Letter to the Governor-General

Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC
Governor-General of Australia
Government House
Yarralumla ACT 2600

Your Excellency

We write with deep concern regarding remarks attributed to you in The Sydney Morning Herald of 24 June 2025, in which you are reported as stating: “But the King doesn’t direct me and I don’t seek his advice. It’s the prime minister and the ministry I take my counsel from, and that I work with.”

Such a statement, if accurately reported, appears to depart from the conventions that have long guided the office of Governor-General. While it is understood that the Governor-General acts on ministerial advice in most matters, the office is held as the representative of the Sovereign, not as a delegate of the Prime Minister. The distinction is not merely symbolic; it is foundational to the integrity of our constitutional system.

We are particularly concerned that the phrasing of your remarks may be interpreted as dismissive of the King’s role and suggestive of an overly close alignment with the Prime Minister and his government.

The Governor-General must remain above politics and be seen to uphold the impartiality and dignity of the Crown. To imply that counsel is sought exclusively from the Prime Minister and ministry risks undermining public confidence in the independence of the high office to which the King has appointed you.

We respectfully urge Your Excellency to uphold the established duties, conventions, and constitutional responsibilities of the office, in accordance with your role as the King’s representative in Australia.

Yours sincerely,