Godwin Grech this week suggested John Howard should be Australia’s next governor-general

GODWIN GRECH HAS SUGGESTED THAT JOHN HOWARD SHOULD BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR-GENERAL. PICTURE: GARY RAMAGETHE AUSTRALIAN

It says something about the quality of political discourse in this country at the moment that the Spectator Australia magazine and some newspapers expect us to take seriously the hypocritical ramblings of a character like Grech, a man who admitted forging an email in a bid to frame the then prime minister Kevin Rudd for corruption.

But his Howard-for-GG proposal reflected something that has been talked about seriously, though privately, in sections of the Liberal Party, and for that reason warrants attention.

The idea is that Tony Abbott, assuming the Coalition wins next year’s election, should appoint Howard to replace Quentin Bryce – for two reasons.

The appointment, it is argued, would not only be a reward for service for a man who values his links to royalty. It would also enable the former PM to provide counsel to a protege.

Let’s leave aside the question of whether it would be proper to have a governor-general acting as political adviser to a PM.

The political climate of the week – an angry, spiteful, highly personalised debate over asylum seeker policy – illustrated vividly a more obvious argument against installing Howard as G-G.

Appointing Howard to the vice-regal post would be divisive and provocative.

After several years of political turbulence and non-stop nastiness, that is the last thing Australia will need.

A period of healing and unity should be the aim, and Bryce’s successor should be chosen with that in mind.

Not Howard – or any other political figure, for that matter – but someone like former Defence Force chief Angus Houston, who headed the panel that broke the policy log-jam over asylum seekers.

Everyone who watched on television on Monday as Houston outlined his panel’s recommendations, argued the case for them, and then dealt with questions from the media had to be impressed.

The retired Air Chief Marshal was calm and clear in what he said. There was none of the evasiveness, spin or waffle that we are used to from politicians. No sniping at others or attempts at self-justification either.

Houston’s performance was thoughtful, logical, civil and persuasive – a refreshing contrast to the news conferences we have become used to in Canberra.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard appointed the panel of three non-politicians in the first place because she, Abbott and their fellow politicians were incapable of dealing with what was literally a matter of life and death.

The panel did the job, and the pollies fell in behind its plan to discourage asylum seekers from attempting the dangerous voyage to Australia on leaky boats arranged by people smugglers.

The need to hand over such a vital issue to non-politicians for solution clearly illustrated how our politicians are on the nose and our Parliament has let us down.

When Gillard said the Australian public were over it, she was dead right. It was a telling admission of failure, not just by the Government, but by the whole political system – Abbott and the Coalition included.

Being forced to accept the core elements of the Coalition’s asylum seeker policy as part of the compromise solution was a humiliation for Gillard, and she can expect a hit in the polls.

But at least action has now been taken, the issue should die down for a while at least, and the Government can turn its attention to other matters.

Abbott can claim vindication for his policy, but there is a downside for him, too. The Coalition’s preferred position was to keep the Government looking paralysed What stood out starkly, however, was the unpleasant, savage, poisonous tone of the debate.

The attacks on Gillard were particularly vicious. But malice flowed from both sides. Several MPs I spoke to at week’s end confided that these days they feel grubby just being in the Parliament.

And the abuse and personal denigration will inevitably get worse as the election approaches.

But after that, some degree of decency and civility and trust will need to be restored.

And a non-controversial governor-general embodying those qualities – as Houston appeared to do this week – will be essential to the process.

Laurie Oakes is political editor for the Nine Network. His column appears every Saturday in the Herald Sun