The secret is out ... men get more honours

The G-G’s official secretary has acknowledged that men are more successful than women in receiving honours.

The Governor-General’s official secretary has defended the secrecy of the Council of the Order of Australia and argued that women are more successful than men in receiving honours, even though men receive far more overall.

“The council is only able to consider nominations that come before it from the community,” Mark Fraser told The Australian. “Whilst we would all wish it were otherwise, the number of nominations for, and from, women is lower than it ought to be.”

Women have made up just 30 per cent of recipients for awards and appointments between 1975 and 2016. But Mr Fraser said this was a challenge for the community rather the council which recommends honours.

“There is no bias on the council’s part; nominations for women are statistically more successful than those for men,” he said.

“The challenge is really one for our society to contemplate how and why more women are not nominated and recognised for their contributions and achievement.”

Mr Fraser phoned and emailed The Australian yesterday to apologise for a breakdown in “protocols” and an “administrative oversight” after questions emailed to Government House went unanswered last week.

On Australia Day, Julia Gillard was made a Companion of the Order of Australia while her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, was not on the honours list. Yet The Australian reported that Tony Abbott supported the nominations of Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd for the AC years ago. Mr Fraser confirmed that Mr Abbott had provided a “referee comment” and that it was “normal” for an incumbent prime minister to comment on their predecessors’ suitability for honours.

No explanation was given for why Mr Rudd has not been given an honour or why Ms Gillard waited longer than John Howard and Paul Keating for hers.

“The council has regard to a number of timing issues in making announcements including the consideration and sequencing of other related nominations,” Mr Fraser said. He noted that nominations for honours are considered on “merit” and there is no “automaticity” for former prime ministers. He said “nominations have been considered for all former prime ministers” since 1975.

John Gorton, Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and Mr Howard received an AC after leaving office. Bob Hawke was awarded an AC in 1979. Mr Keating declined the honour in 1997. Robert Menzies and Billy McMahon were awarded the Order of the Companion of Honour (CH). Mr Abbott is yet to be made an AC.

Mr Fraser revealed the Governor-General never rejects recommendations for honours from the Council of the Order of Australia.