LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH IN RESPONSE TO AN EDITORIAL ON 31 JANUARY 2008

31 January 2008

Your editorial “Vice-Regal duty” claims, falsely, that the Governor-General was at the Adelaide Test. This is incorrect and email advice to that effect was provided to both your journalist and the news desk.

The editorial also claims that the Vice-Regal schedule kept the Governor-General from travelling to Queensland.

This is also incorrect. The timing of any visit to flood affected areas will be based on the advice of local authorities to ensure that such a visit does not get in the way of the critically important work of emergency workers in dealing with the floods. This was also pointed out to your journalist and your news desk via email.

The headline on the story by Joe Hildebrand on page 3 “He couldn’t get to the floods, but made it to the cricket and tennis” further misrepresents the Governor-General in relation to the reason he hasn’t visited flood affected areas.

Malcolm Hazell
Official Secretary to the Governor-General