Video InformationBelow: in 1995, an ABC Four Corners program looked at the events surrounding the 1975 dismissal of the Labor government by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr. That the G-G was legally able to do this has been hotly debated ever since. This segment from the program looks at the effects of the dismissal on the main players. Below: in 2011, the website Monarchy New Zealand conducted an interview with Quentin Bryce as she was returning from supporting a failed bid for Australia to host the World Cup of soccer. In the interview, she is asked about her appointment and how she carries out her duties. Below: Bill Hayden, ex-policeman, former Treasurer in The Whitlam government, former Labor Opposition leader, became Governor-General when he left politics. In this interview with Laurie Oakes, Hayden reflects on his time in office and on what he percieves the role of the G-G to be. Below: In her Australia Day televised address in 2013, Quentin Bryce, probably mindful of a perceived crisis in maths / science courses in schools, concentrated on this topic in her speech. In keeping with one of her roles - the promotion of Australia's interests - the G-G points to Australian scientific achievement and urges children to consider science as a career. This video illustrates the "non-political" Bryce at her charming best. Below: In 2008, Quentin Bryce was sworn in as Governor-General of Australia. This video clip, uploaded by royalisttoday, shows the ceremony, including the oath of allegiance to the Queen of Australia. |
 Quentin Bryce's biography can be read in full in Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Bryce The Wikipedia entry on the functions and powers of the Australian Governor-General can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor-General_of_Australia#Constitutional_role_and_functions The Governor-General's official website, containing much information on professional and personal achievments, is at: http://www.gg.gov.au/their-excellencies-honourable-quentin-bryce-ac-cvo-and-mr-michael-bryce-am-ae On November 25, 2013, The Australian's editorial attacked the Governor-General's Boyer lecture comment on what the leader writer saw as the promotion of an Australian republic. The editorial asserts that many Australians would have been offended and that the referral to a republic during the reign of the present Queen "who is highly esteemed" was not needed. The editorial, `Why take the Queen's shilling?', can be read at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/why-take-the-queens-shilling/story-e6frg71x-1226767318740 In a news item published on November 25, 2013, Quentin Bryce's comments were criticised by former Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, Australian Monarchist League Chairman Philip Benwell, as well as convenor of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, David Flint. All these comments were on the words alluding to a republic. The news item, Fraser queries Bryce's 'timing'' can be read at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/fraser-queries-bryces-timing/story-fn59niix-1226767374510 Writing in The Guardian of November 25, 2013, former adviser to the Howard government, industry lobbyist and freelance corporate adviser Paula Matthewson commented that Quentin Bryce's speaking out on gay marriage and the republic was in character and that her outspokenness had not been considered a bar to her appointment as the Queen's representative. The opinion piece, `Quentin Bryce: a model of even-handedness', also cites the case of former Governor-General Sir William Deane, who also commented on issues such as native title for Aboriginal land. Matthewson's opinion can be read at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/25/quentin-bryce-a-model-of-even-handedness On November 25, 2013, former Liberal Minister Amanda Vanstone wrote an opinion piece in The Age, criticising Governor-General Quentin Bryce's comments in her final Boyer lecture. The item, entitled, `The "look-at-me" G-G' claims that while the writer is sympathetic to the G-G's views on both the gay marriage and the republic issues, what Ms Vanstone deems ``unacceptable is that she chose to express them while holding the highest public office in Australia. That role is meant to be completely non-partisan''. Ms Vanstone compares Bryce with the Queen herself, and points out that we could be ``... forgiven for thinking that the Governor-General was a tad too focused on herself ... ' The article's general thrust seems to be critical of almost every aspect of Quentin Bryce's Governor-Generalship, even to the extent of comparing her unfavourably with previous G-Gs. The article can be read at: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-lookatme-gg-20131124-2y3so.html In The Australian of November 26, Jamie Walker wrote an opinion piece in which Quentin Bryce is criticised by many, including Monarchist David Flint, Liberal Senator Dean Smith, for including comments on controversial issues in a lecture delivered while she remained in office. The author of this opinion piece himself draws comparisons between Bryce