Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. In doing so, I start by congratulating the Governor-General designate, Ms Quentin Bryce, on her appointment. I certainly wish her all the best in a challenging but incredibly important role. I note that this bill is non-controversial and that it has the support of this side of the House. The bill follows the conventions of previous governments to set the salary of the Governor-General just above that of the Chief Justice of the High Court and raises the salary of the next Governor-General from $365,000 to $394,000. The current salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court is $415,690, and the Governor-General’s salary has been reduced to take account of Ms Bryce’s entitlement to a Commonwealth funded pension from prior employment, as the act requires. Section 3 of the Constitution provides that the salary of a Governor-General shall not be altered during their continuance in office. As such, increases are usually made before their appointment. The bill also removes references in the Governor-General Act 1974 to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued in 2005.

Debates of this kind are always difficult when families who are struggling to pay bills and senior Australians who are struggling to make ends meet are hearing about salaries of the order I have just spoken of. But the reality is that this is an office of the highest standing in our nation and one which deliberately attracts people of high quality who have the capacity to guide the nation in an appropriate direction. Ms Bryce certainly is one of those people who, were she in the private sector—at the bar, for argument’s sake, or in some other profession—would in all likelihood be demanding a salary much in excess of $394,000. It is a significant sum of money and it goes, as I say, with the weight of the office. This also raises the issue of the pay for the Prime Minister of this country. I hope at some stage in the future we are able to have a mature debate in this country about the level of pay for the Prime Minister. At the moment I think it is at an inappropriately low level for a person who is charged with the direction of this nation of 20 million people and a $1.1 trillion economy. The fact that we are not able to have a mature debate about what level of pay the Prime Minister should receive is something that I hope we are able soon to put in the past. As I said, many people are struggling to get by on just a fraction of that pay, but we need to recognise the reality, whether people like it or not, that people in the private sector would be earning many times that amount. Although the Prime Minister is obviously a man of significant wealth, as others before him have been while others have not, I think this is an office that deserves a higher level of pay. That may not be a populist line to run in the general community but I think it is an honest one and I hope that as a mature nation we are able to facilitate a debate about it in the time ahead. The bill now before the House, in relation to the Governor-General’s salary and superannuation, is supported by us on this side of the House and I commend it to the House.

Chris Trevor (Flynn, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the member for Dickson, Peter Dutton, for his contribution to this debate. Since my arrival in this House I have watched the member for Dickson and he is indeed an eloquent speaker. I rise to support the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. The background to the bill is that section 3 of the Constitution precludes any change to the salary of a Governor-General during the term of office. Whenever a Governor-General is to be appointed, changes to the salary of the office must be made by way of amendment to the Governor-General Act 1974 prior to the appointment. The bill in question amends section 3 of that act to set a salary of $394,000 per annum. The bill also amends sections 2A and 4 of the act to remove references to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued in 2005. While the bill amends the act to remove the superannuation surcharge for future governors-general it does not affect the continued application of the surcharge to those former governors-general to whom the surcharge applies.

According to the Queensland Government House website, the soon to be appointed Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce—a Queenslander like me—has enjoyed a rich and dynamic career as a talented lawyer, academic and senior public officer and is a prolific and dedicated contributor to a range of community organisations. She has made choices throughout her professional and community life that reflect her strong sense of responsibility to the community, a commitment to advancing human rights and equality, the rights of women and children and the welfare of the family, and her willingness to share her skills and experiences to improve the lives of many. As a mother and grandmother, these things rest close and dear to her heart.

Her Excellency’s achievements and participation in professional and community service are immense and outstanding and have been recognised in her appointment as a Companion of the Order of Australia. Her former roles are many and include: inaugural director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service and the Office of the Status of Women; Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner; founding chair and chief executive of the National Childcare Accreditation Council; principal and chief executive officer of the Women’s College, University of Sydney; member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and lecturer in law, University of Queensland. In her role as Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency takes great pleasure in the honour of passing on to Queenslanders the benefits of her many years of wisdom and passion.

There are many, many reasons to celebrate the appointment of Her Excellency Quentin Bryce as the next Governor-General. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was reported as saying on the ABC that his fellow Queenslander will be a Governor-General for all Australians. He was also reported as saying:

It’s obvious that we needed to have a governor-general for Australia who captures the spirit of modern Australia.

He went on to say:

And the spirit of modern Australia is many things: giving proper voice to people from the bush and the regions; giving proper voice to the rights of women; giving proper voice to the proper place of women in modern Australia; and proper place to someone committed to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.

These are all considerations in shaping my recommendation to her majesty the Queen.

As the member for Flynn, I was thrilled at Her Excellency’s appointment. But the appointment also thrilled some of the country’s most influential women. Apparently, Liberal Senator Helen Coonan was a member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby with Her Excellency back when they were among the nation’s few women lawyers. She is reported as saying to the ABC:

The country is ready for women to step up to the plate in these positions. And perhaps it’s the people doing the appointing that have not kept up with public sentiment. I think people would be very well pleased with the fact that there is such an accomplished woman who is available to take on the job of governor-general.

The Chairman of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Eva Cox, agreed and is reported as saying that there is no question the appointment is based on merit, not gender. She is reported as saying:

The fact that she is actually comes from Queensland, she comes obviously from a rural background, she’s had parcel of kids, she’s been a lawyer, she’s been an academic, she’s worked in so many different situations that this one should be a bit of a doddle for her, but I think she might be one of the best governor-generals we’ve had.

Of course, the historic appointment left the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, herself a woman and a great Premier, with the task of finding a successor to the popular Ms Bryce. Premier Anna Bligh, according to all reports, is still celebrating. She is reported as saying:

It really does say ... something important about how far this country has come. For Queensland to deliver Australia’s first woman governor-general is a great moment for us but I think it’s important for the whole country.

I said before that as the member for the new seat of Flynn I was thrilled and overjoyed at Her Excellency’s appointment. There is another great reason why I was thrilled. The new electorate of Flynn covers some 314,000 square kilometres and within its boundaries is a little town called Ilfracombe, full of great country people. This town lies between Longreach to the west and Barcaldine to the east. Longreach is full of wonderful people too, as is Barcaldine, birthplace of that great Australian political party the Australian Labor Party, which governs for all Australians. Ilfracombe once boasted that it was part of the largest sheep station in the world. Now it has another claim to fame: Her Excellency lived and grew up in this tiny little bush town of Ilfracombe, in the electorate of Flynn, and she is reported as saying:

I grew up in little bush town in Queensland of 200 people and what this day says to Australian women and to Australian girls is that you can do anything, you can be anything, and it makes my heart sing to see women in so many diverse roles across ... Australia.

What a great ambassador for Australia and for Australian women. And the people of Flynn are proud to call her one of their own.

Her Excellency, Ms Bryce, will be sworn in on 5 September 2008. As I said before, section 3 of the Constitution precludes any change to the salary of a Governor-General during the term of office. Whenever a Governor-General is to be appointed, changes to the salary of the office must be made by way of an amendment to section three of the Governor-General Act 1974. It is important to bear in mind that the salary proposed in the bill is very much consistent with the convention applying since as early as 1974 under which the salary of the Governor-General has been set with regard to the salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. In setting an appropriate salary, regard was also given to the pension received. This is in line with the precedent established by Sir William Deane in 1995, who asked that his salary as Governor-General be set to take into account the non-contributory pension he received under the Judges Pension Act 1968 after retiring from the High Court of Australia.

Major General Jeffery, the current Governor-General of Australia, in 2003 took the gracious decision to donate his military pension to charity during his term of office as Governor-General. I congratulate His Excellency for a job well done as a magnificent ambassador for Australia. As a person who is a substantial contributor to charity, I thank him for taking the decision to donate his military pension to charity during his term of office as Governor-General. I also thank him for the compassion and understanding he showed to flood affected victims in the seat of Flynn, namely in Emerald, earlier this year. Emerald is a town of great people and I am proud that my government announced millions of dollars in the budget for flood relief for flood affected victims in Emerald. I had the opportunity to accompany the Governor-General during his duties and tour of Emerald, and I was very proud to be associated with a man of much compassion and understanding of the people who were so badly affected by that flood. As I have said before, he has been a great ambassador for Australia, and I wish him well in his retirement and in his future endeavours.

In relation to the future Governor-General of Australia, may I say by way of commentary that I have been able to download her biography from the Queensland parliament and report to this parliament that the next Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, was educated at Moreton Bay College, Brisbane, and later at the University of Queensland, where she graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. In 1965 she was one of the first Queensland women to be admitted to the Queensland Bar. From 1968 to 1983 Ms Bryce taught in the Faculty of Law at the University of Queensland.

In 1984 Quentin Bryce was appointed inaugural Director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service, Office of the Status of Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. In 1987 she became Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. From 1988 to 1993 Ms Bryce served as federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and in the period 1993 to 1996 she was founding chair and chief executive officer of the National Childcare Accreditation Council. From 1997 to her appointment as Governor of Queensland in 2003, Quentin Bryce was principal and chief executive officer of the Women’s College within the University of Sydney, New South Wales. In recognition of her service to the community, particularly women and children, Ms Bryce was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 and elevated to the Companion of the Order of Australia in 2003. She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws by Macquarie University, New South Wales, in 1998 and an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, in 2002.

Quentin Bryce and her husband, Michael, were married in 1964. Ms Bryce’s interests include the visual arts, literature, opera, and women’s history. I wholeheartedly and unequivocally commend this bill to the House and I congratulate Her Excellency on her impending appointment.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. I am cognisant of section 3 of the Constitution which specifies a salary of ₤10,000 pounds payable to the Governor-General until ‘Parliament otherwise provides’. Clearly, ₤10,000 would not be appropriate today, nor the currency easy to come by, so it is appropriate that parliament otherwise does provide. Parliament did not legislate on the salary of governors-general until the Governor-General Act 1974. Salaries are now set for each incoming Governor-General by an amendment to the act.

By way of history, the sum ₤10,000 first appeared in financial estimates produced at the 1897 Constitutional Convention. These estimates were circulated during consideration of the draft Constitution and a salary of ₤10,000 was ultimately included in the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1901. This amount was paid as salary to Australia’s first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun. In Sir Edmund Barton’s view, both the 1897 Convention and the framers of the Constitution always intended to provide allowances additional to salary.

In May 1902, Sir Edmund Barton introduced a bill providing ₤8,000 per annum ‘to assist in defraying the Governor-General’s establishment’. Lack of support, unfortunately, ensured the bill was never brought to the vote in its original form. Instead, parliament enacted an amendment that provided Lord Hopetoun with a one-off payment of ₤10,000 to defray personal expenses incurred during the 1901 royal visit.

