Australia’s new governor-general Samantha Mostyn encouraged to emulate Bill Hayden

No Republic Campaign chair Eric Abetz has urged Samantha Mostyn to follow the example set by former governor-general Bill Hayden and leave ‘all that partisanship and activism behind’.

Samantha Mostyn will be our next governor-general. Picture: PMO

Former governor-general Bill Hayden has been presented as an example for the King’s incoming representative in Australia, Samantha Mostyn, amid concerns from some conser­vatives and monarchists about her past advocacy on climate change and Indigenous affairs.

No Republic Campaign chair and former Liberal senator Eric Abetz told The Australian it was important Ms Mostyn followed the lead set by Hayden – who died in October last year – and left “all that partisanship and ­activism behind”.

“Whilst being a political ­activist should not – in and of ­itself – disqualify (an individual), the example of Bill Hayden is one that the new governor-­general could well follow. And that is leaving all that partisanship and activism behind him,” he said. “He (Hayden) served the nation as the constitutional ­umpire and unifying force representing the crown.”

Hayden, Labor leader from 1977 to 1983, was announced as governor-general in 1988 by Bob Hawke and took up the post in 1989 after resigning as an MP.

In Canberra on Wednesday, Ms Mostyn said she could think of “no greater purpose ... than to serve this country I love as ­governor-general, particularly at a time in our history when the challenges and opportunities we face are large and complex”.

Some Liberal MPs expressed concern on Thursday about Ms Mostyn’s decision to link her enthusiasm for the role to the challenging times faced by the nation, saying current challenges were “a matter for government” to navigate.

Her announcement as the next governor-general won widespread public support, but senior Coalition figures remained sceptical.

Ms Mostyn said, alongside her business career, she had forged a strong connection with many aspects of Australian life “including in sport, civil ­society, arts and culture, First Nations reconciliation, sustainability in the environment, ­policy development, mental health, gender equality and young people”.

“I’ve had engaging discussions with farmers about the challenges of climate change, listened deeply to young people talking enthusiastically about civics and democracy and intergenerational fairness. I spent time listening carefully to single mothers and domestic violence survivors, and shared coffees and stories in men’s sheds,” she said.

Ms Mostyn – who worked for the Labor government in the 1990s – will serve from July 1.