The Governor-General has specific constitutional and statutory powers. Australia has had 26 Governors-General. Governor-General Read the Australia Day 2023 Honours list Attend the first ever 'Open Evening' at Government House on Friday 17 March from 3:00-7:00pm Subscribe to the new Order of Australia newsletter - Above and beyond - to learn about the amazing people recognised through the Order. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout, Join the conversation, you are commenting as. 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. Write to the Governor-General or Government House at: Government House On 6 May 2021, when Morrison took the treasury and home affairs ministries with Hurley's approval, the governor general says in his program that he attended two ceremonies where Order of . Governors-general were expected to exercise a supervisory role over the Australian Government in the manner of a colonial governor. The executive power of the Commonwealth, by section 61 of the Constitution, is declared to be vested in the Queen. Commonwealth of Australia | Page last reviewed 15 Sept 2022, Welcome to the Parliamentary Education Office. In the face of this provision, I feel it is difficult to contend that the Queen, even though present in Australia, may exercise in person functions of executive government which are specifically assigned by the constitution to the Governor-General. - hear from some recipients. Various governors-general had previously served as governors of an Australian state or colony: Lord Hopetoun (Victoria 18891895); Lord Tennyson (South Australia 18991902); Lord Gowrie (South Australia 192834; and New South Wales 19351936); Major General Michael Jeffery (Western Australia 19932000); Dame Quentin Bryce (Queensland 20032008); General David Hurley (New South Wales 20142019). 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. [5] The monarch then permits the recommendation to be publicly announced, usually several months before the end of the existing governor-general's term. This was not because of any lack of regard for Isaacs personally, but because the British government considered that the choice of Governors-General was, since the 1926 Imperial Conference, a matter for the monarch's decision alone. At the start of Chapter 2 on executive government, the constitution says "The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative". Hollingworth resigned on 28 May 2003. 'What does being recognised mean to me?' Lord Casey was Governor of Bengal in between his periods of service to the Australian Parliament. To mollify Hughes, Milner offered him a choice between three candidates. [59], The early governors-general frequently sought advice on the exercise of their powers from judges of the High Court of Australia, Sir Samuel Griffith and Sir Edmund Barton. These powers remain in section 59 of the Constitution of Australia, but today are regarded as dead letters. The Governor-General. In the constitution, the words "Governor-General-in-council" mean the governor-general acting with the advice of the Council. 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 the Commonwealth of Australia is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). H of R. 138, 24 August 1984, p. 380. Until 1989, all governors-general were members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and thus held the additional style The Right Honourable for life. A temporary vacancy occurs when the governor-general is overseas on official business representing Australia. This fact sheet introduces the constitutional, ceremonial and civic roles of the Governor-General, and the history of the position. 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. To contact Government House fill in the form located at http://www.gg.gov.au/contact.php or phone: 02 6283 3533. Get to know the people and work of the Parliamentary Education Office, contact us and discover how to use our website. South Australia was also the first state to appoint a woman as governor, when Dame Roma Mitchell took office in 1991. 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 statement was later issued by the Prime Minister's Press Office. The Governor-General encourages, articulates and represents the things that unite Australia as a nation. Governors-general have no fixed term, but have usually served for around five years. visiting places hit by national disaster, such as floods or fire. 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. And the first female governor-general was Quentin Bryce, who took up the position in 2008. A vacancy occurs on the resignation, death, or incapacity of the governor-general. 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]. He spent much of his retirement in Europe but returned to Australia several times in the 1980s . Leading Australias response, celebration and acknowledgement at commemorative events. Secondly lead a very successful life Reaching top of profession and be a bridge builder within you that profession. Powers exercised in council, which are not reserve powers, include: All such actions are taken on the advice of ministers. 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. acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. [6] Since 1 July 2019, the governor-general has been General David Hurley.[8][9]. The Constitution sets out some specific tasks for the Governor-General, including: The Governor-General's ceremonial and constitutional roles are closely related. YARRALUMLA ACT 2600, Tel: (02) 6283 3533E-mail the Governor-General or Government House. Only one governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce (20082014), has been a woman. The governor-general presides over a Federal Executive Council. View with description and copyright information. The governor-general travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. The first Australian-born Governor-General was the Right Honourable Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, who served from 1931 to 1936. From Federation in 1901 until 1965, 11 out of the 15 governors-general were British aristocrats; they included six barons, two viscounts, two earls, and one royal duke. In the evening, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley, as joint Patrons, hosted a reception for the Childrens Medical Research Institute Canberra. This was confirmed by the prime minister while talking to reporters on . Each recipient has something in common someone nominated them. Both the prime minister, John Howard, and Clarence House repudiated the suggestion.