Abuse survivor calls for review of former governors-general entitlements in wake of Peter Hollingworth decision

The millions of dollars in entitlements that flow to former holders of one office have been called into question by an abuse survivor.

A survivor of abuse in the Anglican Church has called for a review of the lifetime entitlements of former governors-general, including the disgraced Peter Hollingworth, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Dr Hollingworth served as governor-general for fewer than two years before resigning in 2003 after months of criticism of his handling of child abuse complaints during his 11 years as the Archbishop of Brisbane.

But in the years since, he’s collected a $357,000-a-year pension plus travel and office expenses, in return for his short stint as governor-general.

Dr Hollingworth was found guilty of misconduct by the church’s professional standards committee during a secretive four-day hearing in February.

It found the former archbishop allowed Donald Shearman and John Elliot to continue working as officers of the church despite knowing they had sexually assaulted children and failed to support victims.

Dr Hollingworth served as governor-general for less than two years. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

A parliamentary inquiry is now considering a fresh push from the Greens to strip the millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded pensions and entitlements from former governors-general if they are found to have engaged in serious misconduct.

It is the second time the minor party has attempted to pass the laws, after a failed attempt in 2019.

There is currently no power in the Governors-General Act 1974 to strip entitlements from former governors general.

Beth Heinrich, who told Dr Hollingworth she was abused at an Anglican-run boarding house in Forbes NSW, questioned why the aged pension was subject to accountability, but his entitlements were not.

“There has to be accountability for such a huge amount and not forgetting the additional expenses,” she told the committee on Friday.

“My meagre age pension is reviewable. I am required to meet the criteria to be eligible. The generous Governor-General entitlement has nothing to do with the Constitution.

“It was an act of Parliament in 1974. Now, almost 50 years have gone by and it’s time it’s updated by being amended to reflect accountability in the public interest.”

She said Dr Hollingworth’s comments, made when her story first became public over two decades ago, still haunt her to this day.

Ms Heinrich appeared before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday into the reform.

“I may look like an adult woman, but inside me is the child and a child that was hurt terribly by Peter Hollingworth … when he was the Governor-General, vilifying me on national television. It's disgraceful.”

Ms Heinrich said his conduct towards complaints made by her and other victims during Dr Hollingworth’s tenure as governor-general should warrant disentitlement.

Dr Hollingworth was not stripped of his licence to remain a priest but in May stepped aside over his concerns “continuing to exercise priestly functions as a bishop is a cause of pain to survivors.”

In the statement he said he was ill-equipped to deal with child abuse allegations during his time as archbishop from 1990 and 2001 and had been “too defensive of the church on the advice of lawyers and insurers”.

“I say that as a matter of context, not as an excuse. I have lived with my failures every day since. But I did not commit a crime. I did not cover up sexual abuse. And I was not an abuser,” he said.

In a submission to the inquiry, the Public Affairs Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia described the bill as good public policy, but did not give a view on the former governor-general.

“This policy should be standard across all publicly held positions. This is necessary to uphold confidence in public institutions and their related offices,” chairman Bishop Matt Brain said.