acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. 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. A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. The Governor-General is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. [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. 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]. Early governors-general were British and were appointed by the queen or king on the recommendation of the Colonial Office. To contact the Office of the Governor-General fill in the form located at https://www.gg.gov.au/email-contacts or phone 02 6283 3533. "Whether that be to tackle climate change; respond to the conflict in Ukraine; seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture. The monarch, acting upon advice of the British Government, could also disallow any Australian legislation up to a year after the governor-general had given it the assent;[58] although this power has never been used. Significant post-retirement activities of earlier Governors-General have included: Lord Tennyson was appointed Deputy Governor of the Isle of Wight; Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (by now Lord Novar) became Secretary of State for Scotland; and Lord Gowrie became Chairman of the Marylebone Cricket Club (Lord Forster had also held this post, before his appointment as governor-general). Mr Albanese previously met with King Charles in September last year while he was in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at either of the two official residencesGovernment House in the capital, Canberra, and Admiralty House in Sydneyand travelling throughout Australia to open conferences, attend services and commemorations, and generally provide encouragement to individuals and groups who are contributing to their communities. Videos are posted by the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. Scullin was equally insistent that the monarch must act on the relevant prime minister's direct advice (the practice until 1926 was that Dominion prime ministers advised the monarch indirectly, through the British government, which effectively had a veto over any proposal it did not agree with). The reserve powers are, according to the Constitution of Australia: Those powers are generally and routinely exercised on ministerial advice, but the governor-general retains the ability to act independently in certain circumstances, as governed by convention. Tel: (02) 6283 3604 Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. They appoint a deputy, to whom members make an oath of allegiance before they take their seats. [citation needed] Events surrounding the dismissal remain extremely controversial. On other occasions royal assent has been given elsewhere. H of R. 138, 24 August 1984, p. 380. A number of governors-general have reserved royal assent for particular legislation for the Monarch. All the governors-general until 1965 were British-born, except for Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs (19311936) and Sir William McKell (19471953). [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. [38] There is some ambiguity with regard to the role of the governor-general in declarations of war. From the creation of the Order of Australia in 1975, the governor-general was, ex officio, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the order, and therefore became entitled to the post-nominal AC. Sir Charles FitzRoy (Governor of New South Wales from 18461855) and Sir William Denison (Governor of New South Wales from 18551861) also carried the additional title of Governor-General because their jurisdiction extended to other colonies in Australia.[56]. log in. Sir William Deane (governor-general 19962001) described one of his functions as being "Chief Mourner" at prominent funerals. 48.7K followers. The governor-general travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. (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.) [11] When a new governor-general is to be appointed, the current prime minister recommends a name to the monarch, who by convention accepts that recommendation. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Governor-General". Traditionally, the ceremony takes place in the Senate chamber. In recent decades the typical term of office has been five years. 'What does being recognised mean to me?' The salutation for a letter addressed to the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley should be "Your Excellencies". The Australian Constitution And The Use Of Convention Essay. Orsend your written letter of invitation to: To contact Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, please use ouremail formand selectHonours and Awards. The governor-general has a ceremonial role in swearing in and accepting the resignations of members of Parliament. Such decisions are usually taken on the advice of the prime minister, although that is not stated in the constitution. The events themselves are still contested: the performance . The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The King's representative . SA Premier Steven Marshall said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary would replace current Governor Hieu Van Le. Together with the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Governor-General is a part of the Australian Parliament. On 18 March 2020,[32] a human biosecurity emergency was declared in Australia owing to the risks to human health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, after the National Security Committee met the previous day. And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. The Prime Minister tabled a copy of the amended letters patent relating to the office of Governor-General, together with the text of a statement relating to the document, but for some unknown reason he did not read the statement to the House, nor did he seek leave to have it incorporated in Hansard. Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce AD, CVO (ne Strachan; born 23 December 1942) was the 25th Governor-General of Australia, from September 2008 to March 2014. "It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK is working in partnership with France and Germany. The constitution describes the parliament of the commonwealth as consisting of the Monarch, the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, that custom fell into disuse during the tenure of Sir Paul Hasluck. "[21], As early as 1901, the authoritative commentary by Quick and Garran had noted that the governor-general of Australia was distinguished from other Empire governors-general by the fact that "[t]he principal and most important of his powers and functions, legislative as well as executive, are expressly conferred on him by the terms of the Constitution itself not by Royal authority, but by statutory authority". Leading Australias response, celebration and acknowledgement at commemorative events. The governor-general is officially appointed by the monarch of Britain but is recommended by the prime minister of Australia. All states except South Australia and Tasmania have provided at least one appointee. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales, serving from 2014 to 2019. After the initial confusion of the Hopetoun Blunder, he appointed the first prime minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, to a caretaker government, with the inaugural 1901 federal election not occurring until March. Recipients come from right across the country and from all walks of life. The most notable use of the reserve powers occurred in November 1975, in the course of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring, the Governor-General said. Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014) was the first woman to be appointed to the office. Individual items of correspondence of this type will not be brought to the attention of the Governor-General and senders should not expect a reply. 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. The convention gradually became established throughout the Commonwealth that the Governor-General is a citizen of the country concerned, and is appointed on the advice of the government of that country. In general, the governor-general observes the conventions of the Westminster system and responsible government, maintaining a political neutrality, and acts only on the advice of the prime minister or other ministers or, in certain cases, parliament. The Order belongs to each of us and we each have a part to play. The first female Governor-General was the Honourable Dame Quentin Alice Bryce AD, CVO, who served from 2008 to 2014. Most spouses of governors-general have been content to be quietly supportive. Governor-General of Australia The official Instagram account of His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) www.gg.gov.au. 25. In 1945, John Curtin nominated Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to the post the first and only royal officeholder. [16] By convention, the longest-serving state governor holds a dormant commission, allowing an assumption of office to commence whenever a vacancy occurs. According to William McMahon, Harold Holt considered having Lord Casey dismissed from the governor-generalship, and went as far as to have the necessary documents drawn up. At the same time as the appointment of Isaacs as the first Australian-born governor-general, a separate role of British Representative in Australia (as the representative of the British government) was established, with Ernest Crutchley the first appointee. Stanley Bruce (1925) and Joseph Lyons (1935) either asked for or were given a list of suitable candidates to choose from. 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.