The Governor-General, Michael Jeffery, has been attacked by a newspaper columnist, prompting a rare public defence from Government House.

The Governor-General’s Official Secretary, Malcolm Hazell, has written to the Brisbane Courier-Mail defending his boss against the charge of having “risen without trace”. Hazell has outlined the range of activities the Governor-General has been involved in, including 850 speeches and 750 official functions since his appointment in 2003.

This is the text of the article by Mike O’Connor in the Brisbane Courier-Mail on February 3, 2008.

Governor-General stirs into action over cricket issue

There is nothing quite like the prospect of joining the ranks of the unemployed to galvanise a body into action. [Read more…]