Top aides quit Government House
From Brisbanes Courier Mail.
Three top aides to Governor Richard Butler have indicated they will conclude their duties and not return. Official secretary John Chilcott, senior adviser Anne Parker and aide-de-camp Chris Beattie will leave Government House today. Mr Chilcott, a respected public servant, and Mrs Parker, a lawyer who previously worked in private practice in Hobart, are expected to hand in their resignations shortly. Mr Beattie has already resigned. The walkout comes after months of conflict between staff and Mr Butler and his wife Jennifer over the role of governor.Even the Aide de camp has voted with his feet
Another Government House figure, police aide-de-camp Commander Syd McClymont, also handed in his notice this week after 17 years in the honorary role.Only Butler, so anti establishment, would force senior public servants to leave. Must be a great story there but I doubt if we will ever here it all. If any Tassie readers know more please leave a comment. UPDATE Reader Harry Tuttle has done some googling and come up with these links that add more detail to the saga. Read his comments and then follow up the links here and here Thanks Harry. UPDATE II Premier orders Butler to crisis talks.
RICHARD Butler has 24 hours to prepare a convincing argument that he should remain the Tasmanian Governor after a frustrated Premier Paul Lennon yesterday ordered the irascible former diplomat to a crisis meeting about his handling of the vice-regal post.Love it. What goes around comes around Richard old chap.
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Mr Butler, as his first act as Gov took a holiday, during which he attempted to abuse his position to get a seat upgrade on the flight.
Since then he has dramatically cut his duties, refused to be patron to a number of organisations and become the highest paid Gov in Aust (even more highly paid than the G-G!!), he has also shot off his mouth on political matters a number of times and been caught out at a social event after having begged off an official event because of pressure of work.
His predecessor, Sir Guy Green was a man of quiet dignity and was the epitome of the position. Butler is a sad buffoon who lives for the spotlight and isn’t smart enough to realise that he isn’t meant to be the focus of publicity.
I give him no more than 6 more months and I don’t expect his departure to be dignified.
The man is a caricature. I don’t understand how an avowed Republican can take the Queen’s shilling and still maintain any form of credibility. Although his statements re: Iraq over the years have always been politically tainted. WMD’s? Depends on who’s looking for them.
In my opinion, Richard Butler accepted the Queen’s shilling with the express intention of undermining and bringing the office of Governor into disrepute and pushing his republican views.
I have no problem with anyone espousing their views, but when you are taking money from the organisation that you wish to undermine, you are no better than a spiv.
If this clown does not resign forthwith in light of the exposure he is no better than a spiv or thief.
He brings his ofice into disrepute (probably intentionally)
I say nothing about the man who appointed him, other than that he is dead.
Good.
http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10378216%255E3462,00.html
Among the problems was an incident at Calstock, in northern Tasmania, in which the Butlers pressured a young policeman to hand over the keys to an unmarked police car.
When the constable — a member of the vice-regal security team — refused the demand, Dr Butler threatened to call Deputy Commissioner Jack Johnston, who she knew from her work on an interstate committee on drugs.
The outspoken Butlers have upset members of the public in other incidents, including:
At the Military Tattoo at Anglesea Barracks on March 20, when Mr Butler complained loudly in a telephone conversation after the event, uttering words to the effect of the tattoo being “the most appalling, boring, waste of time we have ever been subjected to”.
At the Jetty Surf retail store in Hobart about three months ago, when Mr Butler and Dr Butler were involved in a verbal altercation with a shop assistant and the store manager. The incident happened after the assistant complained to a colleague that Mr Butler had been rude and ignored her several attempts to acknowledge him. Dr Butler overheard the remark and took offence, complaining and eventually receiving an apology from the assistant and store manager.
After a Royal Society lecture on April 20, Mr Butler had to be physically assisted down the steps of the Hobart Town Hall by a police sergeant.
All staff were dismissed when federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham paid a surprise visit to Government House when he was in Tasmania visiting the Styx Valley in March. It was never declared in the vice-regal notices.
On April 2, at the Tasmanian Tigers player-of-the-year cricket dinner at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Mr Butler deviated from prepared notes when announcing awards, twice saying “et cetera, et cetera” instead of reading out the winners’ achievements. It came just days after he was gagged by Premier Paul Lennon from making political comments.
Yesterday, interstate newspapers published a series of allegations, including that Mr Butler — a former diplomat — breached protocol at the wedding in May of former Tasmanian Mary Donaldson to Danish Crown Prince Frederik by starting his meal before Danish Queen Margrethe arrived.
The Weekend Australian also alleged the Butlers had been involved in an incident at a lingerie shop in Hobart.
A witness said Dr Butler had made critical comments on the range of items available.
The same report, headlined “The vices of a vice-regal republican”, also said Dr Butler had “chucked a wobbly” during the May trip to Europe because she was unhappy with the location of their hotel.
The Daily Telegraph in Sydney said Government House staff were unhappy about having to “perform cleaning duties beyond their job descriptions” and getting “regular tongue lashings” from Dr Butler.