Fed: Hollingworth should step down, says ethics expert
By Janelle Miles
BRISBANE, Feb 19 AAP - Governor-General Peter Hollingworth should step down after admittinghe "wasn't up to" dealing with child sexual abuse claims as a new Anglican archbishopin 1990, an ethics expert said today.
Dr Trevor Jordan, senior lecturer in applied ethics at the Queensland University ofTechnology, said Archbishop Hollingworth's performance on the ABC's Australian Story programraised serious questions about his ability to fulfil his duties as Governor-General.
Dr Hollingworth said that as a new archbishop in 1990 he was on a "steep learning curve"
and did not have his "finger on all of the schools", claiming these were reasons for notadequately responding to complaints of abuse at Toowoomba Preparatory School.
Dr Jordan said Dr Hollingworth's answers showed he should step down as Governor-General.
"He's almost admitting that he wasn't on top of things in a crucial role in the past,"
said Dr Jordan, who is also the chair of the Esther Trust, an organisation that providesadvocacy and support to victims of sexual abuse in faith communities.
"I don't think Australia can afford to have a Governor-General who might not be ontop of things at some important stage.
"When you're Governor-General, you're a leader, a figurehead of Australia.
"The citizens you're representing include a large body of people who are victims of sexual abuse.
"I don't think they'd be necessarily comfortable with his leadership in that area inthe past and have doubts about his ability to fulfil the role."
Dr Jordan said it was clear Dr Hollingworth, when he was archbishop, lacked insightand sensitivity in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse.
Dr Hollingworth's successor as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall, hasscheduled a news conference for later today at which he is expected to address mountingclaims of inadequately addressed sexual allegations during the Hollingworth tenure.
Dr Hollingworth is also due to issue a detailed statement in Canberra today respondingto fresh allegations including that he had appointed a man already accused of abuse toa newly formed church committee charged with investigating reports of sexual impropriety.
AAP jhm/sc/cjh/sb
KEYWORD: HOLLINGWORTH ETHICS
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