Editing Quentin Bryce (section)

==Governor-General of Australia==
[[File:Quentin Bryce after an interview with Sky News Australia 01.jpg|thumb|Bryce after an interview at Regatta Point at the [[Australia Day]] ceremony in Canberra on 26 January 2010]][[File:Julia Gillard and Quentin Bryce.jpg|thumb|348x348px|Former Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard with Quentin Bryce, former Governor-General of Australia.]]
On 13 April 2008 it was announced that, on the recommendation of the Labor Prime Minister, [[Kevin Rudd]], [[Queen Elizabeth II]] had approved Bryce's appointment as the next Governor-General of Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2008/ANNOUNCEMENTOFTHEAPPOINTMENTOFANEWGOVERNORGENERALO.aspx|title=Announcement of the appointment of a new Governor-General of Australia|publisher=Buckingham Palace|access-date=5 June 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105140626/http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2008/ANNOUNCEMENTOFTHEAPPOINTMENTOFANEWGOVERNORGENERALO.aspx|archive-date=5 November 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The decision was generally well received: current and previous Labor state premiers supported her selection and both the then Leader of the Opposition, [[Brendan Nelson]], and the leader of the [[Australian Greens]], [[Bob Brown]], spoke in favour of the decision.<ref name="Cooke2008">Cooke (14 April 2008), p. 5.</ref> [[Patricia Edgar]] described Bryce's selection as an "inspired choice",<ref name="Edgar2008">Edgar (19 April 2008), p. 53.</ref> while [[Jill Singer]] in the ''[[Herald Sun]]'' said that the decision signalled "an important about face for Australia".<ref name="Singer2008">Singer (15 April 2008), p. 19.</ref>

There was some opposition to the appointment, in particular from columnist Des Houghton, who argued that she would bring a "fair bit of baggage" to the role (in reference to the controversies surrounding her time as the Governor of Queensland) and that she had failed to live up to her promise <!--not?-->to be outspoken during her time at Government House.<ref name="Houghton2008">Houghton (19 April 2008), p. 12.</ref> Concerns were also raised in August 2008, when it was revealed that Bryce intended to replace [[Malcolm Hazell]], who had been the [[Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia|Official Secretary]] for both Major General [[Michael Jeffery (Australian Army officer)|Michael Jeffery]] and [[Peter Hollingworth]], with [[Stephen Brady]]. Rudd defended Bryce's decision, arguing that she had the right to appoint a new Official Secretary.<ref name="Shanahan2008">Shanahan (26 August 2008), p. 12.</ref>

Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008. An extension of her term was announced on 24 October 2012, to expire in March 2014.<ref name="term extended">{{cite news|title=Bryce's term as Governor-General extended|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-24/bryces-term-extended/4330916|access-date=24 October 2012|work=ABC News|date=24 October 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024193314/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-24/bryces-term-extended/4330916|archive-date=24 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Governor General|url=http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/governor-general|work=Media release|publisher=Prime Minister The Hon Julia Gillard MP|access-date=24 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121128181228/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/governor-general|archive-date=28 November 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> During this time, she served as the Patron of [[Girl Guides Australia]].<ref name=":0" />

On the election of [[Bill Shorten]] as [[Leaders of the Australian Labor Party|Leader of the Labor Party]] and [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Leader of the Opposition]] in October 2013, Bryce offered her resignation to Prime Minister [[Tony Abbott]], in order to forestall any perception of bias, given that Bryce's daughter [[Chloe Shorten|Chloe]] is married to Shorten.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-13/bill-shorten-elected-labor-leader/5019116|author=Griffiths, Emma|title=Bill Shorten elected Labor leader over Anthony Albanese after month-long campaign|work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|location=Australia|date=13 October 2013|access-date=15 October 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014152832/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-13/bill-shorten-elected-labor-leader/5019116|archive-date=14 October 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> While acknowledging her magnanimity, Abbott declined to accept her resignation and asked her to serve the rest of her term.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/governorgeneral-quentin-bryce-offered-to-resign-says-pm-20131013-2vg7y.html|title=Governor-General Quentin Bryce offered to resign, says PM|date=13 October 2013|access-date=15 October 2013|author=Harrison, Dan|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013233450/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/governorgeneral-quentin-bryce-offered-to-resign-says-pm-20131013-2vg7y.html|archive-date=13 October 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> According to him Bryce provided continuity at a time of political turbulence and she should be commended for her dedication to public service.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/13/quentin-bryce-offers-quit-abbott Quentin Bryce offers to quit but Tony Abbott declines] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725235830/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/13/quentin-bryce-offers-quit-abbott |date=25 July 2016 }}, [[The Guardian]], 13 October 2013</ref>

