This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A retired Australian forces chief known for his weekly boxing sessions with Indigenous youngsters in Sydney has been appointed as the Queen’s next representative in the country, a move the country’s opposition Labor party says it hopes will be the last appointment to the position by Buckingham Palace.

In a statement, the palace said the Queen had, on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recommendation, “been pleased to approve the appointment of His Excellency General the Hon David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), as governor general designate of the commonwealth of Australia”.

David Hurley named next governor general of Australia as Labor blasts timing Read more

Hurley will succeed Australia’s current governor general, Sir Peter Cosgrove, when he retires in June 2019.

Morrison said Hurley was a “stand-out candidate” who was “known for looking people straight in the eye. Not up and not down.

“I had only one choice, my first choice, and he is standing next to me,” Morrison said.

Hurley, a former defence force chief and currently the governor of the state of New South Wales, said the appointment was “the highest honour”, adding that he was “very humbled and proud to have accepted”.

“Australia is a very rich country, in a non-material sense. Australians have an amazing – and indeed an enormous – capacity to contribute their time, their energy, their talents, their emotions, their care and indeed their money to assist others.

“I look forward to continuing to be involved with them in these pursuits.”

Australia’s Labor opposition leader, Bill Shorten had been “informed but not consulted” about the appointment.

“I hope this is the last time an Australian prime minister has to call Buckingham Palace for permission,” he said at his party’s national conference on Sunday.

Addressing the conference, Shorten promised Labor would build “a country that stands on its own two feet: an Australian republic with an Australian head of state”.

The Australian Republic Movement said Cosgrove’s successor could have been decided by parliament or a plebiscite.

“Australians should have had more say about who will be the next – and, we hope, last – governor general appointed by a British monarch to represent him or her in Australia,” the group said in a statement.

“It’s bad enough that Prime Minister Morrison had to ask a British monarch for permission to announce David Hurley as her representative in Australia.

“What’s worse is he did not have to ask any of us. Australians should have more say in decisions like this.”

A partly ceremonial role, the governor general represents the Queen in Australia and holds some constitutional responsibilities. The governor general also holds the title of commander-in-chief of the Australian defence force.