Personal narratives? You mean by that she’s strictly expressing a personal opinion right?

Well no, not quite as I understand the word. The term narrative has been taken up in politics to mean something of a theme for a particular government and how that theme has been put into policy over time. I would associate the meaning of narrative more with story telling. Fictional movies have a structure around stories and narratives while a documentary presumes to present footage to support an opinion (by being selective about editing and the footage shown). The best documentaries also tell a story – like Rats in the Ranks for an example. You can never completely separate out the two. Its a bit like the difference between science with its opinions and humanities with its reams of texts and sources. Science still has its stories and some things in the humanities are beyond dispute.

A personal opinion is usually not a narrative, but a person may arrive at a personal opinion through their personal experiences and express a narrative as to why they hold that opinion.

Narrative: the third most over-used word or phrase behind ‘Oh my God’ and ‘Are you serious’.

Narrative – the story behind the policy – the context. There are a plurality of narratives and stories. People relate to stories more so than bald assertions of opinion, so it makes political sense to wrap policy in a narrative form. That does not mean that all expressions of narrative are directly political – or party political.

In an interview with The Age, Ms Bryce recalled her own health failing so badly when she had three children under the age of five that she contracted pneumonia and felt she would not be able to get out of bed to return to work, though she came from a generation that was taught “you just get on with it”.

“All women need support when they’re having their babies and their little families are in formation,” she said.

“I have to say I have a lot of concern about the numbers of women — and men, now — who are not getting the support that they need. There are not the families and the communities around that there used to be.”

That is an observation starting from her experience and then noting that much of the family and community support that was available when she was raising her kids are not available in today’s society. I don’t see that as a party political stance. Support for people in community goes far beyond anything that a federal government can provide. Its a statement about life in our community – and she is making an effort to talk to a wide variety of people in her role as GG.

Contrast that with something you might see from a lobby group in Canberra – give us $$$ million for #### and you can put statement XXXXX about supporting the [environment/business/employment/blah blah] in your govt advertising for the next election. That is political. I don’t think commenting on the reality facing working people and making an effort to talk with the people involved is party political.

If there is a ground swell of support for government to help those most disadvantaged in the community then surely that is something an opportunistic opposition would take up – and then it would be inappropriate for a GG to lobby on behalf of one party or comment on the proposals. But the GG would still be within bounds to comment on the life experiences of people in our community even if there is a political difference being built around that issue – but in that case she probably wouldn’t need to because the media is on the case already.

Oh yes she is jinmaro. She’s already met the Queen and her stated deference to the awe and wonder of “Her Majesty’ was telling.

But I have to say, that if you’re going to have a National Ribbon Cutter, someone as elegant and soignee as QB is hard to beat.

Deal with it.

What? That the Australian cricket team shouldn’t sledge? The self-aggrandising bastard!

I think Zelman Cowen’s inane observation about the role of the GG being to reflect us back to ourselves was indicative of the effect that Yarralumla and meeting the Queen in private has on previously quite well-balanced jurists.

The role simply requires the incumbent to cur ribbons, open things and sign Bills into law. It doesn’t require some sort of national bleeding heart to run a commentary on what the government should be doing more or less about. If the nominee finds that unacceptable, don’t take the job.

I think that Quentin Bryce is a good choice and more than most, she’ll understand that Australians elect a federal government to frame the national destiny.

The GG is there to represent the Queen (under our current arrangements) and the Queen doesn’t offer opinions on matters of political import. Neither should the GG.

From the linked articles above it seems that this Governor-General is careful to stay with personal narratives, including her own, which I think is fine and totally acceptable.

Personal narratives? You mean by that she’s strictly expressing a personal opinion right? Narrative: the third most over-used word or phrase behind ‘Oh my God’ and ‘Are you serious’.
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She’s the gov-gen right? She’s being quoted in a newspaper viz her views right? It ain’t personal it’s public and it’s totally inappropriate.
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Please remember boys and girls that when you play partisan politics in the non-partisan part of the playground then the other side will do it too.