TAS: Lennon expected to meet governor this evening

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2004
TAS: Lennon expected to meet governor this evening

By Libby Sutherland

HOBART, Aug 9 AAP - Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon was finalising arrangements to meet
Governor Richard Butler this evening in Hobart, a state government spokesman said today.

Mr Butler and wife Jennifer returned to Hobart from Sydney yesterday to face a political
storm sparked by the resignation of three high-level staff at Government House in their
absence.

The mass exodus has spawned a flurry of reports in the local and national media of
alleged bad behaviour by the vice-regal couple.

Mr Lennon has stopped short of giving the embattled governor his full support amid
the controversy surrounding Government House, but has said there are two sides to every
story.

The premier was en route to Hobart this afternoon to discuss the outstanding issues
with Mr Butler.

"The premier's office is finalising arrangements for a meeting this evening when he
returns to Hobart," a government spokesman said.

University of Tasmania political analyst Dr Tony McCall today urged everyone to take
a cold shower while the premier sorted fact from fiction.

"I think he's been the subject of extraordinary innuendo in relation to his role as
the governor and that, unfortunately, in my view, has extended to include Mr Butler as
well," he told ABC radio.

"It would appear that we have a human resource management crisis at Government House
and I think, in my view, everything that the premier intends to do and has done up until
this point is entirely appropriate.

"Unfortunately this has become a media circus and it's very hard to distinguish fact and fiction.

"Once the premier has resolved the fact from the fiction to the best of his satisfaction
then he will reassure Tasmanians one way or the other about the future of the governor."

AAP las/was/sd

KEYWORD: BUTLER LENNON

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.