The last time a G-G didn't was in the 1920s (the King-Byng affair), and it was such a huge controversy that we still drag it out and talk about it every time the question of the G-G's power is raised.
I'd be interested in hearing more about that. There was a confrontation here in 1930 between the PM and the King over appointing an Australian as GG. In the end the King relented. But he split the job in two, creating the new post of High Commissioner. For many years Labor governments nominated Australians and Liberal governments nominated Brits. Then in 1969, the Liberals nominated Sir Paul Hasluck and since then all GGs have been Australians.
The biggest stir since then occurred in 1975 when the alcoholic GG Sir John Kerr sacked the government of the day. This is the reason why I am pretty defensive about the powers of the GG.
The current government is on its second GG. The first, Rt Rev Peter Hollingworth was an anglican archbishop who got tangled up in controversy about child abuse by the church. He wasn't involved himself himself of course but was hounded from office.
The PM then nominated General Michael Jeffreys, a career soldier who served two tours in Vietnam and won the Military Cross there. He likes to dress in his old Special Air Service uniform and give inspiring speeches to the troops. Hollingworth wasn't - and Jeffreys isn't - backward about giving their views on matters that concern them.
Re: C eh N eh D eh
I'd be interested in hearing more about that. There was a confrontation here in 1930 between the PM and the King over appointing an Australian as GG. In the end the King relented. But he split the job in two, creating the new post of High Commissioner. For many years Labor governments nominated Australians and Liberal governments nominated Brits. Then in 1969, the Liberals nominated Sir Paul Hasluck and since then all GGs have been Australians.
The biggest stir since then occurred in 1975 when the alcoholic GG Sir John Kerr sacked the government of the day. This is the reason why I am pretty defensive about the powers of the GG.
The current government is on its second GG. The first, Rt Rev Peter Hollingworth was an anglican archbishop who got tangled up in controversy about child abuse by the church. He wasn't involved himself himself of course but was hounded from office.
The PM then nominated General Michael Jeffreys, a career soldier who served two tours in Vietnam and won the Military Cross there. He likes to dress in his old Special Air Service uniform and give inspiring speeches to the troops. Hollingworth wasn't - and Jeffreys isn't - backward about giving their views on matters that concern them.