The role of the Governor-General

Vision                          

Audio

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

Hello, my name is Sam Mostyn and I'm the 28th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

I'm speaking to you from Government House in Canberra on Ngunnawal Country and I acknowledge and pay my respects to their elders, past and present, and to other families connected with the region.

I'm so pleased to be sharing with you some information about my role as your Governor-General.

The best way to understand what I do is to think about my 4C's: Constitutional, Ceremonial, Community and Commander-in-Chief.

The original Australian Constitution displayed in a protective glass cabinet.

The powers I have to do my work come from the Australian Constitution, which sets out how I fulfil my role

The King is waving at a parade outside the Sydney Opera House.

Australia is a democracy, so it is the

people of Australia who make the laws

through their elected representatives. When a new law is passed by the Parliament,

The Governor-General signs the bottom of a bill.

it is my job to sign the bill on behalf
of His Majesty, King Charles.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

This step is called Royal Assent.

I do not report every new law to the King nor seek his permission to give Royal Assent.

For me and my predecessors, the role of the Governor-General is a very Australian one. We are recommended for appointment to the King by the Australian Prime Minister. Once His Majesty approves the appointment,

The Governor-General is standing in the vice-regal chair in the Senate giving a speech.

the Governor-General is sworn into the role.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

We exercise our powers independently here in Australia.

The King is passionate about Australia
and I keep 

The Governor-General, The King, The Queen and the Governor-General's partner stand at Admiralty House in Sydney, opposite Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House.

him and the Queen informed about how we're going as a nation and of any big things

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

happening in Australia that I think he might be interested in.

I have also hosted

The King and Queen are shown the Australian War Memorial, meet an indigenous elder and plant a tree at Government House.

Their Majesties on a recent visit to Australia, their first for King Charles as the Sovereign.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

As well as giving Royal Assent to bills,

Ballot papers are posted into two ballot boxes.

I also initiate the process for a federal election

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

and open each new session of
Parliament.

The Constitution

Members of the Australian Navy shakes the Governor-General's hand.

makes me Commander-in-Chief, or in other words, the head of the Australian Defence Force.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

I have many ceremonial duties,

The Governor-General gives a speech to members and senators in the Senate.

for example opening a new Parliament,

The Governor-General meets with the Prime Minister and swears in a Minister Aly.

administering the oath of office to the Prime Minister, ministers, judges and other officials,

The Governor-General shakes hand with a foreign dignitary.

meeting leaders and welcoming ambassadors from other countries,

The Governor-General inspects a military parade.

attending important ceremonies

The Governor-General meets with award recipients.

and awarding special honours.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

I also spend as much time as possible

The Governor-General meets members of the Australian public.

in the Australian community, travelling to all the States and Territories and visiting places hit by disaster, attending special events and meeting community groups.

These are always places where I listen and learn

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

and where I can I reflect these Australian stories and experiences back
to all Australians.

I aim to be a modern Governor-General, and for me that means being as visible as possible and visiting and learning about all parts of our country and 

The Governor-General reads a book to young children.

always being optimistic about Australia's future.

The Governor-General speaks to and has group photos with school students.

The Governor-General sits in front of her desk at Government House.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy learning about Australia's constitution and how our modern democracy works.

The Parliamentary Education Office logo. www.peo.gov.au

Music.