At parliament’s apparent refusal to grant an ongoing increase in allowances, Lord Hopetoun resigned his commission, writing, ‘I have already strained my private resources beyond all justification.’ This was communicated via telegraph from Lord Hopetoun to Chamberlain, Secretary of State for Colonies, on 5 May 1902. The salary of governors-general and allowances, therefore, is quite topical in the history of our governors-general, as the first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, was to ensure.

There were two consequences of the furore, it would seem: firstly, that estimates of establishment expenditure were consolidated so that parliamentarians could more easily grasp proposed expenditure and, secondly, successive governments seemed reluctant to approach the issue of vice-regal salary. Despite adjustments to establishment costs after 1902, many early governors-general still found it necessary to meet certain requirements of the office from their own personal wealth and purse.

With the introduction of the Governor-General Bill 1974 the government acknowledged that appointment to the office of Governor-General should not depend on a candidate’s ‘personal wealth or the availability of other income’. The government also put forward two principles that are still applied when governments consider salaries: firstly, salary should be dealt with in a non-partisan fashion; secondly, salaries should recognise the importance and place of this high office.

The 1974 bill proposed an increase to $30,000 for the incoming Governor-General, Sir John Kerr. By this time, while the salary had not increased, expenditure on the Governor-General’s office and establishment had increased markedly since the mid-1950s, rising to over $708,000 in 1972-73. Successive governors-general have received increasing salary increases. The Rt Hon. Sir Zelman Cowen received $37,000; the Rt Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen, $70,000; the Hon. William Hayden, $95,000; the Hon. Sir William Deane, $58,000, cognisant of his pension; the Hon. the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth, $310,000; and Major General Michael Jeffery, the current Governor-General, excluding post-nominals, $365,000. Parliament, therefore, has agreed to the salary arrangements for incoming governors-general since 1974.

The Constitution also provides that this salary cannot be altered during a governor-general’s term of office, usually five years. It is also interesting to note that the Governor-General’s salary is conventionally linked to the salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court. Although the link was not mentioned in debate on the 1974 bill or 1977 amendments, this convention has been outlined in parliament by the responsible ministers since 1982.

Prior to 2001, salary was set by calculating the after-tax equivalent of the Chief Justice’s salary at the time of appointment. The average after-tax salary of the Chief Justice over a notional five-year term was estimated, taking into account future possible increases. The vice-regal salary was then set to ‘moderately exceed’ this average. The salary is now set to moderately exceed the estimated average salary of the Chief Justice over a notional three-year term of office. Thus this bill increases the Governor-General’s salary to $394,000, effective 5 September 2008, for the new Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, the current Governor of Queensland.

Considering the history of governors-general in this nation, it is appropriate to acknowledge at this stage the extraordinary career of the current Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Jeffery, and his substantial contribution to this nation. I do so as both a parliamentarian and as a fellow Army officer, and one who was in the same RMC Duntroon class as His Excellency’s son David Jeffery and His Excellency’s son-in-law John Dutchy Van der Kluster. His Excellency also commenced his military career by attending the Royal Military College, Duntroon, graduating in 1958.

His Excellency served in a number of junior regimental appointments with 17 National Service Training Company and the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth. He was posted to Malaya in 1962 for operational service with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. In 1965 he was seconded to the British Special Air Service Regiment for an operational tour of duty in Borneo. He returned to Australia as Adjutant of the Special Air Service Regiment. From 1966-69 he served in Papua New Guinea with the 1st Battalion, the Pacific Islands Regiment, and was married during this posting to his wife, Marlena.

This was followed by a tour of Vietnam as an infantry company commander with the 8th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. It was during this tour that His Excellency was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for bravery in battle and under fire. In 1972 he was selected to attend the British Army Staff College at Camberley, and was then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel to command the 2nd Battalion, the Pacific Islands Regiment in Wewak, Papua New Guinea. His Excellency was the last Australian to command a Pacific Islands regiment. In 1976, he assumed command of the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth and was then promoted to Colonel as the first Director of the Army’s Special Action Forces, for services to which he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

From 1981-83 His Excellency headed Australia’s national counter-terrorist coordination authority in the rank of Brigadier, after which he was posted as Commander of the 1st Mechanised and Airborne Brigade in Holsworthy, Sydney. He was selected to attend the Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1985. He was then promoted to Major General, and from 1986 commanded the Army’s 15,000-person 1st Division. In June 1988, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the Army and in 1989 as the Assistant Chief of the General Staff, Logistics. In January 1990 he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff, responsible for the day-to-day running of a 65,000-person Army. In February 1991 he was appointed Assistant Chief of the General Staff for Materiel, which involved the development and management of all Army equipment procurement and building construction projects.

On 1 November 1993, His Excellency was sworn in as the 27th Governor of Western Australia, and became a Companion of the Order of Australia, a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and a Citizen of Western Australia for his services to the state. He was Governor until 2000. Major General Jeffery was sworn in as Australia’s 24th Governor-General on 11 August 2003 at Parliament House. Upon being sworn in, he became the Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Australia. The Queen, as Sovereign Head of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, also appointed Major General Jeffery Prior for the Priory in Australia and a Knight of Justice of the Order.

Major General Jeffery and his wife, Marlena, have three sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren. They have both admirably served this nation, and it is interesting to reflect that together they take part in a breathtaking number of commitments. They are patrons to more than 180 organisations, each of which they try and either visit or receive at Government House at least once each year. They host visiting royalty and international heads of state and, where once these visits averaged two a year, previous years have seen the number rise to 14 a year. The Jefferys also attend hundreds of events and present literally hundreds of speeches each year. They open the grounds for charity days, and invite more than 90 schools and a range of other special interest groups to tour the house and its 53 hectares of manicured grounds each year.

The 25th Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce—a prominent lawyer, academic, women’s activist and former Sex Discrimination Commissioner—will commence on 5 September. She will be the first woman to hold the position in its 107-year history. Not only is she a great Queenslander of prominence; she is also a lady of great compassion. I know this first hand, as the first time my 2½-year-old son, Caleb, met Her Excellency was at the airport two weeks ago, when my son was trying desperately to get a muffin using a set of tongs. A set of tongs surely are a challenge for any poor little boy. Her Excellency quietly reached down and helped him out, explained quietly to him how to use the tongs and then assisted him to reach the muffin and put it on the plate. She was rewarded by a big grin and an equally cheery ‘Ta’. If this is the measure of the grace and humanity of our next Governor-General then this nation is truly well served. I support the bill. I wish the 24th Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Jeffery and his family all the best, and I welcome the appointment of the 25th Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure for me to stand here tonight and speak on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. I want to start by thanking all the other speakers who have spoken before me and those who will speak later. I know everyone speaking on this bill tonight takes great pride in what this bill represents. It is a great honour to support this bill because in doing so I am also speaking in support of the incoming Governor-General from Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, who will be the 25th Governor-General of Australia.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work, the great job, the dedication and the thoroughness of the job that was done by the current Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery. I pass on my most sincere thoughts and congratulations to both him and his wife for the work they have done for all of us collectively, for this parliament and for this great nation of ours.

It may seem a little odd to people who know my background for me to be standing here supporting this bill. They would probably ask themselves the question: why is the member for Oxley speaking in support of a bill in reference to the Governor-General when he was such an advocate and campaigner for the republic back in 2000-01, and even prior to that? There is a good explanation for all of those things. My speaking on this bill tonight does not change in any particular way my support or belief that Australia will at some point in time have an Australian citizen as its head of state, but it no less diminishes the respect that I have for the current head of state, the Queen of England and of Australia, and the wonderful work she does, and nor does it diminish the respect that I have for the position of the Governor-General and all those who have served in that role.

In some way I think that reflects—through me—my electorate and the great respect we have for that position and for the people who have filled that position, even if you are a republican and believe that at the end of the day our head of state should be an Australian, which I most firmly do believe. At some point in time, when the Republican movement itself finds a solution to its own division over the form that the head of state should take in Australia, I think we will then quickly move as a nation to be at the point where we can decide for ourselves who should be our representative. So I remain at heart, and in nature, a republican, but I state very clearly my respect for the position of Governor-General in this country.

One of the distinguishing features that I want to put on the record tonight about that period in time and about where we are at tonight with this particular bill is the respect that we all have as Australians and as members of parliament for the rule of law and for the decisions and the will of the Australian people. Something I recall saying in all my speeches and campaigning during that time was that, regardless of the outcome of where we would be the day after the referendum, Australia would not be significantly changed. What I meant by that was that it would not change in any violent way and there would not be any uprising. People would accept the decision made by the majority and we would all respect the rule of law and respect the outcome. That certainly was the case, regardless of what that outcome was in the end. I think that the continuance through to today of the respect for the rule of law, for the will of the people and for that authority carries us all very well and proudly as Australians and it certainly makes me very proud. Hence I feel I can speak on such a bill tonight as passionately as any other person who may see themselves as a monarchist or otherwise.

Today, with due respect to the position of Governor-General, is not really about my views on a republic, which of course I do believe in. It is more about what this bill will actually do. This bill, as has been noted, does a number of things, but before I get into the technical side of it I want to mention also that I believe that this bill attracts supporters on both sides of the House regardless of their politics or inclination. Perhaps the only voices of dissent may be those from the southern states who believe that there just may be a ‘pineapple revolution’, with the Prime Minster, the Treasurer and the soon to be Governor-General all hailing from the great state of Queensland. But they should not fear. They should remain comfortable and sleep well at night because there are many other high posts that are not filled by Queenslanders, just yet. There is time!

This bill deals with a number of technical matters. In particular, because the position of Governor-General is held for a five-year term, the amount of the remuneration—the salary, the superannuation and a number of other entitlements that revolve around the position—can only be changed once every five years. It cannot be changed during the time that a person is in office. It is therefore essential that we today pass this bill so that we can act for the next five years so that the remuneration keeps pace with Australian expectations. Under the Constitution, the Governor-General’s salary cannot be altered during a term of office.

There has been a linkage between the salaries of the Governor-General and the Chief Justice since the original 1901 salary figure of just £10,000, which was first updated in 1974. Many things have changed since then and, quite interestingly, while the salaries have changed and perhaps the emphasis on the role and the expectations of the person within that role and the things that they would do have grown substantially, the Constitution itself probably has not changed much at all in those 100 years. The linkage between the Governor-General and the Chief Justice is obviously a long-standing one. The salary of the Chief Justice, which is currently set at around $415,000, is reviewed each year—unlike the Governor-General’s salary—by the Remuneration Tribunal. In setting the appropriate remuneration for the Governor-General designate, regard was given to likely increases in the salary of the Chief Justice over the next five years, which explains the position we find ourselves in tonight.

