Contrary to what some commentators on the right would have Australians believe Samantha Mostyn is an excellent choice as the next governor-general.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Compassionate, respected, a good listener and a powerful advocate for social justice, gender equity, and Indigenous recognition, Ms Mostyn is even a native-born Canberran to boot.
Born into an army family at the old Canberra Hospital - her dad graduated from Duntroon and served in Vietnam - she was one of the hundreds of school children who lined up outside Government House (at the tender age of five) in 1970 to welcome Queen Elizabeth II.
She will become only the second governor-general to have been born during the late monarch's reign. General David Hurley, who Ms Mostyn takes over from on July 1, was the first. Born on August 26, 1953, he turns 71 this year.
Ms Mostyn, who was born in 1965, is the product of a very different time. The 1950s and the 1960s were chalk and cheese. She will also become only the second governor-general known to have expressed republican views. The first was Bill Hayden in the 1980s.
![Samantha Mostyn is to be Australia's next Governor-General. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Samantha Mostyn is to be Australia's next Governor-General. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/57b6b268-24e8-4fb7-ac67-22b11cebe84b.jpg/r0_0_1934_1087_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While there are no doubt many people, including those who have written on social media that she would make an excellent first president of an Australian republic, who would like to remove royalty from the Constitution, Ms Mostyn is unlikely to be the last representative of the Crown to serve as this country's ex officio head-of-state.
Governors-general are appointed for a five-year term. It seems unlikely that, in the wake of the defeat of the Voice referendum in 2023, that the Prime Minister will go to the people on the question of constitutional reform in either this term of office or the next.
One of the things that makes Ms Mostyn's selection so interesting and significant, apart from an impressive CV that includes being the first female AFL commissioner, is her history of high-profile advocacy for causes she believes in.
While the hyperventilation of the "right at night" commentariat is largely due to her having supported the Voice and the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Ms Mostyn has also served as the chair of the Climate Council, chaired the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce, and served as a member of the Australia Council for the Arts and even the Sydney Swans. She also has a history of campaigning against domestic violence.
What's not to like about a strong, empowered and visionary female leader with a commitment to a better and fairer Australia and a very diverse set of life experiences and interests?
Everything, apparently, if you are a professional climate change denier, an opponent of Indigenous reconciliation and recognition, and have a dread of anybody who doesn't look, talk, think or worship the same way you do.
While there is some concern that the historically apolitical role of governor-general will put a brake on Ms Mostyn's ability to speak her mind on important issues of the day, it remains to be seen if this will be the case.
King Charles III has not been afraid to show his position on climate change and social justice since coming to the throne; albeit in a carefully measured way. Ms Mostyn, as previously mentioned, is an intelligent and articulate woman with a background in commerce and the law. There is no reason to believe she won't be able to do this as well.
The other point to keep in mind is that time is on her side. At the end of her term in 2029 Ms Mostyn will only be in her early 60s.
Who knows? With ex officio "head of state" on her CV she may be a contender for first president of an Australian republic after all.
Send us a letter to the editor
- Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 or fewer words. To the Point letters should not exceed 50 words. Reference to The Canberra Times reports should include a date and page number. Provide a phone number and address (only your suburb will be published). Responsibility for election comment is taken by John-Paul Moloney of 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra. Published by Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd.