Week 6: The Governor-General's Dilemma

2 articles: SMH and The Australian - 23/08/10

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/gg-seeking-advice-over-shorten-connection-20100823-13i9k.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gg-seeks-advice-on-political-role-following-concerns-about-her-personal-position/story-fn59niix-1225909030637


The SMH article reveals that Governor-General Quentin Bryce is seeking advice on her connection to son-in-law Labor MP Bill Shorten, in relation to Australia’s hung parliament.

We are told that Mr Shorten is one of the Labor members behind Kevin Rudd’s dumping, and that a betting agency has him as favourite to lead Labor into the next election. Ms Bryce’s single-line statement concerning the issue is disclosed. However, the article ends weakly. To the question of whether Ms Bryce should step back from the decision-making process, SMH quotes Labor MP Richard Marles: “Far be it from me to give advice to the governor-general”. This quote merely fills space and doesn’t add to the story.

Nevertheless, this is a good article in terms of providing basic information about the situation, and excellent for readers interested in further election-related articles as there are links to an extensive amount of related material. The photo located at the top, of Bill Shorten and his wife on their wedding day, adds a human interest element. It also ends with a poll asking if the Governor-General is “too compromised to play a role in resolving the hung parliament?’, allowing readers to reflect on the issue.

The Australian’s article is twice as long but benefits from the extra content. Background is provided about the issue, and the political implications are also spelled out. Ethicist Leslie Cannold’s claim that Ms Bryce should step aside adds some edge, as do slightly heated quotes from Bill Shorten.

The article is balanced out with the opinion of Professor of Law Donald Rothwell who says he does not believe there to be a conflict of interest for the Governor-General. A lack of photos is a shortfall for The Australian piece, but the poll tracker framing the story and links to related election articles keeps it squarely within the context of the – very newsworthy - election. In my opinion The Australian’s article is more engaging due to its multifaceted content.