Fed: Abbott criticises appointment of Butler as governor

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2004
Fed: Abbott criticises appointment of Butler as governor

EDS: Please close off Butler Latham.



CANBERRA, Aug 8 AAP - Health Minister Tony Abbott today questioned the appointment
of Richard Butler as governor of Tasmania.

Tasmanian Federal Labor MP Harry Quick has called for Mr Butler to resign and the state
opposition has threatened to withdraw its support for the governor.

Three of Mr Butler's senior staff have resigned and newspaper reports say the governor's
behaviour since coming to office has been criticised by some Tasmanians.

Health Minister Tony Abbott, a former executive director of Australians for a Constitutional
Monarchy, said he would not criticise Mr Butler, but he did not think Mr Butler had been
the best possible choice of governor.

"I don't think he was necessarily the greatest choice, but look I'm not in the business
of criticising viceroys," Mr Abbott told the Nine network.

Mr Abbott said it would be a pity if Mr Butler had accidentally become an embarrassment
to the constitutional monarchy system.

"Well, it would be a pity if someone of that standing and kind of record as a senior
public servant for many years, it would be a pity if someone like that had stumbled into
this kind of thing," he said.

AAP pj/tma/sd ,

KEYWORD: BUTLER ABBOTT

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.