LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD IN RESPONSE TO LETTERS PUBLISHED ON 16 JUNE

16 June 2008

I note a number of letters about matters arising from Phillip Hudson’s interview with the Governor-General (14 June).

Contrary to the claims in some of these, the Governor-General did not say Australia should never have a directly elected President.

As he has done on a number of occasions, the Governor-General said it is entirely appropriate we as a nation consider better ways of governing ourselves; however, it would be beneficial in the context of such debates if there were a wider understanding of how our current system operates.

In discussing checks and balances, the Governor-General also said there could be the potential for conflict if a popularly elected President held a firm view on an issue that was contrary to that held by the Prime Minister of the day.

On a technical point, the Governor-General did not say he had sent back 15 pieces of legislation – he was referring to “items” submitted to the Executive Council for consideration. As he explained during the interview, Ministers have to take responsibility for the advice they give; it is the role of the Governor-General to ensure that the advice has been framed with a full regard for all relevant factors and that the action recommended is consistent with the Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth.



Malcolm Hazell
Official Secretary to the Governor-General