In terms of superannuation and the amendment of the act to increase the salary, the government is also seeking to amend the act to remove references to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued in 2005, so that it properly reflects the amendments needed to ensure that we have covered on the other acts. The surcharge has been applied to only two governors-general in the past: the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC, OBE and His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC, Rtd. By passing this legislation we catch up with events that have overtaken us and with things that have changed. The superannuation surcharge had the effect of reducing the retirement allowance payable to the former Governor-General by the percentage rate of that particular surcharge.

In speaking to this bill I want to note the great contribution that Ms Quentin Bryce, the Governor of Queensland, has made. People may be familiar with her CV. She is an absolutely rich and dynamic career person. She is a talented lawyer, academic and senior public officer who has been a prolific and dedicated contributor to a range of community organisations. She has an enormous sense of responsibility to the community. She is well known for her commitment throughout her career to advancing human rights and equality, the rights of women and children and the welfare of the family. She is well known for her willingness to share her skills and experiences to improve the lives of many throughout Queensland and throughout the country. She is a mother of five children and is now also a grandmother. I think these things give her a special quality and have set her apart from others. It is something you sense when you meet her. She also has a very warm personality.

Ms Bryce has many achievements and has participated in many roles both professionally and in community service. Her achievements are outstanding and there are almost too many to list. She has rightly been recognised for those achievements throughout her life by being appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia. It is an honour well deserved for her many contributions and efforts during her life, which include: inaugural Director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service; head of the Office of the Status of Women; the Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner; the founding Chair and Chief Executive of the National Childcare Accreditation Council; the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s College at the University of Sydney; a member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and a lecturer in law at the University of Queensland. The list goes on and on. Ms Bryce has made many wonderful community and professional contributions not only to the great state of Queensland but to the country as a whole. As Governor of Queensland she was warmly regarded and affectionately received. She has passed on to Queenslanders many years of wisdom and passion about the things that she believes in. I wish Ms Bryce and her husband, Michael, all the best in their new roles here in Canberra, which I know they will do admirably. I know they will represent all Australians with great dignity and carry the high office of head of state with great honour.

From the opportunities I have had to meet Ms Bryce at special events and other occasions, I know there is one thing that sets her apart from others, and that is the genuine warmth that she exudes. People feel very relaxed around her and feel that they belong there. She is a very inclusive person and really makes people feel very welcome. In all the dealings I have had with her, whether at formal events such as Anzac Day ceremonies or more relaxed occasions such as the opening of a community facility, she has always given everything she had, and I know she will carry that trait forward in her role as Governor-General. She also has a great deal of patience, a love of children, a sense of humour and a great personal way of making people feel relaxed. At very formal events which might seem a little stiff, she has a wonderful way of making everybody feel most welcome and a part of the ceremony that is taking place.

Quentin Bryce is without doubt a wonderful choice as Governor-General. I can think of no better person to be our first female Governor-General. This is quite an achievement and it has perhaps been too long in coming, but it is here and it is a great choice. It sets a new tone for a new era in 21st century Australia to have a woman from Queensland as the representative of our head of state. Other speakers will mention this fact and also the area from which Ms Bryce hails—in particular, her schooling background—which she has proudly mentioned at functions. The member for Bonner will take great pleasure in mentioning a number of those things in her contribution. It is a really wonderful thing to have a Queensland woman as Australia’s first female Governor-General. While the position of Governor-General is often seen as being from another world or another era, I can assure people that Quentin Bryce is neither of those things. She will not be considered in that way by anybody. She will bring a no-nonsense approach to her role. She is a real woman of the people who is held in the highest regard nationwide.

In wrapping up, it is a great privilege to speak on this bill. It is merely a technical bill in that it amends and adjusts salary and superannuation, but, more importantly, what this bill represents is the great office of the Governor-General in this country. So as not to create too much confusion for those republicans out there who support me—not many of whom reside in the electorate of Oxley, I can assure you—it would be very nice if at some point in time very soon we as a nation have the capacity to again go to the people and put a fair and reasonable question to them as to who should be our head of state. I remain firmly convinced of and committed to the ideal of an Australian as our head of state. I would certainly like to see that in my lifetime. There is plenty of time, but sooner rather than later would be a wonderful thing. I congratulate Major General Michael Jeffery on his contribution and I congratulate the Queensland Governor, Quentin Bryce, on her appointment.

Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I echo the sentiments of the previous speaker, the member for Oxley, my fellow member from the great state of Queensland—in fact, his electorate adjoins mine. I am pleased to speak on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 because I know that the people of Ryan would be very interested in my thoughts and also in a profile of our Governor-General designate. I think it is fair to say that Quentin Bryce is going to be an outstanding Governor-General when she takes up that office.

I will elaborate on that in a few moments, but on this day, with your indulgence, Madam Deputy Speaker Bird, given that this bill has at its heart a lady, I would like to take the opportunity to very briefly put on the record in the parliament of Australia my deepest condolences to the McGrath family. Of course, we heard in the news today and last night that Jane McGrath passed away. She was a cancer campaigner and the wife of the great Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath. She was only 42. It has all been said in the media and in this place, but I would like to add my words on behalf of the people of Ryan, whom I represent here in the national parliament. She was clearly a lady of extraordinary courage, rare grace and, perhaps in particular, a selfless quality that few others could match. She was struck down by a terrible disease but decided that she would not let that disease overwhelm her life completely and that she would fight as much as she could to survive the cancer that eventually took her life at the age of 42. I extend my sympathies to her family and friends.

In the scheme of things this bill is a technical bill. It amends the salary of our next Governor-General from $365,000 to $394,000. Section 3 of the Constitution provides that the salary of the Governor-General shall not be altered during their continuance in office. Therefore increases are usually accommodated before their appointment. At the outset, that certainly seems like a lot of money—indeed, it is a lot of money—but in the context of the high office that the Governor-General occupies, and the work and esteem of that office and of the individual who holds that office, I believe that it is entirely appropriate. I certainly support that significant amount of money as a salary of the Governor-General designate, Quentin Bryce.

I have a particular interest in speaking on this bill because I want to talk about themes related to women. I know that all the women in my electorate would want me to talk about issues like domestic violence, crimes against women and their place in society.

But, before I do that, I would like to mention that Quentin and Michael Bryce previously lived in the Ryan electorate, in St Lucia—in Hawken Drive, which is very much the heart and soul of that suburb. Quentin Bryce was born in Longreach, one of four daughters, and grew up in a town in south-western Queensland. She studied at Moreton Bay College, Wynnum, Brisbane and later at the great University of Queensland, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1965. The University of Queensland is also located in the Ryan electorate. As the representative of that electorate in the parliament and as someone who also did arts and law at the University of Queensland, I have great pride in representing that university here. I am sure that all those who know of Ms Bryce’s academic accomplishments would be pleased that she will now be appointed to the high office of Governor-General.

I understand that in 1965 she was the first woman to be admitted to the Queensland bar. As someone who is also at the Queensland bar, I am particularly pleased to be able to put that on the record for the people of Ryan. I know there are many lawyers who live in the western suburbs of Brisbane, and they would be very well pleased that someone who was at the bar in Queensland will now hold this high office. From 1968 to 1983 she taught in the faculty of law at the University of Queensland, the first woman to do so. In 1984 she became the first director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service under the umbrella of the Office of the Status of Women. In 1987 she became Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Over a four-year period, 1989 to 1993, Quentin Bryce served as the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and was later the founding chair and CEO of the National Childcare Accreditation Council. From 1997 to 2003, Bryce was Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Women’s College, University of Sydney, New South Wales. The college and university is where my sister studied and recently graduated with a degree in medicine. My sister Catherine Johnson has a small link to the Governor-General designate in the sense that she was a member of the same college where Quentin Bryce was CEO—Women’s College at the University of Sydney.

I am pleased the Prime Minister has appointed Quentin Bryce to be the 25th Governor-General and our first female Governor-General. In achieving high office, she will leave the position of Governor of Queensland where those who have come across her in her work would have been deeply impressed and taken pride in the way she conducted herself—with great dignity, grace, elegance and eloquence. Irrespective of one’s politics, whether one supports a republic or a constitutional monarchy, those who saw Quentin Bryce in her role as Governor of Queensland would have been mightily impressed.

Recently, I had the pleasure of being at the big Salvation Army fundraising breakfast in Brisbane and Quentin Bryce was guest of honour and guest speaker. Again, she demonstrated her charm, her elegance and indeed her compassion. The connection she made with such a large gathering as was present at the Queensland Convention Centre demonstrated her compassion and her great feelings for those disadvantaged in our community who really need the help of governments across the land. She also connected with those who might be in a position to be philanthropic and generous in supporting the people who really need the help of all of us.

I would like to touch on some Australian women who clearly are role models for young women in our country and, indeed, examples which bring pride to the rest of the country. For instance, Professor Fiona Wood is Western Australia’s only female plastic surgeon. She is a mother of six. She was head of Royal Perth Hospital’s Burns Unit and a director of the Western Australian Burns Service. She is a co-founder of Clinical Cell Culture, recognised in medical circles internationally for its remarkable research and breakthroughs in the treatment of bones. Dr Wood would also have been known by many for her skill and work in paediatrics and child health at the University of Western Australia and as a director of the McComb Research Foundation. Ordinary Australians would know that she was an Australian of the Year and again, like the Governor-General designate, conducted her duties in that role with great aplomb.

Marie Bashir is the current Governor of New South Wales and Chancellor of the University of Sydney. She set a historical benchmark upon her appointment as first female Governor of New South Wales. Susan Kiefel and Susan Crennan are justices of the High Court of Australia. Both were appointed by the previous Howard government. Mary Gaudron was the first female justice of the High Court, appointed by the previous Labor government. These women are examples to young professional women in the law and at university that, with application and dedication, young women in this country can reach high office and be appointed to significant positions by the government of the day because their integrity, dedication and diligence warrant such appointments.

The 2007 Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major, is the youngest person elected to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She is a key Australian for discussing and highlighting Indigenous issues for young women, particularly domestic violence. It is incumbent upon all of us to highlight the good work of young Australians whether they are like Tania Major, an Indigenous young Australian, or other Australians who try to do their bit to redress any forms of violence in our community, especially violence against Indigenous women throughout Australia. The 2006 Young Australian of the Year, Tricia Broadbridge, established the Reach Foundation designed to build young people’s esteem. Quentin Bryce will interact with these young Australians. She will have opportunities to engage in discussions in all parts of our country. It is a great thing and says so much about our country that a head of state is able to mix with Australians far and wide across the country, in all stations of life and from all backgrounds.

