LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUNDAY MAIL

7 December 2006

The Editor
The Sunday Mail

Glenn Milne (26 Nov, page 13) asserts that the Governor-General “has been dragged into another controversy”.

The only “controversy” is that being generated by Mr Milne.

Mr Milne’s anonymous sources claim the Governor-General was lobbying for a particular candidate to be the next Governor of South Australia.

The candidate identified in the story has denied any role being attributed to the Governor-General in this regard.

The Governor-General denied any knowledge of the matter.

The Premier denied every having discussed the matter with the Governor-General.

Your readers might ask who is best placed to know the Governor-General’s mind: the Governor-General or Mr Milne’s anonymous sources?

A question. If Mr Milne thought his sources reliable, why didn’t he wait and let the matter unfold? Then perhaps he would have had a story.

I appreciate that holders of high public office can expect critical media scrutiny in terms of the execution of their duties. It seems to me uncommon though for a public figure to be embroiled in “controversy” for something that they did not do, had denied doing and were supported in these denials by other key players.

I have no interest in Mr Milne’s sources. Despite what he believes, the sources are either wrong or mischievous. The facts of this matter are: there was no contact, there was no lobbying, the Governor-General was not even aware of the matter.

The Governor-General therefore deserves an unconditional apology.