Next Governor-General - Beazley? (1 Viewer)

[~ari]

FORMER Labor Party leader and republican Kim Beazley is set to be offered the job of Australia's next — and possibly last — governor-general.


Federal cabinet is likely to discuss the idea as early as tomorrow, when it meets in Mr Beazley's home town of Perth.


Senior Government figures have mounted a campaign to have Mr Beazley take over from the incumbent Governor-General, Michael Jeffery, whose term expires in months.


Backing Mr Beazley for the job are cabinet secretary John Faulkner, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Treasurer Wayne Swan. Mr Rudd does not oppose appointing Mr Beazley, but wants others to be considered — including the possibility of appointing the first woman to Yarralumla.


Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is also thought to want at least one woman considered for the role.


A senior ALP figure told The Sunday Age the influential Senator Faulkner judged Mr Beazley an ideal choice.


"John has indicated his clear preference for Kim to take over, based on his view that Kim made an outstanding contribution throughout his 27 years in Parliament," the source said. The governor-general's office was mired in controversy between 2001 and 2003, when it was occupied by former Anglican archbishop Peter Hollingworth, who was forced to resign after vocal criticism of the way he handled sexual abuse allegations by an Anglican priest when he was archbishop of Brisbane.


One cabinet minister said: "There is a feeling that we owe it to Kim. He wore an awful lot of pain on behalf of the party, and yet despite not winning an election he achieved a great deal in terms of keeping us together."


What Mr Beazley's boosters avoided yesterday was the fact that he was a prominent supporter of the push for a republic, being pictured several times at republic rallies.


In his favor is the fact that there are several precedents for appointing serving and former politicians to Government House.


Former Labor prime minister Ben Chifley made then NSW Labor premier William McKell governor-general in 1947, and Sir Robert Menzies appointed former Liberal MP and one-time leadership rival Richard Casey to the job in 1965.
John Gorton appointed the then external affairs minister, Paul Hasluck, to succeed Mr Casey in 1969; in 1989, Bob Hawke gave the job to his minister for foreign affairs, Bill Hayden.


Mr Beazley, now a professorial fellow at the University of Western Australia, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...8/01/19/1200620280743.html?s_cid=rss_national

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

It said on Sky News this morning that Kevin Rudd ruled out Beazley as a potential GG, saying he didn't want a political figure from either side getting the appointment.

It would be nice if Kim Beazley got it though. As they said, he did an awful lot for the ALP and really didn't get much in return.

 

[jb_nc]

Ex-politician croney appointments = shite.

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC is one one the better GGs.

Back to Labor croneyism after a break of 2 months. lol.

 

[incentivation]

As they said, he did an awful lot for the ALP and really didn't get much in return.

Maybe so, but that shouldn't be a consideration when appointing the G-G. I agree with Rudd. The representative needs to be someone who represents that broader community, and has no political affiliation or similar.

 

[Trampoline Man]

So Jeffery's appointment was nonpartisan was it? The fact that he was deeply conservative was just a coincidence was it?

The GG doesn't have to have had an official relationship with a party to be biased.

How about Hollingworth? Just a coincidence that he was previously a priest, appointed by a deeply religious PM in a country where no religion is followed by more than 30% of the population? And of course, THAT appointment turned out great.

 

[Triangulum]

Mr Rudd says neither he nor his Government have considered who will fill the position, but it will not be Mr Beazley.

"The next Governor-General of Australia will not be a former or serving politician - conservative or Labor," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/20/2142398.htm

 

[incentivation]

So Jeffery's appointment was nonpartisan was it? The fact that he was deeply conservative was just a coincidence was it?

The GG doesn't have to have had an official relationship with a party to be biased.

How about Hollingworth? Just a coincidence that he was previously a priest, appointed by a deeply religious PM in a country where no religion is followed by more than 30% of the population? And of course, THAT appointment turned out great.

Political affiliation is vastly different to having particular leanings or views. The idea of the G-G being detached from government is overtly undermined if they have served a political master.

Such appointments will always have an element of favour, this cannot be avoided. However the older style approach of political appointees, is no longer acceptable.

It's likely that this may well be the last G-G we see anyway.

 

[RogueAcademic]

The role of the GG is largely symbolic in recent times.

