$l00,000 ‘sinecure’ for ’vulgar drunk’ attacked

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 5

$l00,000 ‘sinecure’ for ’vulgar drunk’ attacked

NZPA-Reuter Canberra, The Australian Labour Op-1 position launched a twin-1 pronged attack on Wednesday on the Federal Government and Sir John Kerr over the former Governor-Gen-eral’s appointment to the post of ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation — “a nice, cushy, sinecure as a r eward for removing his gross and embarrassing presence” according to a former Labour Minister. The main thrust of the attack was carried by Senator Jim McClelland, a one time close friend of Sir John, who in 1975 sacked the Labour Administration of! Gough Whitlam during a; constitutional crisis. Sir John’s controversial! appointment emerged as one of the major topics of dis-j Ipute in the two-day-old Parliament with the Govern-i intent facing close questioning in both Houses of Parlia|ment. I In a reference to the 1975 I sacking. Senator McClelland Isaid: “I do not propose to •regurgitate that distasteful

episode, but the beneficiaries; of Kerr’s favours did not expect the titular Head of "State to fall over in the mud when opening a country fair or to conduct himself like a drunken lout before half the population watching him on television present the Melbourne Cup.” Sir John, he contended, had to go. “He knew it and the Prime Minister knew it. But how to get rid of him? “If Kerr dug his toes in the Prime Minister (Mr Malcolm Fraser) ■ just had no way of getting rid of him — a man he had praised soi lavishly.” The Prime Minister, he! Isaid, had tinkered with the! ; truth in denying that Sir! John’s resignation had not ! been made on the understanding he would be given a “nice, cushy, sinecure as a ! reward for removing his ! gross and embarrassing I presence from Yarralumla I (the Governor-General’s, official residence).” I Senator McClelland was i several times cautioned not ! to use unparliamentary language during the attack on

the Paris appointment, announced a few weeks after Sir John was succeeded as Governor-General by Sir Zelman Cowen lest December. Sir John’s new post has an annua! salary of more than SNZIOO,OOO. “Paris, after all, was a natural place” said Senator McClelland. “It is not only a pleasant place as the former Governor-General has remarked, but also a city which is notoriously tolerant of his well-advertised tastes. “We can only hope that the tolerant French will not find Kerr’s habits so out rageous that they will judge Australians generally by his sottish behaviour.” Later, the attack was taken up by Senator Peter I Walsh who referred to Sir I John as a “vulgar racecourse drunk.” The senator noted that Mr i Fraser had described Sir (John as being admirably for his new post. I “Evidently, from that we must assume that the primlary qualification for an ambassador is many years of ichronic alcoholism,” he said.