===Controversy===
[[Greg Sheridan]], in the national newspaper ''[[The Australian]]'', suggested that the governor-general risked "politicising and misusing the office".<ref name=sheridan>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/a-price-too-high-to-pay/news-story/b45304f9998add5a58c4c5dc438b016f|title=A price too high to pay |work=[[The Australian]]|date=9 March 2009|access-date=7 November 2017|author=Sheridan, Greg}}</ref> Sheridan was commenting on Bryce's planned trip to Africa on behalf of the prime minister to lobby for a seat for Australia in the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref name=sheridan/> He further stated that Bryce's "feigned interest in Africa will be seen cynically by Africans".<ref name=sheridan/> Sheridan added that governors-general should travel overseas "only rarely and for ceremonial purposes",<ref name=sheridan/> and "they have no right to engage in foreign policy debate, at home or abroad".<ref name=sheridan/>

Similarly to her time as governor in Queensland, Government House in Canberra witnessed significant staff turnover, with claims that she was very difficult to work for.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/6392493/Staff-desert-Australias-Governor-General-Quentin-Bryce.html|title=Staff desert Australia's Governor-General Quentin Bryce|website=The Telegraph|date=21 October 2009 |access-date=15 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611163952/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/6392493/Staff-desert-Australias-Governor-General-Quentin-Bryce.html|archive-date=11 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/governor-general-quentin-bryce-loses-one-third-of-her-staff/story-e6freooo-1225788467996|title=Governor-General Quentin Bryce loses one-third of her staff|last=Chalmers|first=Emma|date=19 October 2009|access-date=15 May 2016}}</ref>

In November 2013, Bryce delivered the annual ABC [[Boyer Lectures|Boyer Lecture]]. Bryce stated she would like to see an Australia where "people are free to love and marry whom they choose [...] And where perhaps, my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation's first head of state".<ref>{{cite news|title=Governor-General Quentin Bryce backs gay marriage, Australia becoming a republic in Boyer Lecture|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-22/governor-general-quentin-bryce-backs-gay-marriage-republicanism/5112020|access-date=22 November 2013|newspaper=ABC News|date=22 November 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122110646/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-22/governor-general-quentin-bryce-backs-gay-marriage-republicanism/5112020|archive-date=22 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Her comments drew severe criticism, not merely for their support of a republic while still serving as the Queen's representative, but because the role is meant to be strictly non-partisan. Senator [[Dean Smith (Australian politician)|Dean Smith]] called them "a slap in the face to many, many Australians, and a significant breach of trust".<ref name="abc.net.au">{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-23/republicans-welcome-governor-general-support-for-republic/5112658|title=G-G's support for republic, same-sex marriage a 'slap in the face'|website=ABC News|date=22 November 2013 |language=en-AU|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107194359/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-23/republicans-welcome-governor-general-support-for-republic/5112658|archive-date=7 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Amanda Vanstone]] accused her of possible grandstanding, and wrote: "In publicly declaring these views, she has brought that high office into a political realm in which it does not belong ... Someone might explain to her that the job is not about her ... it's about us."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-lookatme-gg-20131124-2y3so.html|title=The 'look-at-me' G-G|last=Vanstone|first=Amanda|date=25 November 2013|newspaper=The Age|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114122823/http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-lookatme-gg-20131124-2y3so.html|archive-date=14 November 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Then-Prime Minister [[Tony Abbott]] supported Bryce's right to comment, saying "It's more than appropriate for the Governor-General, approaching the end of her term, to express a personal view on a number of subjects, and that's what she was doing."<ref name="ABC20131122">{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-23/republicans-welcome-governor-general-support-for-republic/5112658|title=Monarchists decry Governor-General Quentin Bryce's support for a republic; Coalition says issue 'not a priority'|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=23 November 2013|access-date=25 November 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125101121/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-23/republicans-welcome-governor-general-support-for-republic/5112658|archive-date=25 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>