THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
TREASURER

Doorstop Interview

Monday, 25 February 2002
9.35pm

SUBJECT: Governor-General

JOURNALIST:

Will the Governor-General be on the agenda today?

TREASURER:

Look, the thing to remember in relation to Governors-General, is, that they

are appointed by the Queen on advice from the Prime Minister. And they are dismissed,

if they are dismissed, by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. This

is a matter for the Prime Minister and he has considered all of the material

and after considering the material, he indicated that he thought there were

no grounds for advising the Queen to terminate the Governor-General’s commission.

So that’s where the matter stands.

JOURNALIST:

What about the new material that’s come to light? Will he have to consider

that?

TREASURER:

Well, I am not sure what the new material is. I saw the Sunday program yesterday,

if that’s what you’re talking about. I think the Governor-General’s already

given a response to that. I don’t think there’s any new, new material this morning.

Not as far as I am aware anyway.

JOURNALIST:

(inaudible)…Governor-General…

TREASURER:

Well, just say, the Queen, I don’t think this reflects in relation to the Queen

or the monarchy at all. The Queen’s role is the appointment of the Governor-General

on the advice of her Ministers. And if the case be it, dismissal on the advice

of her Ministers, which has not been given. I don’t think it reflects in relation

to the Queen at all. We all know that the Queen’s role in relation to the Governors-General

is simply to act as she is advised by her Prime Minister. So, I think it’s drawing

a long bow to say that this somehow involves or compromises the Queen.

JOURNALIST:

Treasurer, what’s your assessment of the way in which the Governor-General’s

handled this whole matter?

TREASURER:

Well look, these are matters that occurred when he was the Archbishop of Brisbane,

an Anglican Archbishop. And we look back on them, and I think he would say himself

they should have been handled better. That there were real cases here, where

people had been abused and they shouldn’t have. And when they were, that they

were looking for help and it should have been handled better. And I think he

would agree with that. That was in his capacity as an Anglican Archbishop and

not in his capacity as a Governor-General.

Thanks.