Sam Mostyn was appoint as Australia’s second female governor-general on Monday in a ceremonial position representing the British monarch, King Charles III. Under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, this will be the first appointment of its kind and is an attempt to replace the British monarchy with an Australian president as head of state.
Mostyn has now become the 28th governor-general of Australia since it was establish in 1901, which shows how far she has come from being the first female commissioner in Australian Football League in 2005.
Mostyn said during her inaugural speech that she had been inspired by Quentin Bryce who was Australia’s first female governor general and held the position from 2008 until 2014 after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on advice from a Labor Prime Minister.
“My intention is to be a positive, modern and available Governor-General, dedicated to providing all Australians with what they expect and deserve from someone in my office,” she stated when giving her first address as the new Governor-General.
In May, Mostyn met up with King Charles III at his home in Britain bringing good wishes for both him and Kate Middletons’ lives who are being treat for cancer by expressing high hopes for their quick recoveries as revealed on their health condition during that time.
“Also his love for this country where he lived as a young man while attending school,” enumerated Mostin referring to when King Charles studied at an Australian boarding college back in 1966.
The new governor general said she spoke about her new duties with all five of her predecessors including Quentin Bryce.
The government under Albanese that took office last year supports a referendum seeking to establish an Australian republic with an Australian citizen becoming the head of state. But within their term’s third year, they have prioritized a referendum to create a constitutional indigenous panel that would advise government on aboriginal issues. That referendum was defeat last year.
Even though there have been no pronouncements by Albanese on plans for a republican referendum, his office has created an office of the assistant minister for the Republic to prepare the country for such a change.
Mostyn takes over from Gen. David Hurley, formerly the chief of Australian Defence Force. In recent times, Mostyn’s five-year term has seen her salary increased by law to AUD 709,000 ($473,000) per annum with respect to those conditions. Some lawmakers say that this is far too much with Hurley receiving AUD 495,000 per year along with his military pension.
There were also critics who blamed Mostyn’s past activism when she had called Australia Day “Invasion Day”, referring to it as “Invasion Day,” which some indigenous leaders have done before.
