View with description and copyright information. In 1986 the letters patent were amended again, and governors-general appointed from that time were again, ex officio, entitled to the post-nominal AC (although if they already held a knighthood in the order that superior rank was retained). Permission should be sought from Office of the Governor-General for third-party or commercial uses of this image. The first Governor-General, the Earl of Hopetoun, was a previous governor of Victoria. [9] Governors-General since 1901 are listed in Appendix 1. These means the Governor-General is a part of both the Parliament and the executive government, and carries out tasks on behalf of the King. To provide continuity through general elections both federally and in New South Wales, Hurley succeeded General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who had planned to retire in March 2019, on 1 July 2019.[1][2]. The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. [27], The monarch chose not to intervene during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, in which Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the Labor government of Gough Whitlam, on the basis that such a decision is a matter "clearly placed within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General". The Governor-General's ceremonial duties include: The Governor-General is in constant contact with the Australian people. 1935 saw the appointment of the first British high commissioner to Australia, Geoffrey Whiskard (in office 19361941). The position came into being with the adoption of the new national constitution on 1 January 1901, and has been held by 27 people since then. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Governor-General". The first governor-general, Lord Hopetoun, asked to be recalled to Britain in 1903 over a dispute about funding for the post. [50] Until 2001, Governors-General did not pay income tax on their salary; this was changed after Elizabeth II agreed to pay tax.[49]. The right of governors-general to make state visits was confirmed at the 1926 Imperial Conference, as it was deemed not feasible for the sovereign to pay state visits on behalf of countries other than the United Kingdom. [6][12][13] These oaths are administered by the chief justice of Australia or another senior judge. Follow. [43] For instance, in 1970 Governor-General Paul Hasluck refused Prime Minister John Gorton's request to authorise a Pacific Islands Regiment peacekeeping mission in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, on the grounds that cabinet had not been consulted. 1,093 talking about this. He later stepped down over the church's handling of allegations of sexual abuse of boys, for which he apologised before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2016. The King maintained that it was now his sole prerogative to choose a governor-general, and he wanted Field-Marshal Sir William Birdwood for the Australian post. [51] However, for official business, the current choice of car is an armoured BMW 7 Series.[52]. attending the opening of a new Parliament and making a speech about what the new government intends to do, administering the oath of office to the Prime Minister, ministers, judges and other officials, meeting foreign heads of state and ambassadors. During Elizabeth II's 2011 visit to Australia, she and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven in a Range Rover Vogue. On 24 June 2010 the 25th and first female governor-general of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, swore in the 27th and first female prime minister, Ms Julia Gillard. Before this she was the Governor of Queensland and she used to be a lawyer. At one time, governors-general wore the traditional court uniform, consisting of a dark navy wool double-breasted coatee with silver oak leaf and fern embroidery on the collar and cuffs trimmed with silver buttons embossed with the Royal Arms and with bullion edged epaulettes on the shoulders, dark navy trousers with a wide band of silver oak-leaf braid down the outside seam, silver sword belt with ceremonial sword, bicorne cocked hat with plume of ostrich feathers, black patent leather Wellington boots with spurs, etc., that is worn on ceremonial occasions. "The visit will celebrate Britain's relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values," Buckingham Palace said. Sir Matthew Nathan, Governor of Queensland from 1920 to 1925, was Australia's only Jewish governor until the appointment of Linda Dessau as Governor of Victoria in 2015. All the governors-general until 1965 were British-born, except for Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs (19311936) and Sir William McKell (19471953). The Governor-General is appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister and performs a large number of functions which are defined by the Constitution. [26] This view was also held by Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania Andrew Inglis Clark, who, with W. Harrison Moore (a contributor to the first draft of the constitution put before the 1897 Adelaide Convention and professor of law at the University of Melbourne), postulated that the letters patent and the royal instructions issued by Queen Victoria were unnecessary "or even of doubtful legality". A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. At the end of this initial term, a commission may be extended for a short time, usually to avoid conflict with an election or during political difficulties.[6]. The chief scout is nominated by the Scouting Association's National Executive Committee and is invited by the president of the Scout Association to accept the appointment. After elections, or when a government loses or wins a majority in the Australian House of Representatives , the Governor General is the person who legally decides that the prime minister has the numbers to lead a government. The most important power is found in section 58: "When a proposed law passed by both Houses of Parliament is presented to the Governor-General for the Queen's assent, he shall declare that he assents in the Queen's name." A governor-general may be recalled or dismissed by the monarch before their term is complete. In our opinion it is an essential consequence of the equality of status existing among the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations that the Governor-General of a Dominion is the representative of the Crown, holding in all essential respects the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion as is held by His Majesty the King in Great Britain, and that he is not the representative or agent of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain or of any Department of that Government. The Governor-General is leader of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Forces . The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring, the Governor-General said. Despite these precedents, George V remained reluctant to accept Scullin's recommendation of Isaacs and asked him to consider Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood. The governor-general has a ceremonial role in swearing in and accepting the resignations of members of Parliament. Each recipient has something in common someone nominated them. Most spouses of governors-general have been content to be quietly supportive. Then, the Governor-General, as Chancellor of the Order of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, invested Air Marshal Kevin Short AO, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. Together