I was very disappointed with Beazley as the leader of the ALP all those years though, he had sub-standard public-speaking and debating skills, he could not connect with the Australian public, and he lacked the ability to effectively promote himself as a viable alternative against Howard. He hardly spoke up about issues and when he did speak up, his rhetoric came across as weak and empty soundbites at best, it sounded as if he was speaking to children in primary school. It was very disheartening.

And having Macklin as his deputy further emphasised his bad decision-making skills.

 

[Slidey]

So Jeffery's appointment was nonpartisan was it? The fact that he was deeply conservative was just a coincidence was it?

The GG doesn't have to have had an official relationship with a party to be biased.

How about Hollingworth? Just a coincidence that he was previously a priest, appointed by a deeply religious PM in a country where no religion is followed by more than 30% of the population? And of course, THAT appointment turned out great.

Actually, in Australia, Christianity is practiced by about 65% of the population.

 

[~ari]

Actually, in Australia, Christianity is practiced by about 65% of the population.

No, you're only allowed to use the official statistics of the Greens. Everyone is a tree hugging Atheist and conservatives are a dead minority. Gosh, don't you know anything?

 

[Trampoline Man]

I wasn't aware the Australian Bureau of Statistics was affiliated with the Greens

 

[spiny norman]

I don't know why people here are at all troubled over this (though I suppose these same people called the proposition to ban plastic bags as fascism, so I'm not that surprised, really).

William Deane and John Kerr were Labor Party members, Bill Hayden was a former Labor leader, Richard Casey and Paul Hasluck were former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister, William McKell was a former Labor NSW Premier, Isaac Isaacs a parliamentarian also. It's nothing out of the ordinary, and not really worth whining about croneyism about.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Maybe so, but that shouldn't be a consideration when appointing the G-G.

The GG, as RogueAcademic said is essentially symbolic. Very little difference will be made no matter who the apointee is.

I don't know why people here are at all troubled over this (though I suppose these same people called the proposition to ban plastic bags as fascism, so I'm not that surprised, really).

William Deane and John Kerr were Labor Party members, Bill Hayden was a former Labor leader, Richard Casey and Paul Hasluck were former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister, William McKell was a former Labor NSW Premier, Isaac Isaacs a parliamentarian also. It's nothing out of the ordinary, and not really worth whining about croneyism about.

I'm guessing that people who are upset over Beazley being a potential GG were just as upset over those previous apointments.

 

[~ari]

The GG, as RogueAcademic said is essentially symbolic. Very little difference will be made no matter who the apointee is.

I believe it is really important.

Should just anyone get this as a yard?
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2818/rimg0082arh3.jpg

Or a massive house?
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/1572/rimg0081aql9.jpg

 

[Towelie]

I wasn't aware the Australian Bureau of Statistics was affiliated with the Greens

Forget past indiscretions and stolen possessions; you're high.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

I believe it is really important.

Should just anyone get this as a yard?
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2818/rimg0082arh3.jpg

Or a massive house?
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/1572/rimg0081aql9.jpg

Nope, only Bomber Beazley is deserving of such an estate.

Doesn't look like that much of a fantastic yard. My cousins bought a house up the coast near Byron Bay or something for some cheap ass price and it's yard looked mostly identical.

 

[~ari]

Nope, only Bomber Beazley is deserving of such an estate.

Doesn't look like that much of a fantastic yard. My cousins bought a house up the coast near Byron Bay or something for some cheap ass price and it's yard looked mostly identical.

That was just a really little bit of it showing a pretty decent view for Canberra. The property is actually 54 hectares i.e. massive with heaps of gardens, perfect grass etc. I can't find the rest of my pictures but it's a great place.

When I'm GG I'll send an open invitation to the bos community.

 

[incentivation]

Whilst on this topic, I suppose we should discuss who, aside from Beazely, are potential candidates for the positon.

I personally believe that Justice Miachael Kirby would be an excellent choice for the position. He holds a vast degree of respect across many sections of the community, is extremely knowledgable and would be a proud exponent of the traditional representative role of the G-G with his pro-monarchist leanings.

Others that come to mind, include Peter Cosgrove or Marie Bashir..

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

australia's biggest winner

if you judge from his comeback after that latham election.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

face it. if rudd didnt replace him howard would still be PM.

You haf no proof. You'll make a poor lawyer person if you keep this unsubstantiated nonsense up.