In our place in the national parliament, in the context of this bill and in honouring the first female Governor-General designate, I would also like to mention some women who have been elected to this place. Enid Lyons was elected to the House of Representatives on 21 August 1943 and on the same day Senator Dorothy Tangney was the first woman elected to the Australian Senate. The first female member of the ministry, Enid Lyons, Vice-President of the Executive Council, was appointed on 19 December. The first woman with a portfolio was Senator Annabelle Rankin, who was Minister for Housing in the Holt government from 26 January 1966 to 22 March 1971. The first female member of cabinet was Senator Margaret Guilfoyle, Minister for Social Security in the Fraser government.

At this time, we are bidding farewell to Senator Natasha Stott Despoja who, when she came to this place, was the youngest woman elected to the parliament. She has certainly captured the interest of young Australian women around the country, and I know she tried to encourage them to get involved in politics and in the political party of their choice. She bids farewell to the Senate after, I think, 13 years. I have had the opportunity of working with her on a couple of occasions. I had the benefit of her experience when we both went to Cambodia to be observers of a general election there several years ago. I appreciate her goodwill and her dedication to trying to make things better in this country as she sees fit according to her philosophical compass.

I also want to acknowledge the current Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Julie Bishop, and the former Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the last parliament, Jenny Macklin. Irrespective of one’s politics, one can really only admire all of the women in this country—from Enid Lyons to Julia Gillard—who have decided that they would like to be in the front row of political life in Australia.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Housing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the Deputy Speaker?

Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, I acknowledge Deputy Speaker Bird. At some point, we need to have our first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. I am not sure when that will happen; I am not sure if there are any volunteers at the moment. For my part, as some of you would know, I certainly advocate reform of the position of Speaker—but that is a speech for another time. To all those women in the current Labor government and in previous governments who have attained ministries and cabinet positions, I say in a bipartisan spirit that that is very commendable. I hope they use those positions not only to carry out their work but also to go a little further and talk to young women across the country about opportunities for women in parliament. Whatever one might think about politicians, I like to think that all of us come here with great determination to make a difference to our country—as Quentin Bryce, our next Governor-General, will do when she takes up her position at Yarralumla.

In closing, I would like to encourage all the men out there to appreciate women. I am a husband, a son and a brother to women. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have sisters, wonderful mothers and wonderful female partners or wives should treasure them. I do not have a daughter; I have a son who turned two yesterday. Those of us here who are parents know what a wonderful thing it is to have children. At the end of the day, they are our ultimate pride and joy—for all our high ambition in this place. I am very close to my mother, I am in a loving relationship with my wife and I am fortunate to have a sister—who I think voted for me at the last election but I do not know as it was a secret ballot! I want to pay tribute to the women in my electorate and to all women across Australia who are raising families and who are involved in their school communities—the sorts of women Quentin Bryce will be talking to. I am sure that she will have a particular interest in making the acquaintance of and getting the opportunity to talk to women in communities right across this great country. In that context, I want to pay tribute to the great women of this country.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear a supporting comment from the two Queensland members sitting opposite. I am sure they will endorse my remarks that this is a bill which both sides of the parliament support. We want to encourage greater respect amongst men for women in this country. I am sure that, without exception, all of us in this place condemn absolutely any form of violence by men against women—whether it be verbal, psychological or physical. Of course, the reverse also applies—perhaps not so much with physical violence but with verbal and psychological violence.

On behalf of the people of Ryan, I am pleased to extend very warm congratulations to Quentin Bryce on her appointment by the Prime Minister to be our next Governor-General. We in the Ryan electorate, in the western suburbs of Brisbane, very much look forward to meeting her. I am sure that she has a fondness for Queensland and that she will return to Brisbane. She is certainly welcome to come and meet the wonderful people of the Ryan electorate, whom I have the great honour of representing in the national parliament for a third term. (Time expired)

Kerry Rea (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise with great pride and pleasure to address theGovernor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. This bill has come about as a result of the appointment of a new Governor-General who, as we know, will be the first female Governor-General to reside at Yarralumla and is a great Queenslander. For those reasons, I am very proud to stand in this chamber and endorse the appointment of the Hon. Quentin Bryce. Queensland has a very rich and diverse political history. Sometimes the other states like to tar us with a particular stereotype, but Queenslanders contribute a lot to the political life of this country. We produced the first Labor government—an achievement that all of us Queenslanders on this side of the House are very proud of.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Neumann interjecting

Kerry Rea (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can hear the member for Blair behind me endorsing those comments. We elected to the Queensland parliament the first and only member of the Communist Party to be elected in Australia. We also elected probably one of the most controversial National Party governments in the country. The legacy of that government, in particular under the premiership of the late Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, has been well noted in many historical accounts in terms of the events and decisions that were made by that government.

We are also unique in the sense that we elected the only group of politicians who in fact voted themselves out of a job. Once they were in the majority in the Queensland upper house they in fact voted to dissolve that upper house. The Queensland electorate are always very proud that there were politicians who were prepared to give up their jobs. Of course, both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer are Queenslanders. We have topped it all off with the appointment of the first female Governor-General, who is also a Queenslander. This has been a very fitting accomplishment for this last 12 months because all of that was preceded by the appointment of the very first female Premier in Queensland, the Hon. Anna Bligh.

At last we have some recognition—and national recognition—of the breadth and the depth of political talent that has always existed in Queensland. It is a chance for us to showcase on the national stage the talent that we know has always resided in the sunshine state. It was with great pride that I heard of the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Queen had accepted his nomination for Governor-General and appointed Quentin Bryce the next Governor-General of Australia.

Of course, our head of state is a woman. In fact, we have had two female heads of state and they have been two of the longest reigning monarchs in British history. I think it is a testament to women in leadership that those two women have gained the international recognition that they have. With a female head of state it is very fitting that we now have as her representative in Australia a female Governor-General. I know that one day we will have an Australian as our head of state. Indeed, as an avowed republican, I look forward to that day. For now, I think it is incredible and wonderful for all Australian women that the highest position in the country will be held by a woman. It is not just a matter of great symbolism; it is a very real and practical sign that women in Australia can achieve even the highest office in the land.

This evening in this chamber we have heard many speakers talk about Quentin Bryce. There is probably no more appropriate Queensland woman who could attain and hold the position of Governor-General. Quentin’s curriculum vitae and her community involvement are a testament to her lifetime of public service. Having trained as a lawyer and been one of the very first women to be admitted to the Queensland bar, she has used her skills and experience to improve the lives of women and children throughout the whole country. She was the inaugural Director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service, the Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, the founding chair and CEO of the National Childcare Accreditation Council, Principal and CEO of the Women’s College at the University of Sydney, a member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and a lecturer in law at the University of Queensland and is currently the second woman to serve as Governor of Queensland.

It is an impressive life of service indeed which is equalled by her impressive contribution as a person and her inspiration as a woman, particularly for young women in Queensland. Quentin is synonymous with the campaign for equality for women. Her role in the Women’s Electoral Lobby is a testament to that. Her persistence and dedication to improving the lives of women and children inspired many young women, like me, to seek political office and to try to make a difference. Indeed, many of us are both grateful and indebted to her and the women that she worked with. If it were not for women like Quentin Bryce then women like me would not be sitting here as members of the Australian parliament, and for that we are very grateful.

Of course, no woman or man is an island. Our upbringing and childhood experiences contribute significantly to the adults we all become. It is, therefore, no coincidence that Quentin Bryce is a past student of Moreton Bay girls college. Moreton Bay College is one of the largest girls schools in the electorate of Bonner. Indeed, it has long been recognised as one of the foremost girls schools in Brisbane. I have a personal connection with that school and I am proud to be the federal member who represents it. My husband’s mother was a previous boarder at that school and she too was a woman dedicated to community service and to supporting education for all women.

I myself attended a local Catholic school in the bayside area. In those days, girls studying the sciences, particularly maths and physics, were fairly rare. Let us say we were amongst the minority in the school. Indeed, some of those subjects were not even offered in our school. Moreton Bay College was the girls school just down the road, along Bay Terrace in Wynnum. It also did not offer all the maths and physics subjects that we needed in our senior years, so there was a reciprocal arrangement. I, in fact, studied senior physics at Moreton Bay College. Girls from that college came up to our school to study maths too. So, although I am not an old girl, I do have a close personal connection.

The residents of Bonner can really feel that they are in the thick of things at the moment. The electorate borders the electorates of both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer and is home to the school that has produced the first female Governor-General. But, as I have already indicated, this is no accident. I have visited Moreton Bay College several times over the last 12 months and have always been impressed by the calibre of the students and the professionalism of the staff under the very competent stewardship of Principal Jennifer Haynes. The college has a longstanding record of academic, sporting and cultural achievements, but I think what seals this school’s status as a great school and one worthy of respect is its genuine emphasis on community service and compassion for the disadvantaged. Moreton Bay College has a long history of teaching the value of service, encouraging students to think and act in a way that supports the community within which they live and to appreciate diversity. It is a value that stays with many of the past students, including our soon to be Governor-General.

Ms Bryce has in fact put her name to a bursary fund at Moreton Bay College. It is a bursary fund that can be positioned as one of the ways Moreton Bay College models the behaviour that it teaches by working to support the community. It is about providing opportunity to someone who could use it to change their life and about creating something lasting. It is about believing that education is a valuable component in providing life-changing opportunities. It is about the need to contribute to issues that are socially just, understanding that not all families have the capacity to pay the fees charged by Moreton Bay College, and a desire to give back to the community. It is a bursary that I think all of us on both sides of the parliament would be proud to see endorsed at one of our local schools, in particular at one that has the prestige and the status of Moreton Bay College.

Indeed, I was very pleased to attend the launch of the bursary, which was held by Her Excellency the Governor at Government House. I think this is a great testimony to the role that Quentin Bryce has played in her position as Governor of Queensland, where she has seen her role as an opportunity to reach out to all Queenslanders and include them in any way that she can in community and public service. In fact, I think it indicates also her very personal involvement in the bursary. It indicates that she will always continue to support the improvement of the lives of young women across the country, no matter what circumstances they find themselves in, that she will always use her position not just as one of status or personal reward but as one of giving back to the community and encouraging young women to pursue their goals and their dreams. But it also indicates her affection and gratitude for the school that gave her the education which she has used so effectively for the common good.

