Cosgrove gets down to business with vice-regal duties

While Governor-General David Hurley and six state governors enjoyed the King’s coronation, back in Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove has quietly carried out vice-regal duties.

Acting governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

While Governor-General David Hurley and six state governors enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of the coronation of the King, back in Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove has quietly carried out the vice-regal duties as administrator.

The Australian can reveal that Sir Peter has provided royal assent to a range of bills passed by the parliament, authorised several appointments and actioned other business of government as required since he became the acting governor-general on April 30.

Sir Peter, who served as governor-general from 2014 to 2019, and Lady Cosgrove have not been living at Government House in Canberra or Admiralty House in Sydney, the official vice-regal residences, during the past week.

But a spokesman for the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General confirmed that Sir Peter did work from Admiralty House last Friday while carrying out official duties.

There are no meetings of the Federal Executive Council, over which the governor-general presides, scheduled during the period Sir Peter is Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Australian can further reveal that there is no known precedent where a governor-general and the six state governors have not been present in Australia and a person who is not a vice-regal officer has had to be appointed to carry out essential duties.

A so-called dormant commission is held by each state governor that allows them to act as administrator of the federal government as required. It is convention that the longest-serving state governor is appointed administrator. Lieutenant governors in each state act as governors in their absence.

The appointment of Sir Peter followed consultation between the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and advice was sought from the Australian government solicitor. The appointment of Sir Peter was formally recommended by Anthony Albanese.

A commission to administer the government of the commonwealth was made by the King to Sir Peter on April 19 at Birkhall – the King’s estate in Scotland – and countersigned by the Prime Minister. This commission states that Sir Peter will act in this role “in the event of the absence out of Australia, or the death, incapacity or removal, of the governor-general”.

This appointment was made one week before it was publicly disclosed, via a media statement issued by Government House. It was subsequently published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.

The commission and proclamation by the King, countersigned by Sir Peter, does not specify that he is to act as administrator until May 10. The annual salary of the governor-general is at $495,000 per year. A spokesman for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet told The Australian that Sir Peter “is not receiving additional remuneration while serving as administrator”.