[67][68]. Until 2015, the honour continued after the retirement from office of the governor-general. On other occasions royal assent has been given elsewhere. "And I know that when I met with King Charles, we had a discussion about a visit, and I of course conveyed that he would always be welcomed here.". A temporary vacancy also occurred in 2003 when Peter Hollingworth stood aside. Sir Isaac Issacs had the esteemed honour of becoming the first Australian-born governor-general in 1931. Each state has a governor, who is appointed by the King on the advice of the Premier (head of government) of that state. Lord Dunrossil (as William Morrison) was Speaker of the UK House of Commons. (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.) SA Premier Steven Marshall said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary would replace current Governor Hieu Van Le. The Order belongs to each of us and we each have a part to play. In an address to the Sydney Institute, January 2007, in connection with that event, Sir David Smith, a retired official secretary to the governor-general of Australia who had been Kerr's official secretary in 1975, described the constitution as conferring the powers and functions of Australia's head of state on the governor-general in "his own right". Section 1 of the Australian Constitution says that the Parliament is made up of the King, the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is generally held that the governor-general may use powers without ministerial advice in the following situations: The use of the reserve powers may arise in the following circumstances: The above is not an exhaustive list, and new situations may arise. Scullin was partially influenced by the precedent set by the Government of the Irish Free State, which always insisted upon having an Irishman as the governor-general of the Irish Free State. 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. 25. 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. Ms Adamson, 60, was also Australia's ambassador to China from 2011 . 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. After Scullin's defeat in 1931, non-Labor governments continued to recommend British people for appointment as governor-general, but such appointments remained solely a matter between the Australian government and the monarch. The salutation for a letter should be "Your Excellency" or "Dear Mrs Hurley ". [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 Governor General is the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. 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 PEO acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing The most notable use of the reserve powers occurred in November 1975, in the course of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. The first Governor-General, the Earl of Hopetoun, was a previous governor of Victoria. The Governor-General of Australia is a powerful person in the country. Both of these appointments had been agreed to despite British government objections. There are no No. That role can become controversial, however, if the governor-general becomes unpopular with sections of the community. Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser, who opposed the call out, was responsible for informing Hasluck of the prime minister's lack of consultation. The monarch was consulted on the decision into the 1930s. Governor-general's role. Become an expert in teaching about the Australian Parliament with our curriculum-aligned education. 1.2 National anthem and flag protocols. Quentin Bryce's appointment was announced during her term as Governor of Queensland; she had previously been the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner. The Governor-General wearing a shirt and tie sits at a desk with a pen in hand. Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday how he has accepted an invitation to attend the crowning of the monarch in the United Kingdom alongside Mr Hurley. By convention, this may only be upon advice from the prime minister, who retains responsibility for selecting an immediate replacement or letting the vacancy provisions take effect. Dunrossil died in office on 3 February 1961. Section 4 of the constitution allows the Monarch to appoint an administrator to carry out the role of governor-general when there is a vacancy. On Thursday 2 March 2023, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) presided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, The Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General, Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley's biography, Receiving a congratulatory message from the Governor-General, The Governor-General's Official residences, Presiding over the Federal Executive Council, Facilitating the work of the Commonwealth Parliament and Government, Dissolving Parliament and issuing writs for a Federal election, Commissioning the Prime Minister; appointing Ministers and Assistant Ministers; and swearing-in other statutory positions. A biography for the Governor-General can be found on the Governor-General's website. In practice, early Governors-General were appointed by the United Kingdom's Colonial Secretary. [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]. The constitution describes the parliament of the commonwealth as consisting of the Monarch, the Senate and the House of Representatives. [6] The actual powers of the governor-general as commander-in-chief are not defined in the constitution, but rather in the Defence Act 1903 and other legislation. They include appointing the chief of the Defence Force and authorising the deployment of troops. 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. [10] Since then, all but one of the governors-general have been Australian-born; the exception, Sir Ninian Stephen, arrived in Australia as a teenager. Whenever the Governor-General makes a public statement, they avoid personal opinions and do not comment on political and other controversies. All states except South Australia and Tasmania have provided at least one appointee. 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. [44] The incident contributed to Fraser's resignation from cabinet in 1971 and Gorton's subsequent loss of the prime ministership.[45]. 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]. Videos are posted by the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. 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. [65] The opposition Nationalist Party of Australia denounced the appointment as "practically republican", but Scullin had set a precedent. In practice, they are Australia's Head of State and have a range of constitutional and ceremonial duties. The 736 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia include: The 217 recipients of Meritorious Awards include recipients of the Public Service Medal, the Australian Police Medal, Australian Fire Service Medal, Emergency Services Medal, the Australian Corrections Medal and the Australian Intelligence Medal.