What is very interesting about this particular bill, given the speeches that have been made on it—and this is a true reflection of the standing that Quentin Bryce holds within the community of Queensland and indeed the community of Australia—is that it has bipartisan support. It demonstrates that her community service has outweighed political partisanship and that both sides of politics respect her as someone who has the dignity, the capacity and the ability to uphold the position of Governor-General and to ensure that the position is used to advance the cause of all Australians.

I think it is also interesting that it has bipartisan support in that even the member for Oxley and I, who have always been avowed republicans, can stand up here to support her appointment to this role. It is respect for the position of Governor-General, but it is in particular respect for the capacity of Quentin Bryce to uphold that position that has commanded such broad based respect and support across the whole community—even among those like me who will one day be very pleased and proud to see an Australian citizen as our head of state. I hope we will see that day in the very near future, but in the meantime I know that Quentin Bryce will do her best to ensure that the position of Governor-General is one that is respected, that she will continue to advocate the cause of socially just issues and that she will continue to advocate for the support of women to seek to achieve whatever their dreams are, including holding the position of the highest office in the land. I would like to conclude by paying my respects to her. She will be a great representative. I wish her, her husband, Michael, and her family all the very best in her new role.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. This bill has broad bipartisan support, but I would like to begin by taking up the member for Bonner on some of her remarks where she indicated her support for a republic. Indeed, the member for Bonner said in her argument that it would be great to have a female achieve the highest office in the land. I could not agree with that argument more, because the Governor-General is the highest office in the land. I come from the school of thought that says that the Governor-General is the head of state. We do have an Australian head of state, so I find it incongruous that the member for Bonner then proceeded to argue this ongoing myth that we tend to hear repeated around the place that the head of state is not an Australian currently. The truth is our head of state has been Australian for many, many years. Indeed, the member for Bonner substantiated that position in her own contribution just now when she said that the incoming Governor-General will be the first female to achieve the highest office in the land, and indeed it is. Therefore, I would like to record my support for her remarks in that regard.

This bill arises out of the constitutional requirement that the Governor-General’s salary not be increased during his or her term of office. The Constitution is very clear that the Governor-General’s salary will not be altered during the period that they remain there. I support the conventions and the traditions of this provision. The salary of the Queen’s official representative in Australia and our head of state, the Governor-General, ought to be about the same as that of the Chief Justice of the High Court, in recognition of the serious and substantial contribution that they make to our democracy and its stability and the important role they play across Australia in representing our country and our nation-state.

The power of a Governor-General is not simply applied during a constitutional crisis. Indeed, most of the powers, I would argue, are reserve powers. In recognition of a person’s ability to hold reserve power, it is actually a role that requires a serious level of professionalism and a serious level of understanding of our system and the way it works. It requires qualities worthy of recognition with a high salary. Despite many of the myths that are circulated, governors-general are not simply a rubber stamp. They do play an important function and we seek to pay them well in recognition of the times when they will be required to make very serious decisions and contributions that could affect the entire course of our nation.

The Governor-General exercises the role of constitutional auditor. He or she does so through exercising three constitutional rights which have been categorised as the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn. The Governor-General acts as an impartial, non-political constitutional umpire, and acts as the impartial auditor of constitutional and legal processes. Indeed, in recognition of how serious a role that is, we ought to be supporting the bill and its provisions here before the House today.

While the Governor-General’s role as auditor is usually hidden from the public, both ministers and public servants are well aware of the important work that the Australian Governor-General undertakes. It ought not be underestimated. Indeed, anyone who has watched the reports, series and documentaries on the dismissal when the Governor-General dismissed the Whitlam government would know that the pressures and constitutional requirements placed on such a figure are immense, serious and require a certain temperament and experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Major General Michael Jeffery who is finishing his service as our 24th Governor-General. As with his military history, he has once again served our nation with distinction and has been a fine choice as our representative in that role. Some interesting points to note are that he has given over 900 major speeches throughout his time in office and he has had over 700,000 hits on the Governor-General’s website each month. He and his wife, Marlena, are patrons to over 190 community organisations in Australia. During his tenure he has represented Australia at overseas events and the funerals of very influential people, including the funerals of Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan, who was one of the greatest presidents the free world has ever had. I want to specifically wish the Governor-General and his wife, Marlena, all the best for the future.

I would also like, in a bipartisan fashion, to welcome and congratulate Quentin Bryce on her appointment as our 25th Governor-General. She is an incredibly impressive individual and is a testament to all sides of politics. Under the current system with its current conventions, we can select individuals who are very impressive, who have great distinction and who will serve with great temperament. I note that Quentin Bryce has a series of firsts to her name. She was the first female to lecture in the faculty of law at the University of Queensland, the first director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service under the umbrella of the Office of the Status of Women and she became the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In a rare event she slipped to the second woman appointed as Governor of Queensland, but she has reclaimed the mantle and was in January this year appointed the first woman to occupy the position of Governor-General of Australia.

The strengths of the candidature of our current and next Governor-General provide a clear indication that our system works. The system of appointment on the advice of the Prime Minister encourages the selection of an impartial and well-respected person. It avoids internal politics and wheeling and dealing for a political appointment. The stable and successful liberal democracy which we live in today is a result of the strength of this system. It is something that is often underestimated. Sometimes you do not know the importance of a measure or a mechanism in a machine until it breaks. You do not realise how important a particular feature can be until something goes wrong.

Following the 2020 Summit the role of the Governor-General in Australia has again come into the spotlight. One of the only outcomes in my mind that arose out of the 2020 Summit was support for an Australian republic. It really was the issue of the republic that shows what real problems arose from the 2020 Summit. I note that of the entire governance panel every member—that is, 100 per cent of them—supported the republic. Not one member voted against it, which is really quite revealing of the nature of this summit when you consider that 100 per cent of people rarely agree on anything.

Consider that in 1999, only nine years ago, a referendum on this question lost the popular vote in every state and in 72 per cent of electorates, and now the governance panel of the 2020 Summit, which was there to consider and consult on views, was 100 per cent in support of a republic. I also note that, only one month after the 2020 Summit, in May 2008, a Roy Morgan poll found that only 45 per cent of Australians want a republic with an elected president, which is down six per cent since 2001.

There is a tendency to not understand how important the role of Governor-General is in our society. There is this attempt to create a myth that we do not have an Australian as our head of state but, as the member for Bonner acknowledged, we do have a woman achieving the highest office in the land and it is a very good thing. It is something which both sides of this House support.

Our Constitution, which as Governor-General Michael Jeffery recently pointed out ‘is taken for granted because it’s worked so seamlessly and so effectively’ is something that we ought not to overlook. We have had 100 years of political stability as the Constitution has ensured that the checks and balances, which were put in place by the wise founding fathers of our country, work. Whilst many constitutional models over time have failed, Australia’s has not. In fact under our system Australia is one of the world’s seven oldest democracies. Of the seven oldest democracies, five are constitutional monarchies as is Australia. Of the leading 10 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index, eight are constitutional monarchies.

The Australian Crown has significantly evolved since Governor Phillip came to our shores. The evolution of our Constitution signifies its greatest advantage. Our Constitution is able to adapt to and to grow with the circumstances of the times without the need for radical, sudden and disruptive changes. The provisions of this particular bill before the House indeed indicate some of those conventions that have worked over the years. It is a proper convention that a Governor-General not be able to raise their salary during their term. It is a sensible, foresighted measure that has led us to this place today to discuss this legislation.

The strength of our Constitution has equipped our nation with a strong, stable, democratic government. Any Australian republic, if we are ever to have one, needs to be from the bottom up not from the top down. It needs to be led by a broad consensus of the Australian people not by a minority of elites. In keeping with our nation’s egalitarian spirit, I hope that constitutional reform, when it does next occur, will be for the right reason and in a considered and representative fashion. The Governor-General is unquestioningly the head of state of Australia. I support this bill with its provision for a higher salary for the incoming Governor-General and, together with my fellow coalition members, wish Ms Bryce all the best for her term of service as Australia’s head of state.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. I think it is quite interesting that Moreton Bay College, which was founded in 1901 and shares its birthday with Federation, has produced the first female Governor-General. I note the contribution from the member for Bonner, which I thought was a terrific speech. The member for Mitchell just cannot help himself: at a time when we should be making bipartisan speeches, he comes in here and tries to tell us that the Governor-General is the head of state. Well, I suggest he reads the Constitution: the Governor-General represents the Queen here. I have to say that I thought for a moment we were going to get a diatribe about how 1975 was so wonderful. He must remember that 1975 cuts very deep for those of us over this side of the House. It is the galvanising moment for many of us who represent the Labor Party in this particular legislature. I remember it very vividly. I was a young boy at school and I remember exactly how my parents felt, exactly how my community felt and exactly how I felt at the time. We never want to go back to those days, and I would suggest that the member for Mitchell thinks very clearly, simply and studiously about whether he will make speeches in the future on those matters.

But I want to say about my old law lecturer how terrific it is that she has been appointed as the Governor-General of this country. I express my congratulations to her and to her husband, Michael. I also express my appreciation to His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery for his contribution and that of his wife and for the service they have extended to our country. Her Excellency Quentin Bryce will be sworn in on 5 September this year. That is a great thing, and it is great thing for those of us who are from Queensland. The bill before the House deals with the salary of the Governor-General which will go up from $365,000 to $394,000 and it also gets rid of certain references to the superannuation surcharge, but I do not really want to talk about those sorts of issues. I want to talk about what an accomplished woman Quentin Bryce is.

When I think of her I think of women’s rights, Indigenous rights and human rights. She has had a sterling career. She is highly respected in Queensland. She was one of the first women admitted to the bar, in the mid-sixties. She is a mother, a wife, a grandmother. She has received honorary doctorates from various universities. From 1968 until 1983 she taught law at the University of Queensland’s law school. From there on she contributed enormously to life in Queensland and Australia. She was a director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service and of the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. She was Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner. She was the founding chair and CEO of the National Childcare Accreditation Council and the principal and CEO of the Women’s College at the University of Sydney, New South Wales. And from 2003 she was the Governor of Queensland.

