After his meeting with another Head of State, The Pope, the Governor-General referred to the several hundred thousand pilgrims for the 2008 World Youth Day, happy and smiling in “ sharing their joy” in being led by such a “ greatly respected spiritual man,” ( see “Meeting between His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and the Governor-General, 17 July, 2008”)
…Governor-General a hit on the internet…
The Governor- General and Mrs Jeffery were being interviewed by Jason Morrison on the Alan Jones Programme on Sydney Radio Station 2GB 873AM on 18 July, 2008. The interview may be seen on the 2GB website.
In response to the claim by some parts of the media that he is invisible, the Governor-General pointed out that in June 2008 there were just under a million hits on his website.
Mrs Jeffery referred to the way in which the Governor- General is received across the country and overseas, singling out that in Saudi Arabia.
The Dean of the Consular Corps had observed that in his seventeen years there, he had never seen anything like the reception given to Australia’s Head of State. No one reading our press would have known that.
The Governor-General has, during his term, been the subject of an a vicious and quite unjustified campaign by sections of the media and by certain politicians.
ACM intends to publish details of that campaign in an issue of The Defender later this year.
In attacking such a fine Australian, the perpetrators should be ashamed of themselves.
During the course of the interview, the Governor-General pointed to the significant role the incumbent and the State Governors play as an important check and balance in our constitutional system.
The Governor-General said that he had visited or received over forty world leaders. His discussions were not political, but he saw his role as developing links in all sorts of matters including research.
Their Excellencies have given enormously in fulfilling their ceremonial and constitutional functions. It is about time some in the media and politics recognized this.