David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have today given notice of the Governor-General Amendment (Cessation of Allowances in the Public Interest) Bill 2023. The bill creates a power for the removal of access to lucrative entitlements by former governors-general where they are found to have engaged in serious misconduct. The ability to remove entitlements in cases of proven serious misconduct exists for all similar offices, whether MPs, judges or senior public officials. The need for this has been highlighted this week, as former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth has finally faced an Anglican church inquiry into serious allegations of his mishandling of child sexual abuse claims.

Child abuse survivor Beth Heinrich spoke about my former colleague Rachel Siewert's efforts to make this change, saying: 'I feel if he'd had any integrity, he would have said, "I won't be accepting the Governor-General's pension."' Steve Fisher, a survivor and the current CEO of Beyond Abuse, gave me these words to share with the chamber today:

Ever since Hollingworth resigned in disgrace and we found out he was getting a generous gift from the taxpayer, victim survivors have felt that it was completely wrong.

It does not pass the pub test, it doesn't resonate—and that's not just with the survivors but the general public who look at this and think "what a rort."

Steve says further:

When the Governor-General act was introduced and this wasn't included, I'm sure it was an oversight, survivors are so grateful for this move today.

Thank you to Steve and so many other survivors for your courage and ongoing advocacy. While I deliver these words, though, former Governor-General Hollingworth continues to take and take from the public. In just the five years from 2016 to 2021, the former Governor-General took over $3 million in payments and entitlements—all for an 18-month-long job that he resigned from in disgrace. As Steve said: that doesn't pass the pub test. So now it's time for this bill to pass the test of politics and become law.