She has broken many glass ceilings. What she has done is remarkable. But there are a few specific things I would like to say about her. When I was campaigning in 2004 I remember campaigning in rural areas at the country shows. When she came to those country shows she was received by farmers, graziers, people from all walks of life, and what really struck me was her grace, her poise, her dignity and her common touch. She spoke to people at the stalls, to everyone wherever she went. She showed tremendous dignity and compassion towards people if they were injured or hurt or had concerns and raised them with her. It was extraordinary to see how people from all walks of life were taken with her dignity and respect and her contribution. My electorate of Blair takes in about two-thirds of Ipswich, and the mayor, Paul Pisasale, actually thinks she is the governor of Ipswich because she comes there so often. She is accepted wonderfully well at the Ipswich Christmas celebrations sponsored by the council. I also saw her with her husband at the 80th celebration of the RAAF at the RAAF base at Amberley. She was speaking to military personnel and, again, it was extraordinary to see the way she was accepted and could communicate with people from all walks of life. There is an affection for Quentin Bryce that you rarely see in public life.

I want to talk about one particular time, when she was lecturing and tutoring me at the University of Queensland, that I remember for her compassion and humanity. On this particular day, a young woman, Sally Fraser, who later became a friend of mine and worked in my law firm, was at a tutorial in the law faculty. Sally was unwell but she sat there trying to get through the tutorial as best she could. She was obviously in discomfort, and I could see how unwell she was feeling, and in the end she could not cope and had to rush out. Quentin Bryce was there and showed her tenderness and affection and friendship. I remember it all these years later because I have rarely seen someone show such compassion and humanity to a woman in need. My view was always that she was a very good law lecturer; she was a very interesting law lecturer and one of the few female lecturers there. But that particular day cemented my view of Quentin Bryce, and so I was absolutely thrilled when she was appointed as the Governor of Queensland.

It is terrific that the Deputy Prime Minister is a woman. It is terrific that we are to have our first female Governor-General, breaking 107 years of masculine tradition. And I think it is terrific that we have another Queenslander in a prominent position—I note the Treasurer is a Queenslander and the Prime Minister is a Queenslander and Quentin Bryce is too. But the thing about her that really shows the degree to which she has the common touch and how much—as so many people have said, and I agree—she will be an adornment to the office is the way she has talked about women’s issues and Indigenous issues in Queensland and Australia. She is a reformer. She is someone who wants to see our society progress, who wants to see people have equal opportunity, who wants to end discrimination and who wants women to have every chance in life, as men do.

I am the father of two teenage daughters. My wife, Carolyn, and I have tried to instil that in our children as well. You can be whatever you want to be, whether you come from a small rural or regional town in western Queensland like Quentin Bryce did, or whether you come from a place like Ipswich, where I come from, or Townsville or Melbourne or Birdsville or wherever. If you are a woman, you can do whatever you want to do. That is the sort of society that we need to become. Too few women are captains of industry; too few women are leading lawyers; too few women are judges; too few women are politicians. I look forward to the day when we have a female prime minister.

I also look forward to the day when Quentin Bryce is our last Governor-General. I look forward to the day when we have an Australian as our head of state. I look forward to the day when we can stand up ourselves and say that we can govern ourselves without a hereditary monarch from Britain having the power and capacity to dismiss an Australian government elected by the Australian people. I think that day will finally cement Australia’s full independence from its long tradition of British sovereignty, rule and hegemony that we have experienced for a long time. We have evolved and broken that down through various pieces of legislation that have moved us to a point where we are a country which has so much freedom and democracy that we are the envy of lots of places in the world.

But there is that last holdout, that last thing. We have got rid of the Privy Council; we have our own High Court as the highest court in the land. The last thing needs to go. Those of us on this side of the House who are republicans, and there are many, look forward to that day when we can have our own head of state. Until that day comes I hope that we have people like Michael Jeffery, Quentin Bryce and others in the role of Governor-General. We need Australians of such esteem, such accomplishment and such ability in that role.

I thank the Prime Minister for taking the initiative in terms of Quentin Bryce. I thank the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, for effectively letting her go, because we in Queensland know and respect her so well. I look forward to the contribution of Quentin Bryce in representing and being a role model for young women. I look forward to what she will do as she speaks on issues in our country and as she represents Her Majesty at various events throughout Australia. She would be most warmly welcomed in the federal seat of Blair once again.

Damian Hale (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to make my contribution in this debate on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this bill because it gives me the opportunity to express my support for the appointment of Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC as Australia’s next and first female Governor-General following the retirement of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery. I would also like to congratulate the member for Blair and the other members who have made their contributions to this debate.

By way of background I think it is important that I provide a brief outline of the role the Governor-General currently plays in our democracy. In several sections of our Constitution the Governor-General’s powers and roles are expressed. Section two of the Constitution provides:

A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty’s representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen’s pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him.

Or her. Additionally and importantly, section 61 of the Constitution provides:

The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen’s representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth.

In addition to being the Queen’s representative in Australia, the Governor-General also has specific constitutional and statutory powers. In fact, since the passage of the Australia Act in 1986, the only action performed by the Queen under the Constitution is the appointment of the Governor-General, on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister.

I think it is particularly important to re-iterate the important points the members for Flynn and Bonner have raised. It needs to be highlighted that the salary and pension for the Governor-General are set out in an act of parliament—the Governor-General Act 1974. Also, and very importantly, under section 3 of the Constitution, the Governor-General’s salary cannot be altered during a term of office. With the impending retirement of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery, we have the opportunity to address salary and superannuation issues for the position before the swearing in of our new Governor-General. That is why the act needs to be amended to update the salary figure before the swearing in of the next Governor-General on 5 September 2008.

I think it is significant to note that there has been a linkage between the salaries of the Governor-General and the Chief Justice for quite a long period of time. In fact, this linkage has been around since the original 1901 salary, and it was subsequently updated in 1974. It should also be recognised that the salary of the Chief Justice is reviewed each year by the Remuneration Tribunal.

Because of the link between the salaries of the Governor-General and the Chief Justice, when setting an appropriate salary for the Governor-General designate regard has been given to likely increases in the Chief Justice’s salary over the next five years—an important point because that is the term of the new appointment. It should also be noted that there is precedent for the Governor-General’s salary to be reduced by the amount of any existing pension entitlement or for the amount of any pensions to be donated to charity to avoid any perception of double-dipping. The current Governor-General exercised this practice in his remuneration. His Excellency Major General Jeffery was in receipt of a military pension. At the time of his appointment in 2003 he indicated he would donate the entire amount of that pension to charity during his term of office. I take a moment to commend and thank Major General Jeffery and his wife, Marlena, for the contribution they have made to community service over the past five years, and who, as Governor-General, is completing a very distinguished term of service in this high office.

After having a quick read of a few of the Governor-General’s annual reports and looking at the Governor-General’s website—yes, it is amazing that the Governor-General has a website as well—I soon realised what an enormous workload and vast responsibilities come with the position of being Governor-General. For the benefit of the House I will just outline a few of the contributions that the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery have made over the years.

The Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery are either individual or joint patrons of over 180 organisations. I will not go into naming them all but I will tell you that they are very wide-ranging from being patrons for Youth Hostels Australia to being patron of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. To be patrons of over 180 organisations is truly a remarkable achievement by anyone’s standards. Both the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery have visited every state and territory on several occasions each year. The Governor-General has hosted hundreds of official functions including a reception for over 500 family members after the Bali bombings along with special Christmas functions for children with special needs, their families and their carers. The Major General has delivered hundreds of speeches during his appointment including a recent address at the opening of the Dugong Beach Resort, Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory during this year.

During his tenure, the Governor-General has performed his constitutional and statutory responsibilities over the years by considering and giving assent to hundreds of pieces of legislation passed by this parliament, along with presiding over meetings of the federal Executive Council and receiving hundreds of high-level visitors—too many to mention for fear of offending somebody. And I would like to reiterate what the Prime Minister said in the Sydney Morning Herald on 13 April 2008. He said:

On behalf of the Government and the people of Australia I record our deep appreciation of Major General Jeffery’s services to his country and our great respect for the outstanding way he has carried out his duties as governor-general.

I wish Major General Jeffery and Mrs Jeffery the very best for their future.

That now brings us to a new chapter in Australia’s history, the appointment of Australia’s 25th and the first female Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce. She will probably be remembered fondly on this side of the House, as will 24 other governors-general—and the member for Blair alluded to the one that we probably did not talk about very often. It is a tremendous appointment, an appointment that not only has the full support of every member on our side but also the support from the Leader of the Opposition who, as reported in an article in the Age on 14 April this year, offered his public support, and I quote:

Brendan Nelson welcomed the appointment, saying Ms Bryce ‘had demonstrated a strong commitment to the rights of women, indigenous Australians and the bush’.

And it is this type of fortitude in decision making from our side of government, along with the bipartisan support shown, that as politicians we are showing all Australians, that there are practical ways of doing things differently to improve the lives for all in our community.

I would like reiterate what the Prime Minister said about the appointment of Quentin Bryce in the Sydney Morning Herald on 13 April this year. He said:

‘... Ms Bryce had an outstanding record of service to the entire Australian community and was highly qualified for the role of governor-general ...’

‘She is highly qualified for the role of governor-general. Ms Bryce has enjoyed a rich and dynamic career as a lawyer, academic and senior public office holder.’

…            …            …

‘On behalf of the Government and the people of Australia, I extend very sincere congratulations to Ms Bryce’

So after 107 years of male dominance in the Governor-General’s position, what does the appointment of woman mean for Australia?

I might start by answering that question with a few quotes I found in the media following the historic announcement by the Prime Minister. Democrat spokeswoman on women Natasha Stott Despoja hailed the appointment of the first woman Governor-General as ‘a ‘herstoric’ day ... both symbolic and substantial, sending a strong message that women can hold the highest positions in the land’. Greens leader, Bob Brown, described it as a great choice and ‘very 21st century’, saying a female Governor-General should have happened decades ago. And I think it only appropriate that I quote Quentin Bryce herself when she said:

I grew up in little bush town in Queensland of 200 people and what this day says to Australian women and to Australian girls is that you can do anything, you can be anything, and it makes my heart sing to see women in so many diverse roles across our country and Australia.

Ms Bryce said that the new appointment was ‘a great honour and a great responsibility’ and that it was also ‘a great day for Australian woman’.

Whilst some members have spoken about the republic debate, as a republican myself I thought it was more fitting that I focus not on the debate that we will have in the future but on why it is such an inspiring appointment. It is inspiring for women, young women like my daughters and nieces who are growing up in rural and regional Australia. These young ladies have a shining practical example. It does not matter where you have come from; it is all about where you want to go.

