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The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II.〔(Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australiaofficial website ) Retrieved 1 January 2015.〕〔Constitution sections 2, 61 and 68.〕 The governor-general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, as well as viceregal representative in the Australian Capital Territory. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges and ambassadors, giving royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament, issuing writs for election, and bestowing Australian honours.〔(Official websitethe Governor-General's role ) Retrieved 1 January 2015.〕 In general, the governor-general observes the conventions of the Westminster system and responsible government, maintaining a political neutrality, and has almost always acted only on the advice of the prime minister or other ministers or, in certain cases, the Parliament. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at either of the two viceregal residencesGovernment House in the capital, Canberra, and Admiralty House in Sydneyand travelling throughout Australia to open conferences, attend services and commemorations, and generally provide encouragement to individuals and groups who are contributing to their communities. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Australia, and of the Queen of Australia, so is treated as a head of state. The governor-general is supported by a staff headed by the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. A governor-general is not appointed for a specific term, but is generally expected to serve for five years subject to a possible short extension.〔 Since 28 March 2014, the governor-general has been General Sir Peter Cosgrove.〔 From Federation in 1901 until 1965, almost all governors-general were British aristocrats; they included six barons, three viscounts, two earls and one prince.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-22/governor-general-quentin-bryce-backs-gay-marriage-republicanism/5112020 )〕 Since then, all but one of the governors-general have been Australian-born. Only one governor-general, the previous incumbent Dame Quentin Bryce, has been a woman. None have been indigenous or of a non-European background. ==Method of appointment== The selection of a governor-general is a responsibility for the Prime Minister of Australia, who may consult privately with staff or colleagues, or with the monarch. The candidate is approached privately to confirm whether they are willing to accept the appointment. The prime minister then recommends the nomination to the monarch. The monarch may decline the prime minister's advice and ask for another nomination, or even appoint a person of his or her own choosing, but no such cases have been recorded since November 1930, when James Scullin's proposed appointment of Sir Isaac Isaacs was fiercely opposed by the British government. This was not because of any lack of regard for Isaacs personally, but because the British government considered that the choice of governors-general was, since the 1926 Imperial Conference, a matter for the monarch's decision alone. (However, it became very clear in a conversation between Scullin and King George V's Private Secretary, Lord Stamfordham, on 11 November 1930, that this was merely the official reason for the objection, the real reason being that an Australian, no matter how highly regarded personally, was not considered appropriate to be a governor-general.) Scullin was equally insistent that the monarch must act on the relevant prime minister's direct advice (the practice until 1926 was that Dominion prime ministers advised the monarch indirectly, through the British government, which effectively had a veto over any proposal it did not agree with). Scullin cited the precedents of the Prime Minister of South Africa, J. B. M. Hertzog, who had recently insisted on his choice of the Earl of Clarendon as governor-general of that country, and the selection of an Irishman as Governor-General of the Irish Free State. Both of these appointments had been agreed to despite British government objections. Despite these precedents, George V remained reluctant to accept Scullin's recommendation of Isaacs and asked him to consider Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood. However, Scullin stood firm and, on 29 November, the King agreed to Isaacs's appointment, but made it clear that he did so only because he felt he had no option.〔Gavin Souter, ''Acts of Parliament'', pp. 266–269〕 This right to not only advise the monarch directly, but also to expect that advice to be accepted, was soon taken up by all the other Dominion prime ministers. This, among other things, led to the Statute of Westminster 1931 and to the formal separation of the Crowns of the Dominions. Now, the Queen of Australia is generally bound by constitutional convention to accept the advice of the Australian prime minister and state premiers about Australian and state constitutional matters, respectively. Having agreed to the appointment, the monarch then permits it to be publicly announced in advance, usually several months before the end of the current governor-general's term. During these months, the person is referred to as the ''Governor-General-designate''. The actual appointment is made by the monarch. After receiving his or her commission, the governor-general takes an Oath of Office, undertaking to serve Australia's monarch "according to law, in the office of Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia", and an Oath of Allegiance, and issues a proclamation assuming office.〔 The oaths are usually taken in a ceremony on the floor of the Senate and are administered by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, the President of the Australian Senate and the Chief Justice of Australia. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Governor-General of Australia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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