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General Peter Cosgrove Appointed Governor-General

Jan 28, 2014

General Peter Cosgrove has been appointed Australia’s 26th Governor-General to replace Quentin Bryce who retires in March.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the appointment at Parliament House, accompanied by General and Mrs. Lynne Cosgrove. Abbott said he could not think of a finer person for the job.

Cosgrove

Abbott paid tribute to outgoing Governor-General Quentin Bryce who has served in the position since 2008. He said Cosgrove was a “worthy” successor.

Cosgrove said he had had “a wonderful life”, particularly during his service in the military. He noted that the centenary of World War One would soon be upon us but stressed that he wanted to be a Governor-General “for every part of the community”. He said the job would have his full commitment.

Asked whether he would speak out on issues, Cosgrove said the job is to “shine light, not heat”. He quoted a former Governor-General who said the job was to hold a mirror up to the nation.

On whether he is a staunch monarchist, Cosgrove said he is a “staunch Australian”.

Cosgrove said he would be delighted to visit “distressed” Aboriginal communities with the Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Governor-General Tagged With: , ,

General Peter Cosgrove Reportedly Abbott’s Choice For Next Governor-General

Dec 26, 2013

Retired General Peter Cosgrove is to be Australia’s next Governor-General, according to a report in today’s edition of The Australian.

CosgroveCosgrove has been rumoured to be the choice of Prime Minister Tony Abbott for some time. Whilst the newspaper says Abbott refused to comment on its report, the news comes as no real surprise.

The newspaper says the appointment will be announced at the end of January.

The current Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has held the position since September 5, 2008 and will retire in March. Her 5-year appointment was extended by six months by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, due to the proximity of the federal election.

Cosgrove will be Australia’s 26th Governor-General since 1901. The last Governor-General with a military background was Bryce’s predecessor, Major-General Michael Jeffery. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Governor-General Tagged With: , , , ,

Governor-General Quentin Bryce Calls For A Republic And Same-Sex Marriage

Nov 24, 2013

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has called for an Australian republic and same-sex marriage in the last of her Boyer Lectures, delivered just four months before she retires from the Vice-Regal role.

Bryce

Bryce’s remarks came at the end of a speech titled “Advance Australia Fair”. She concluded by imagining a nation of care and equality, “where people are free to love and marry whom they choose and where, perhaps, my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation’s first head of state”.

Bryce has been Governor-General since 2008. Appointed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, she is the first female Governor-General.

  • Listen to Bryce’s speech (29m)

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Text of Governor-General Quentin Bryce’s final Boyer Lecture for the ABC.

Advance Australia Fair

My Friends

One of the occasions, that spoke openly, of the diversity of Australian life and talent was the lunch I hosted to honour Her Majesty the Queen during her visit here in 2011.

Some around the table were –

  • a high school principal;
  • the chair of a major public company;
  • a paralympic gold medallist;
  • race horse trainer;
  • the director of a medical research institute;
  • a young female helicopter pilot
  • and a young man in our Army’s SAS,

both rising through the ranks of our military;

  • the founder and director of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital for women in Ethiopia;
  • a senior laywoman of the Anglican Church;
  • a Sister of Mercy;
  • a farmer;
  • an Australian-Vietnamese author and comedian;
  • the CEO of a Women’s Resource Centre in the Kimberley in far north-west Australia.

All of them passionate about their work, fine advocates of its value to society, and modest narrators of their own stories of achievement.

I felt privileged to be among them, and to share in their generosity of spirit and intellect. They exemplified, the quality and breadth of contribution I see all around our country. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Audio, Equality, Gay, Governor-General, Republic Tagged With: , , , ,

Governor-General Quentin Bryce Opens 44th Parliament

Nov 12, 2013

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has officially opened the 44th Parliament.

Bryce

After a day of ceremonies, including the swearing-in of the new House of Representatives, Bryce summoned members to the Senate and delivered the traditional government-written speech outlining the government’s program for the new Parliament.

The government will be “active” but not “big”, Bryce said. She outlined Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s plan to “repeal the carbon tax, abolish the mining tax, cut the waste and build the roads of the 21st century”.

Bryce’s 30-minute speech was followed by a 19-gun salute by military cannons outside Parliament House.

Earlier, the House of Representatives elected Bronwyn Bishop as its new Speaker, replacing Anna Burke, the last of three speakers in the 43rd Parliament.

The Parliament gets down to business tomorrow when it is expected that the bills to repeal the carbon tax will be introduced in the morning. Abbott and new Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will face off in Question Time at 2pm.

Today’s speech was Quentin Bryce’s last opening of Parliament. She retires in March next year.

  • Listen to Quentin Bryce’s speech (30m)

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  • Watch Bryce (38m)
  • Download a copy of the Governor-General’s Address (PDF)

Transcript of Governor-General Quentin Bryce’s Address at the Opening of the First Session of the Forty-Fourth Commonwealth Parliament.

Bryce

Introduction

Honourable Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia.

Today, at the opening of the 44th Commonwealth Parliament, we celebrate the enduring health of our democracy.

One hundred and twelve years after the first Federal election, nearly 14 million Australians have cast their votes in another free and fair election.

For only the fourth time in three decades, the Australian people have voted for a change of government. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Governor-General, Opening Parliament, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,

Governor-General’s Proclamation Summoning Parliament

Nov 04, 2013

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has issued a proclamation summoning the Parliament to meet on November 12.

The proclamation is issued under Section 5 of the Constitution, which empowers the Governor-General to “appoint such times for holding the sessions of the Parliament as he thinks fit”.

As in all such matters, the proclamation is issued on the advice of the Prime Minister. It is the government that has decided when Parliament is to meet, not the Governor-General. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2013 Federal Election, Abbott, Executive Conventions, General Information, Governor-General Tagged With: , , , ,
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