and ``... the last governor-general to have deliberately courted political controversy", Sir William Deane, who publicly voiced his opinion on the subject of Aboriginal land rights. The author includes a comment from constitutional law expert George Williams, of the University of NSW, says Ms Bryce's references to marriage equality and the republic need to be kept in perspective. "There is no current debate in federal parliament, there is no bill on these issues," he says. "There is no fixed rules in any event for what the governor-general can't say. It's a judgment call." The article can be read at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/a-role-fit-for-a-queen/story-e6frg6z6-1226767322511 In an editorial published in The Age on November 25, 2013, entitled `Bryce's vision for our nation', the leader writer is supportive of Ms Bryce's Boyer lecture comments, saying she has "served this country well by pointing pointing to a freer, fairer, more mature Australia, where the head of state is one of us," while allowing that ``Some have chosen to criticise Ms Bryce for making the comments while in office.'' Read this editorial at: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/australia-left-exposed-on-the-climate-front-20131124-2y43b.html On December 3, 2013, The Adelaide Advertiser published a comment by Dean Jaensch titled 'Governor-General Quentin Bryce misconstrues her role'. The opinion piece argues that Quentin Bryce has behaved in a way inappropriate for the position she currently holds. The full text can be accessed at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/governor-general-quentin-bryce-misconstrues-her-role/story-fni6unxq-1226774531611 On November 25, 2013, The New Matilda published a comment by Adam Brereton titled 'Quenytin Bryce is no ally of the republic'. The piece argues that the Governor-General's remarks are unlikely to led to an Australian republic and may well not have been intended to achieve this end. The full text of the comment can be found at https://newmatilda.com/2013/11/25/quentin-bryce-no-ally-republic On November 25, 2013, The Hoopla published a comment by Monica Attard titled 'Has the GG overstepped the mark?' The comment is essential a defence of Quentin Bryce's remarks. The full text of the opinion piece can be found at http://thehoopla.com.au/whats-role-governor-general/ On November 24, 2013, the moderator of Australian Climate Madness published and open letter to the Governor General, Quentin Bryce, in which he criticises the Governor-General's Boyer Lecturers. The full text of the letter can be accessed at http://australianclimatemadness.com/2013/11/24/letter-to-the-governor-general/ On November 23, 2013, Yale Stephens posted a comment on his political commentary blog 'The Red and the Blue'. The comment is titled 'Gay rights, republic: pull your head in, Governor-General' and is a criticism of Quentin Bryce for having politicised the vice-regal role. The full text can be accessed at http://theredandtheblue.org/2013/11/23/gay-rights-republic-pull-your-head-in-governor-general/ On November 23, 2013, Out in Perth published a report on the criticisms that West Australian Senator Dean Smith had made of Quentin Bryce's remarks. The full text can be accessed at http://www.outinperth.com/governor-general-comments-slap-face-says-liberal-senator/ On November 22, 2013, The Sydney Morning Herald published a news report titled 'Bryce's remarks more than appropriate: PM'. The report details the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott's, defence of Quentin Bryce's Boyer Lecture remarks. The full text of the news report can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bryces-remarks-more-than-appropriate-pm-20131122-2y1kx.html On November 23, 2013, radio commentator and blogger Michael Smith published an opinion entitled, ``A personal indulgence, a lapse of self-discipline and an unforgivable breach of protocol''. In it, he quotes MP David Elliott as saying, ``If Quentin Bryce wants to debate policy and legislation she should run for Parliament, not use her Vice Regal position to pursue her own political agenda.'' The blog entry is at: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/11/an-personal-indulgence-a-lapse-of-self-discipline-and-an-unforgivable-breach-of-protocol.html On December 2, 2013, emeritus professor of political science John Warhurst wrote an opinion piece defending Ms Bryce's comments in the last Boyer lecture. Warhurst observes that most of the attention paid Bryce's comments were in regard to the republic, rather than to the controversy surrounding gay marriage. Warhurst urges that, due to several G-Gs being outspoken in the past on issues deemed "political", Australians should discuss whether we should know the views of our Governor-General on controversial topics, and that ``We should be much clearer about how we now expect the position to evolve.'' The article, written for Eureka Street, is entitled, `G-G Bryce breaks bold not bland'' and can be found at: http://eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=38568#.UqWBWCdE3Fl 
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