The NT has a worldwide reputation for being a male domain, a frontier. In reality, this reputation does not stand up to even the most basic analysis. Much of the hard work and innovation in the Territory currently and historically has been achieved by its women providing leadership or supporting partners in their roles. The NT, I believe, is leading the way across a range of activities in government, business, industry and the community sectors. It is the women of the NT that have achieved milestones across public administration, private enterprise and in the community while raising families and providing secure homes. Pat Miller, Deputy Administrator; Clare Martin, former Chief Minister; Marion Scrymgour, Deputy Chief Minister member for Arafura; Jane Aagaard, the Speaker of the House; Jodeen Carney, member for Araluen; Lorraine Brahm, member for Braitling; Malarndirri McCarthy, member for Arnhem; Alison Anderson, member for MacDonnell; and Adele Young, Chief of Staff to the Chief Minister.

While we celebrate the emergence of women in government and public administration, it has been possible because of the historic yards done by their sisters in private enterprise, and the community sector in the Northern Territory has acted as an inspiration and support for them in their enterprises. Women such as Sue Shearer, Carole Frost, Sylvia Wolf, Marilynne Paspaley, Rosemary Campbell, Linda Deans, Vicky Spence, Alison Hucks, Betty Pearce, Di Deanes, Cathy MacDonald, Vicki O’Halloran, Connie Jape, Pamela Jape, Lucy Biggs, Kat Byron, Wendy Phillips and Marie-Louise Pearson—to name but a few—are all very successful women. They are all shining examples of women in the north of our country who have been and continue to be fantastic role models.

It is a great pleasure to this side of the House that we have so many women who are great representatives of their constituencies, whether they are ministers or backbenchers like me. They bring a lot to the table, and I am often inspired by the way they carry themselves in the House and by the contribution they make. The list of women will go on and on, and I really believe that the appointment of Quentin Bryce will continue to inspire young women in the future. This act needs to be amended to update the salary figures before the swearing in of the next Governor-General on 5 September. I commend the bill to the House.

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to add my comments to those of my colleagues who have spoken about Quentin Bryce, a truly awe-inspiring lady. Quentin Bryce, the current Governor of Queensland, is a great friend of Townsville. She has been to Townsville on many occasions and I have been with her, both in Townsville and at Government House in Brisbane. I have come to know her as the person that she is—an absolutely delightful mix of formality and informality. She relaxes you immediately that you are in her presence. She does not just do the job for the sake of doing the job. She does the job because she cares; she does the job because she is interested. She is engaging, and she understands, wherever she is—and, of course, governors get to go to all sorts of interesting places, even to Maranoa, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott—what is being explained to her and she asks very relevant questions. I know that, most recently, she enjoyed her visit to James Cook University, one of the premier tropical universities in the world today, and she enjoys visiting the north.

She is a noncontroversial person, as governors have to be. And it does take a special person to perform that role: to make sure that nobody is offended in the community yet to let the community know how you feel about particular issues. She is the sort of person who would agree with what I am going to say now. It is kind of a bit irreverent, but she would appreciate what I say and she would not take offence at all. She is in fact an air commodore in the Royal Australian Air Force, and she from time to time reviews Air Force parades. The Army would say, ‘We know how to march,’ and the Air Force would say, ‘We know how to march too, but perhaps Army has a better claim to that.’ When the Governor is in her Air Force uniform, she probably has the worst salute that I have ever seen, and she would agree with that. But that is the way things go.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hope you are not reflecting on Queensland’s governor, because it would be improper, I would remind the member for Herbert!

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not reflecting on the Queensland governor. She would understand, and she would agree with me. I also pay tribute to her new official secretary, Mark Gower, who is also an Air Force officer and who is also an air commodore. Mark Gower has spent a lot of time of his time in 395 ECSW in Townsville. His last posting was at Amberley, but he is now the new official secretary. He deserves that job, and he will fit that job very well indeed.

There have been a number of female governors, but of course there has not been a female Governor-General, so this is a step forward. I have not found a person who actually disagrees with that appointment. It is a very good appointment, and she will do a great job. There are so many female members of the community—across the community, in all segments of the economy—who are leaders in our economy. Thinking about that, Gale Kelly, the CEO of the Westpac bank, comes to mind. She was, of course, CEO of St George Bank, and is a very, very impressive lady. She is not unalike in stature to the Queensland governor. One of the areas—and now I will be controversial again—where perhaps females are not as well represented as they should be is in the churches. I find that quite sad, and I am not a Catholic but I certainly speak to my Catholic bishop about that. He has a surprising view on that, and I think, one day, we will see Catholic female clergy in the church. I hope we see that sooner rather than later. That would then involve a discussion on married priests, but that would be straying from the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was just about to suggest that to you!

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will not go in that direction. Congratulations to Quentin Bryce for her elevation to Governor-General. I of course support this machinery bill that is needed at this time to do what needs to be done in relation to the Governor-General’s salary, and I certainly commend the bill to the House.

Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. As the House is aware, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC will be appointed as Australia’s next, and first female, Governor-General. This comes following the retirement of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery, who is concluding a period of distinguished public service including his time as Governor-General of Australia and in his former role as the Governor of Western Australia.

The bill before the House seeks to review the salary of the Governor-General. Alterations to the salary of the Governor-General must occur through an amendment to section 3 of the Governor-General Act 1974. This amendment must occur prior to the swearing in of the next Governor-General, as section 3 of the Constitution precludes any change to the salary of the Governor-General during a term of office. As Ms Bryce will be sworn in on 5 September 2008, if there is to be an amendment to the salary of the Governor-General it must occur during this current sitting.

Ms Bryce is of course a woman of exceptional ability and achievement. She is a fine choice for the role of Governor-General. Since 2003, she has discharged her duties as Governor of Queensland with a flair that would be expected, knowing her background. Raised in regional Queensland, Ms Bryce is a trailblazer by nature with an impressive collection of firsts under her belt. She was one of the first women to study law in Queensland, she was called to the bar and she also lectured in law at the University of Queensland. As a lawyer myself I acknowledge the pioneering role played by women such as Ms Bryce in what was then a very difficult career for women. Also numbered amongst Ms Bryce’s achievements are her roles as federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, the inaugural director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service and the founding chair and Chief Executive Officer of the National Childcare Accreditation Council. Ms Bryce has toured Queensland extensively in her time as Governor, paying special attention to small rural communities like the one she grew up in. I am sure she will continue to be a fierce friend of remote and regional towns as Governor-General.

It goes without saying that Ms Bryce will be Australia’s first female Governor-General, although a number of states have had female governors. This obviously includes Queensland, which can boast two eminent female governors, Ms Bryce and Leneen Forde. Even the current Governor-General’s wife, Mrs Marlena Jeffery, noted as recently as this past weekend the unique talents that women bring to leadership. Speaking whilst opening the three-day national conference of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools in Canberra, Mrs Jeffery noted that in educating young women it was important to encourage and foster their unique talents. Mrs Jeffery also pointed out that it was evident just how far Australia had come by the fact that we now have a female Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and we are soon to have a female Governor-General. I am sure Ms Bryce would echo Mrs Jeffery’s sentiments regarding the education of young women, as Ms Bryce herself has a rich history of mentoring girls through her time as a lecturer at university and also as head of the Women’s College at the University of Sydney.

Ms Bryce possesses a wealth of experience and a proud record of community involvement and this will also stand her in good stead in her new role. It is this sort of work that makes the Governor-General such an important part of public life in Australia. Numbered amongst the Governor-General’s official duties are the opening of new sessions of the Commonwealth parliament, acting as patron to a vast array of community organisations and the opening of and participation in conferences. I note in particular Major General Jeffery’s attendance at the recent 2020 Summit, which brought many Australians together to harness our collective potential to make this country a better place.

Apart from fulfilling necessary constitutional and ceremonial functions, the office of Governor-General has a tangible history of engaging with the community at large. If I draw the House’s attention to page 50 of today’s Courier Mail you would see an unobtrusive article—one that appears every day—outlining the Governor-General’s engagements for the previous day. Although the article is small and tucked away, it does not diminish the significance of the work the Governor-General does. Pose a question to the members of any charity or community group who have been welcomed at Government House for a special function. Ask them what it means for their group. In fact, it is just as likely that the Governor-General has visited the groups themselves and if you were to ask the significance of this interaction between the vice-regal office and the grassroots of our community I think the answer would be the same every time. They will tell you that the recognition they get from the Governor-General is a vital part of the work that they do. It validates their activity and encourages them by recognising that the work they undertake is valued by the community at large.

In his time as Governor-General, Major General Jeffery has attended more than 1,000 events throughout Australia and has hosted a further 800 official functions. He has presented hundreds of honours and delivered a great number of speeches. He has received over 500 callers, many of whom were representatives of the approximately 180 services for which the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery are patrons. He has received the credentials of over 129 ambassadors and high commissioners to Australia. He has presided over 131 meetings of the Federal Executive Council, which has considered over 2,468 agenda items, and he has assented to over 782 pieces of legislation passed by the Commonwealth parliament. This high level of activity is indicative of the popular demand on the Governor-General’s time, as well as the willingness of the vice-regal office to participate in a variety of community activities. I have no doubt that Ms Bryce will continue Major General Jeffery’s tradition of active engagement with all Australians. I recently attended a function at Queensland’s Government House for graduating guide dogs. Ms Bryce is patron of the Guide Dogs organisation and I have to say that she truly inspires people with her approach to her role and by her recognition of the importance of organisations such as the Guide Dogs and the many others of which she is patron. I know that as Governor-General she will fulfil that role very well for the whole community of Australia. The office of Governor-General quite rightly transcends partisan politics and it is this quality that allows the office to play a unique role in public life. The Governor-General can speak to people regardless of their background or political persuasion.

It is for these reasons that the remuneration of the Governor-General should be not simply a token gesture mandated by the Constitution but a true and accurate reflection of the work the Governor-General does for our communities. As I mentioned earlier, the salary of the Governor-General cannot be altered during a term in office. That is why it is necessary to arrive at a figure that will remain a fair and accurate salary for the Governor-General’s full term, which is usually five years. It has become common practice, when calculating the level of the Governor-General’s remuneration, to have regard to the salary paid to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. This does not mean the salaries are identical. The Governor-General’s salary is set to moderately exceed the estimated average salary of the Chief Justice over a notional three-year period. What is important to note is that the salary proposed in the bill—$394,000 per annum—has been calculated in a way consistent with the convention established in 1974. The proposed salary is also in line with precedent established by Sir William Deane, who asked that his remuneration take into account the non-contributory pension he received under the Judges’ Pensions Act after his retirement from the High Court.

