John Howard ‘sorry’ that Peter Hollingworth had to resign as GG

The Howard ministry noted Governor-General Peter Hollingworth’s resignation over how he had handled child abuse allegations while Archbishop.

Outgoing Governor-General Dr Peter Hollingworth during his 2003 televised address to the nation as he explains his resignation. Picture: David Foote

Ministers noted Peter Hollingworth’s resignation as governor-general in May 2003 as his position as the Queen’s representative became untenable following controversy over his past handling of child sex abuse allegations while Anglican archbishop of Brisbane.

John Howard provided an oral report to the full ministry and noted the Letters Patent ­issued in 1984 had to be “amended” so Dr Hollingworth could “stand aside” from the vice-regal role, cabinet documents released today by the National Archives of Australia reveal.

Dr Hollingworth became embroiled in scandal a year earlier when civil action was taken against the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane by a victim of sexual abuse at Toowoomba Preparatory School in 1990.

As criticism mounted over his handing of child sexual abuse claims, he lost the support of the Labor opposition.

The Queensland Supreme Court found the diocese had failed its duty of care and it was ­ordered to pay compensation. A report tabled in the Queensland parliament found he had let a known pedophile priest continue in the church. An Anglican tribunal found him guilty of misconduct in 2023.

Mr Howard, who recommended Dr Hollingworth’s appointment, acknowledged in an interview with The Australian that once opposition leader Simon Crean withdrew his support, it was difficult for him to continue in the role.

“I felt very sorry for him,” Mr Howard said. “I thought he would be a good person to have as Governor-General … He obviously came to the view (to ­resign) on his own. We kept up a dialogue about his position particularly once (Simon) Crean withdrew his support. I liked Simon Crean but that was a very severe thing to do.”

Dr Hollingworth, the first and only religious leader to be appointed Governor-General, was controversial from the beginning. Not all ministers were comfortable with it and his subsequent interventions in policy and handling of the controversy only reinforced that view.

In the lead-up to the deployment of troops to Iraq, Dr Hollingworth sought legal advice from the government about “technical ramifications” regarding “international law”. Ministers took a dim view of this unorthodox intervention.

Mr Howard, cabinet acknowledged in March, “discussed the possibility of the commitment of the ADF” with the governor-general but advised that his predecessors had not been involved in such decision-making and it was not warranted over Iraq. The prime minister also declined to bring the Iraq matter to the executive council “for noting”.