Dear Supporters,
The Governor–General, Major General Michael Jeffery was a highly respected and well-liked Governor of Western Australia. A Governor–General's principal constitutional function -acting as a check and balance on the exercise of political power, is of course not normally conducted under the glare of publicity. Nor indeed was Major-General Jeffery's command of the SAS. A Governor General becomes better known as a result of his many appearances at all sorts of functions across the nation. Although his presence will be of major importance to the participants, many, perhaps most of these will not be considered newsworthy by the national media. It is only on important and exceptional national occasions that the media will report his presence in any detail. These would include the memorials resulting from the most tragic incidents – for example Port Arthur and Interlaken.
As his term progresses, more and more Australians will realize what Western Australians already know, the Governor–General is precisely the sort of Australian who should occupy this high office. Indeed we are fortunate that the General and Mrs Jeffery were willing to forgo their retirement for several more years of service to the nation. Australians instinctively realize that the institutions under which we live have allowed this country to prosper, to play a role in international affairs and yet, to enjoy stability which is rare in the world. Yet surveys indicate a poor understanding of the functioning of our democracy. That is why Australians for Constitutional Monarchy will, in the New Year, launch a project to increase substantially and objectively the public's understanding of these matters.