I note also that this bill removes the superannuation surcharge—which was discontinued in 2005—from the Governor-General Act 1974 for future governors-general. This change, however, does not affect the continued application of the surcharge to former governors-general to whom the surcharge applied. I believe this bill provides for a fair salary for the Governor-General. It is an accurate gauge of the work that the vice-regal office undertakes in our community and it has been set in accordance with laws and precedents that are long standing.

I want to acknowledge the continuing role played by the spouse of the Governor-General, currently Mrs Marlena Jeffery, and also the spouse of the Governor-General designate, Mr Michael Bryce. These spouses assist the Governor-General in their duties and often have proud records of achievement and community engagement in their own right. I wish Ms Bryce well in her time as Governor-General and I have no doubt that she will be one of the most successful and well-regarded occupants of the office.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I feel compelled to speak on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 as it raises some very important issues. Section 3 of the Constitution precludes any changes to the salary of the Governor-General during the term of office, which makes it very important that we pass this legislation in the parliament tonight. Whenever a Governor-General is to be appointed, changes to the salary of the office must be made by way of an amendment to the Governor-General Act 1974 prior to that appointment. The bill amends section 3 of the Governor-General Act 1974 to set a salary of $394,000 per annum. The bill also amends sections 2A and 4 of the Governor-General Act 1974 to remove reference to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued in 2005. While the bill amends the act to remove the superannuation surcharge for future governors-general, it does not affect the continued application of the surcharge to those former governors-general to whom the surcharge applied.

On 13 April this year it was announced that Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC would be appointed as Australia’s next and the first female Governor-General following the retirement of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery. Ms Quentin Bryce is a very special person and I am sure she will be an outstanding success as Governor-General. She has enjoyed a rich and dynamic career as a talented lawyer, academic and senior public servant and as a prolific and dedicated contributor to a range of community organisations. She has made choices throughout her professional and community life that show her strong sense of community responsibility, her commitment to advancing humanity, equity, the rights of women and children and the welfare of the family, and her willingness to share her skills and experiences to improve the lives of many. She is just the type of person that we need as Governor-General.

She is a mother of five children and now a grandmother. The personal aspects of her life, along with her academic qualifications, her community contributions and the fact that she has been a parent and a grandparent, give her a very, very special perspective on life. She has had outstanding achievements with every single thing that she has done in her life. Her appointment as the first female Governor-General means that she will be an even greater role model to women than she has been to date. She was inaugural Director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service, Office of the Status of Women; Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner; founding Chair and Chief Executive of the National Childcare Accreditation Council; Principal and Chief Executive Officer of The Women’s College, University of Sydney; member of the Australian Delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and lecturer in law at the University of Queensland. We all know that her work has been recognised and she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988.

In 2000, Ms Bryce received the Australian Sports Medal for her service to women’s cricket. I would like to spend a little time on the issue of her status as a role model and what that could mean for women’s sport. Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, I am not sure whether you are aware of this, but women’s sport does not enjoy the same profile as men’s sport. I was recently at a function and spoke to Cheryl Salisbury, the captain of the Australian women’s soccer team. I am sure the House will be surprised to learn that she has been unable to get sponsorship or receive support. For the whole time that she has been captain of the women’s soccer team, she has had to work. It has made her sport a part-time job. If we look at men’s sport, we see that our football players receive salaries in excess of what I earn as a member of parliament. I do not deny their right to receive it. I really enjoy watching the footy when I am at home or going to watch the Knights play in Newcastle, but I also enjoy watching women’s sport, including women’s soccer and basketball. I feel that they should have the same recognition that male participants in sport receive. Captains of Australian national sporting teams, be they male or female, should receive similar recognition.

Our new Governor-General will be in a position to be a role model for women. Her support of sport in the past will be of benefit to other women involved in sport. I think that Quentin Bryce will probably be one of the finest, if not the finest, governors-general that this country has ever seen. It took the Rudd Labor government to appoint the first woman Governor-General. I really look forward to being in this parliament with her as Governor-General and to working with her over the next few years.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had endeavoured to get on the speakers list, but I was advised that it was being confined to a small number of members. But, when the honourable member for Shortland saw fit to jump up without being on the speakers list, I thought that the same rules ought to apply to the opposition. I will be quite brief because I realise my friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister has to sum up the bill and we have to move to private members’ business at 8.30 pm.

I want to use my contribution to the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 as a chance to place on record my great admiration for our retiring Governor-General, Major General Jeffery, and also for the role played by Mrs Marlena Jeffery, the wife of the Governor-General. They have done an absolutely outstanding job and I would like to wish them well in retirement.

I would also like to congratulate Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce on her appointment as Governor-General of Australia. I must say that I think it is appropriate that the Governor-General’s salary is not increased during the term of the Governor-General and, thus, this bill is most timely, essential and appropriate.

I think, however, the fact that so many people have praised Ms Bryce as being someone who has been chosen because she will be the first woman to be Governor-General is probably not giving Ms Bryce the credit that she deserves. She is a person who is eminently qualified to be Governor-General—not because she is a woman but because she is a qualified person to be Governor-General. She is not the token woman; she has not been chosen because she is a woman; she has been chosen because she is a competent person whose gender happens to be female. I have observed Her Excellency’s role as Governor of Queensland. She has performed in an outstanding manner. In her capacity, she has gone the length and breadth of Queensland—including, I suspect, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, to your own electorate of Maranoa. She is widely and well respected by everyone.

I would, however, at this stage also like to mention that I believe that there is a defect in our Australian honours system in that we are not currently able to appropriately recognise the holders of vice-regal office. I think it is ridiculous that a person who is Governor of Queensland and about to be sworn in as Governor-General of Australia is known as simply Ms Bryce AC. I understand, of course, that the government has an objection to the former honours system, but under the Order of Australia we did have the position of Knight or Dame of the Order of Australia as part of our uniquely Australian honours system. Those awards were able to be made to a very small number of people who were eminently deserving of that level of recognition.

I consider that it would be appropriate for the governors of the several states and also for the Governor-General of Australia to be properly recognised within our Australian honours system as holders of very high office. It would set the person in the federal sphere, the head of state of Australia, apart. It would mean we would be able to adequately respect that person’s position. For the holder of that office to be Mr, Mrs or Ms like the rest of us I think is sadly to demean the very high office to which those people have been appointed.

Having said that, I would like to wish Major General Jeffery and Mrs Jeffery every happiness and success in their retirement. I would like to wish Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC and her husband, Mr Michael Bryce, every success in the new appointment. There is no doubt, in my view, that Quentin Bryce will be as effective a Governor-General as she has been the Governor of Queensland.

Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in reply—I would like to thank all the members who have spoken on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008. It was obvious through the course of the debate that there have been many well-considered and thoughtful remarks. In summary, this bill will do two things. It will set an annual salary of $394,000 for the office of Governor-General during the tenure of Her Excellency Quentin Bryce. The bill will also remove references in the Governor-General Act 1974 to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued by the previous government in 2005. The Prime Minister announced on 13 April that Her Majesty the Queen had agreed to his recommendation that Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC be appointed as Australia’s next and, historically, first female Governor-General following the retirement of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC, after five years in office.

Ms Bryce will be sworn in on 5 September 2008. She has an outstanding record of service to the entire Australian community and is highly qualified for the role of Governor-General. Ms Bryce’s commitment to the bush, to women and to Indigenous Australians is well known. As has been noted, Ms Bryce will be the 25th and first female Governor-General of Australia. I note that the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Nelson, has welcomed Ms Bryce’s appointment. In fact, it is obvious that members from both sides of the House, regardless of their views on the question of a republic, have welcomed the appointment of Ms Bryce. I also particularly welcome the member for Dickson’s comments about the high standard of the office of the Governor-General and his generous remarks about the qualities and suitability for the office of Ms Bryce. I am sure the member for Fadden’s assessment of Ms Bryce following his two-year-old son’s encounter will be borne out.

Honourable members would be aware that section 3 of the Constitution precludes any change to the salary of a Governor-General during their term of office, which is why we are here tonight. Therefore, whenever a Governor-General is to be appointed, changes to the salary must be made by way of amendment to the Governor-General Act 1974 prior to this appointment being made. The Governor-General’s salary needs to be set at the time of appointment at a level that will be appropriate for the duration of the appointment. We have heard from both sides of the House that that is the assessment of this House.

Although the appointment is at the Queen’s pleasure, a five-year term is considered usual. The salary proposed in the bill is consistent with the convention applying since 1974 under which the salary of the Governor-General has been set with respect to the salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. I note that the Chief Justice’s salary is determined annually by the Remuneration Tribunal, a body that is independent of government. The government has forecast the Chief Justice’s salary over the next five years using wages growth projections, and the salary that is set is approximately the salary which will be payable to the Chief Justice at around the midpoint of the Governor-General’s expected five-year term.

In setting an appropriate salary, regard was also given to the Commonwealth funded pension that the Governor-General designate will be entitled to receive during her term in office from her previous employment by the Commonwealth including, for example, as Sex Discrimination Commissioner. This is at the request of the Governor-General designate and is in line with the precedent established by Sir William Deane in 1995 who asked that his salary as Governor-General be set to take account of the non-contributory pension he received under the Judges’ Pensions Act 1968 after retiring from the High Court. The proposed salary of $394,000 per annum, combined with Ms Bryce’s existing pension, will maintain the traditional relativity between the Chief Justice and the Governor-General. While this bill amends the act to remove the superannuation surcharge for future governors-general, it does not affect the continuant application of the surcharge to those former governors-general to whom the surcharge applied.

I want to make one point on behalf of the government concerning the retiring Governor-General. We would like to thank Major General Jeffery—and I am sure I speak for everyone on both sides of the House—and his wife, Marlena, for the contribution they have made. By the time Major General Jeffery retires from office in early September 2008, he will have served just over five years as Governor-General. Major General Jeffery has a long and admirable record of service to the community. He is patron to over 180 organisations. His interest in charities is particularly well known. In some of the personal conversations I have had with him as a member of the Executive Council, I have been amazed at his deep and abiding interest in these charities and at the great work that he and his wife, Marlena, do. I commend him on that work.

We know that he served as Governor of Western Australia from 1993 to 2003. He has held a number of very senior posts in the Australian Army, including as the first commanding officer of the SAS Regiment. He served in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross. Major General Jeffery has served in the role of Governor-General with honour and distinction. On behalf of the community and this party I would like to thank him for his service to our country in his role as Governor-General and wish him, his wife, Marlena, and his family all the best for the future. On behalf of this place and the Australian community, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.