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Ch1 The Parliament and the role of the House / GOVERNOR-GENERAL / Appointment



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House of Representatives                                Ch 1                                                 p 2

 

The Parliament and the role of the House / GOVERNOR-GENERAL

 

Appointment

The Governor-General is appoi nted by the Crown, in practice on the advice of Australian Ministers of the Crown. 1 The Governor-General holds office during the Crown’s pleasure, appointments normally being for five years, but some Governors-General have had extended terms of office, and others have resigned or have been recalled. The method of appointment was changed as a result of the 1926 and 1930 Imperial Conferences. 2 Appointments prior to 1924 were made by the Crown on the advice of the Crown’s Ministers in the United Kingdom (the Governor-General being also the representative or agent of the British Government 3 ) in consultation with Australian Ministers. The Balfour Report stated that the Governor-General should be the representative of the Crown only, holding the same position in the administration of public affairs in Australia as the Crown did in the United Kingdom. The 1930 report laid down certain criteria for the future appointments of Governors-General. Since then Governors-General have been appointed by the Crown after informal consultation with and on the formal advice of Australian Ministers.

The Letters Patent of 21 August 1984 provide that the appointment of a person as Governor-General shall be by Commission which must be published in the official gazette of the Commonwealth. They also provide that a person appointed to be Governor-General shall take the oath or affirmation of allegiance. These acts are to be performed by the Chief Justice or another justice of the High Court. The ceremonial swearing-in of a new Governor-General has traditionally taken place in the Senate Chamber.



See also H.R. Deb. (28.11.46) 742-3; H.R. Deb. (19.2.47) 19-20; H.R. Deb. (7.5.47) 2051.



‘Imperial Conference 1926’, Summary of proceedings , PP 99(1926-28) ( see Balfour Report, pp. 10-12); ‘Imperial Conference 1930’, Summary of proceedings , PP 293(1929-31) 17.



L. F. Crisp, Australian national government , 5th edn, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne, 1983, p. 398.