with the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Governor-General is a part of the Australian Parliament. Australia will be represented at the coronation of King Charles III by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley, it has been confirmed. [46] Bill Hayden declined the office on the grounds of his atheism, which was incompatible with the Scout Promise. Governor-General of Australia The official Instagram account of His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) www.gg.gov.au. We pay our respects to elders past and present. Later, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley received Mr Gary Meyers, Ambassador, St Vincent's Hospital, on the completion of Mr Meyer's walk from Sydney to Canberra. Gorton agreed to put the matter to his ministers, and a cabinet meeting agreed that troops should only be called out if requested by the territory's administrator; this did not occur. The Governor General is the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Scullin cited the precedents of the prime minister of South Africa, J. They include appointing the chief of the Defence Force and authorising the deployment of troops. Sir Isaac Isaacs was successively Commonwealth Attorney-General, a High Court judge, and Chief Justice. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Each state has a governor, who is appointed by the King on the advice of the Premier (head of government) of that state. Everything you need to know about the role, function, structure and people of the Australian Parliament. Sir William Deane (governor-general 19962001) described one of his functions as being "Chief Mourner" at prominent funerals. The Governor General does things like opening parliament, and giving out awards on Australia Day. Sir, "David Hurley named next governor general of Australia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_governors-general_of_Australia&oldid=1140852633, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:42. All states except South Australia and Tasmania have provided at least one appointee. The Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) educates Australians about, and inspires their enthusiasm for, Australias parliamentary democracy. The Governor-General's duties as Commander-in-Chief include: "In my closing speeches as Governor, I highlighted the richness of our society, not the material richness, but a richness of spirit. And it is exercisable by the Queen's representative, not her delegate or agent. He spent much of his retirement in Europe but returned to Australia several times in the 1980s . David Hurley was appointed governor-general in 2019 By Tiffanie Turnbull BBC News, Sydney In the past fortnight, Australia has been gripped by revelations that former Australian Prime. In practice, early Governors-General were appointed by the United Kingdom's Colonial Secretary. The Governor-General is not part of the government or the opposition and must remain neutral. The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley should be "Your Excellencies". Hosting visiting Heads of State and other prominent visitors to Australia, Receivingthe credentials of newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Australia, Through Federal Executive Council, appointing the Chief of Defence Force and Service Chiefs, Commissioning officers in the Navy, Army and Air Force, Presenting Colours, Banners and other Honours to military units and personnel, Visiting military units to acknowledge the service of service personnel. By convention, the prime minister is appointed to this council and advises as to which parliamentarians shall become ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Become an expert in teaching about the Australian Parliament with our curriculum-aligned education. Permission should be sought from Government House for third-party or commercial uses of this image. The provisions to select the administrator of the government . "[21], The 1988 Constitutional Commission report explained: "the governor-general is in no sense a delegate of the Queen. The Australia Day 2023 Honours List recognises and celebrates 1,047 recipients, including 736 in the General Division of the Order of Australia and awards for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service. Tel: (02) 6283 3604 The King and Queen Consort will first head to France on March 16, where they will undertake engagements in Paris and Bordeaux. Appointment The Governor-General is appointed by the Crown, in practice on the advice of Australian Ministers of the Crown. Governors-General Since 1901 There have been twenty-seven Governors-General of the Commonwealth of Australia since 1901. The governor-general of Australia is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, serving as the representative of the Australian monarch (currently Charles III ). Such assent has usually been given during a scheduled visit to Australia by Queen Elizabeth II. The Constitution sets out some specific tasks for the Governor-General, including: The Governor-General's ceremonial and constitutional roles are closely related. [28] [47] He did however serve as the association's patron during his term of office. Then, the Governor-General, as Chancellor of the Order of Australia and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, invested Air Marshal Kevin Short AO, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. They are entitled to the courtesy style Her Excellency or His Excellency during the office-holder's term of office. (However, it became very clear in a conversation between Scullin and King George V's private secretary, Lord Stamfordham, on 11 November 1930, that this was merely the official reason for the objection, with the real reason being that an Australian, no matter how highly regarded personally, was not considered appropriate to be a governor-general.) The dismissal of the Whitlam Government by Governor-General Sir John Kerr was perhaps the most dramatic and controversial event in Australia's constitutional and political history. Governor-General of Australia. Governors-general have during their tenure the style His/Her Excellency the Honourable and their spouses have the style His/Her Excellency. As the Balfour Declaration of 1926, later implemented as the Statute of Westminster 1931, put it: It is desirable formally to place on record a definition of the position held by the Governor-General as His Majesty's representative in the Dominions. Three governors-general have resigned their commission. The royal assent brings such laws into effect, as legislation, from the date of signing. Please read ourPrivacy Statement, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, E-mail the Governor-General or Government House, Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley's biography, Receiving a congratulatory message from the Governor-General, The Governor-General's Official residences. Place of birth. The letters released on Tuesday revealed that Kerr, who as Governor-General was the Queen's official representative in Australia, held extensive discussions with the palace over what powers he held. On 16 December 2018, prime minister Scott Morrison announced that the next governor-general would be General David Hurley, then-governor of New South Wales. Sir Isaac Isaacs and Sir Zelman Cowen were Jewish; Bill Hayden was an avowed atheist[69] during his term and he made an affirmation rather than swear an oath at the beginning of his commission; the remaining Governors-General have been at least nominally Christian.