PM: I'm pleased to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has, on my recommendation as Prime Minister of Australia, accepted and approved the appointment of Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce as the next Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
This transition will occur on the 5th of September this year and today we see the passing of the baton from one first class Governor-General of Australia to another first class Governor-General of Australia.
It is, therefore, a great day for Australia and says everything about the smoothness of the constitutional arrangements.
Ms Bryce has a rich and dynamic career as a lawyer, as an academic, and as a senior public office holder. Her Excellency has demonstrated a strong commitment to the bush, she grew up in Ilfracombe, somewhere on the road between Barcaldine and Longreach, I think closer to Longreach than Barcaldine. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to the rights of women, particularly through her former role as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, and a strong commitment to Indigenous Australia as well.
Her Excellency, therefore, through her career, has demonstrated a strong commitment to the bush, to Indigenous Australia, and to the rights of women.
I'd also like to use this opportunity to pay particular tribute to the role of the retiring Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery. The retiring Government-General has performed his office with great distinction. He has travelled extensively across Australia. He has spent much time with communities in remote and regional Australia, including with many, many Indigenous communities as well. And I would like to acknowledge on behalf of the Government and the people of Australia our thanks to Major General Jeffery and to his wife Marlena for the great contribution they have made to this important office in the Commonwealth of Australia.
I'd like also, in my concluding remarks, to congratulate Ms Bryce on this appointment. We look forward very much to her occupying this high office in our nation.
I'll take your questions.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: Well, I think it's important that we have, as Governor-General of Australia, someone who has strong commitments to the nation, the community, the fact that Ms Bryce has such a strong commitment to rural and regional Australia, a strong commitment to the rights of women, a strong commitment to Indigenous Australia, and brings with her great experience both as a lawyer, a legal academic and as the current Governor of Queensland. She brings great experience to this.
On the question you raise, I think, it's taken us 107 years. It has been a while. It's good that it's happened.
JOURNALIST: Did you have (inaudible) with The Queen (inaudible)
PM: Michelle, you've been around longer than I have, we don't go to the business of what occurs between conversations between Prime Ministers and Her Majesty The Queen.
Such conversations would normally have occurred between Prime Ministers and the Monarch on questions concerning Australia's Governor-General.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how long do you think it'll be until there is a female Prime Minister?
PM: Well, that's to unfold in the years ahead. As I said, it's taken 107 years to get to this point, obviously it's going to take a little longer in the case of the other one -
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: I think our arrangements at present are great. And we've got a great Deputy Prime Minister. And I've been chatting to Julia about this appointment just gone.
JOURNALIST: Queensland has gone from having very little representation in the federal sphere to having a Prime Minister who is from Queensland, a Treasurer who is from Queensland, now a Governor-General from Queensland. Is there some sort of pineapple coup?
PM: Her Excellency, Ms Bryce, has spent some of her career in Sydney. I think she was the head of Women's College at the University of Sydney for some time. She's known across Australia for her work, particularly as federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner. And, I'm sure Her Excellency intends to be a Governor-General for all Australians. She has a rich national experience, and her deep sense of commitment to the bush applies right across this great country of ours, as does her commitment to the rights of women and her commitment to the challenges faced by Indigenous Australians.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, what do you see as the role of the Governor-General (inaudible)
PM: First of all, the Governor-General's role is stipulated in the constitution. It's not for me to elaborate on that it's something agreed to by our founding fathers back in the 1890s and then voted upon by us all.
In terms of the personal stamp which any Governor-General may choose to place on that role, I'm sure Her Excellency will do so, reflecting on her strong commitment to the bush and to the rights of women and to Indigenous Australia.
I think she will be a first-class appointment as Governor-General of Australia.
JOURNALIST: Do you know her personally over the years?
PM: Off and on, but the honest answer is not well. Off and on.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) Republican debate (inaudible)
PM: As I said prior to the last election, a move to a Republic is not a top order question for the Government. There are many other priorities around. The Government's commitment to a Republic remains clear cut, particularly when you look at the provisions of the party's platform, and I'm sure during the course of this year, as I said recently in London, that the debate on our future constitutional arrangements will continue as it should.
JOURNALIST: Would you welcome any (inaudible) more outspoken about social policy issues (inaudible)
PM: Her Excellency will be fully mindful of her constitutional position. Fully mindful of her role which can be played within that constitutional position, as has been played with distinction by her various predecessors.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) has had a distinguished career in the law and in community service. But in selecting her, how important was gender in your opinion?
PM: I think it's obvious that we needed to have a Governor-General for Australia who captures the spirit of modern Australia. And the spirit of modern Australia is many things. Giving proper voice to people from the bush and the regions. Giving proper voice to the rights of women. Giving proper voice to the proper place of women in modern Australia. And proper place to someone committed to the lives, improving the lives, of Indigenous Australians. These are all considerations in shaping my recommendation to Her Majesty The Queen.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) have a kip and make the announcement tomorrow?
PM: I did go home. I did have a kip. And I'm now with you.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: The conventions, as I understand it, and as I am briefed by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, is that it is normal that the Prime Minister of the day would make a statement about the appointment and that Her Excellency maintain the position of her predecessors in making, from time to time, public statements and speeches on matters of concern to the office of the Governor General as she should. But on this particular day, I'm seeking to conform with the conventions laid down over quite a long period of time.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on a separate matter, how did you interpret Hu Jintao's speech (inaudible)
PM: In my discussions with the Chinese leadership over several days and including discussions, private discussions, with a number of Chinese officials, the position which we put to the Chinese is well known to you. I think the private positions put to me by the Chinese, they are broadly consistent with what you have seen publicly from the Chinese in recent days. We would continue to encourage our friends in Beijing to go down the path of dialogue in terms of producing a long term solution to the challenges in Tibet.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) Budget (inaudible)
PM: Well, actually, it has been foremost in my mind for the last two and a half weeks as well as I've been in various capitals because the impact on the global financial crisis on the real global economy and the flow through effect in terms of the Budgetary circumstances of various Governments is, frankly, confronting Governments around the world.
The IMF meeting in Washington, which the Treasurer is attending, is very important. It's important because we are currently considering a range of options on how to best deal with the global financial crisis. Some of those have been canvassed already publicly and they go, of course, to the questions of proper evaluation, proper transparency when it comes to the assets held by various financial institutions as well as ensuring that we have liquidity arrangements for the entire financial system.
These are very important matters, and this upcoming meeting of the IMF is a very important meeting.
In terms of Budget, well, we, like other Governments, will face the usual challenges in terms of demands for necessary services against the overall challenges of making sure we keep a proper lid on public outlays given the parallel challenge we face with inflation. Thank you very much for your time.