[19] The constitution also provides that the governor-general is the monarch's "representative" in exercising the executive power of the Commonwealth (section 61) and as commander-in-chief of the armed forces (section 68). Form letters or emails generated as part of a broader campaign will not be responded to. After elections, or when a government loses or wins a majority in the Australian House of Representatives , the Governor General is the person who legally decides that the prime minister has the numbers to lead a government. Australia has had 26 Governors-General. Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce AD, CVO (ne Strachan; born 23 December 1942) was the 25th Governor-General of Australia, from September 2008 to March 2014. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). [40] No formal declarations of war have been made since World War II, although in 1973 the Whitlam Government advised the governor-general to proclaim the end of Australia's involvement in Vietnam, despite the lack of an initiating proclamation. Section 61 of the Constitution goes on to say that executive power is given to the King and is exercised by the Governor-General. Both the prime minister, John Howard, and Clarence House repudiated the suggestion.[67][68]. According to Section 2 of the Australian Constitution, the Governor-General is appointed by the King to be His Majesty's representative in Australia. I have seen this at work in the people and organisations assisting our veterans, our rural communities that are under stress, asylum seekers who we have accepted into our country and our aboriginal brothers and sisters. The Governor-General of Australia is His Majesty The King's representative . [66], In 1965 the Menzies conservative government appointed an Australian, Lord Casey, and thereafter only Australians have held the position. Sections 58 to 60 allow the governor-general to withhold assent, suggest changes, refer to the Monarch or proclaim that the Monarch has annulled the legislation. How to Address Australian Officials - Honor & Respect The first female Governor-General was the Honourable Dame Quentin Alice Bryce AD, CVO, who served from 2008 to 2014.