Aust. Governor resigns post

Press, 5 October 1985, Page 11

Aust. Governor resigns post

NZPA-AAP Melbourne 'F'- " : . £ ? UL - l »The formal administration of Victoria’s Government is in the temporary control of the LieutenantGovernor, Sir John Young. He succeeds Rear-Admiral Sir Brian Murray, whose resignation as Governor on Thursday night over a controversial free air trip capped one of the most dramatic weeks in Victorian politics. -The Federal Liberal Leader, Mr John Howard, said that the state Premier, Mr John Cain, had forced Sir Brian out of his position. <. ‘lt’s obvious that there is a history of hostility on Mr Cain’s part,” he said. He backed an allegation by the state Liberal Leader, Mr Jeff Kennett, that Mr Cain was running a vendetta against Sir Brian and the Governor’s office. Mr Kennett said that Mr Cain had set up Sir Brian, who had become the victim of a Government conspiracy to downgrade the Governor’s office and help make Australia a republic. Mr Cain said that he had warned the Governor over accepting free air. tickets. The police and a specially appointed legal team are investigating allegations of cheap air tickets for police and senior public servants. On Tuesday, after news media requests, Sir Brian issued a statement saying that he and Lady Murray had accepted tickets on a

Continental Airlines inaugural flight from Houston, Texas, to London, as well as free tickets from and to Australia linked with the flight. The tickets were reportedly valued about sAustls,ooo ($19,650). Mr Cain said that the reasons for Sir Brian’s resigning as Governor were “much, much , more” than his acceptance of free air travel. But Mr Cain refused to elaborate on any other reasons for Sir Brian’s resignation. He said that Sir John Young, who is also Chief Justice of Victoria, had indicated that he would stay on as Administrator for as long as the Government wished. Sir John would have an important role ,in healing any wounds. Mr Cain said the Office of the Governor had been damaged and that there would necessarily have to be a healing period. The Government had no desire or intention to review the role of the Governor in the state’s Constitution. Mr Cain denied the allegations that the Government had been trying to downgrade the Office of Governor.

He said that his Government had done much more than any other to bring the office from the nineteenth into the twentieth century and to strengthen its autonomy.