Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Very quickly: the convention since 1974 has been that the Governor-General’s salary be set moderately above the average salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. The Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 seeks to uphold that convention and has the support of the opposition.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ronaldson for his contribution—his accurate contribution. The Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 does two things. It sets an annual salary for the office of the Governor-General during the term of Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce—and I take this opportunity to congratulate Ms Bryce for her appointment to the office of Governor-General. I think she will be terrific in that role. The bill also removes references in the Governor-General Act 1974 to the superannuation surcharge, which was discontinued by the previous government in 2005. I commend the bill to the chamber.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder if I might just momentarily take the opportunity of this debate on the Governor-General Amendment (Salary and Superannuation) Bill 2008 to acknowledge and congratulate the government on the appointment of Her Excellency Quentin Bryce to her high office. I have had the privilege of having known Her Excellency since 1975, when she taught me as a first-year law student.

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She’s to blame.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She is to blame; that is right, Senator McGauran! She has been a wonderful mentor of generations of young Queenslanders—and people elsewhere in Australia too, during her time as Principal of Women’s College at the University of Sydney. The appointment of Quentin Bryce, which Dr Nelson welcomed on behalf of the opposition when it was announced several weeks ago, has certainly caused me great pleasure. She is a wonderful person, as is her husband Michael, and I think the new occupants of Yarralumla will certainly bring to this city a charisma and a stature which will—with no disrespect to any previous occupant—be greatly welcomed by all the residents of this city.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.