Critics say Peter Hollingworth's record should have been checked
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Peter Hollingworth has publicly apologised for the scandal that led to his resignation as Australia's Governor-General at the weekend.
"I got it wrong," Hollingworth admitted in a 10-minute, televised national address.
His statement came as Prime Minister John Howard confirmed that Britain's Queen Elizabeth II had officially accepted the resignation of her constitutional representative.
I truly regret the way the matter was handled and I apologise to those involved who have suffered as a consequence
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Mr Howard has said he will appoint a successor to Mr Hollingworth in the next few weeks, and has rejected calls that he should consult others in the decision.
The Australian leader has come under fire for not checking his last choice's background more carefully, after it emerged that Mr Hollingworth had failed to dismiss a paedophile priest while Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
"I truly regret the way the matter was handled and I apologise to those involved who have suffered as a consequence," Mr Hollingworth said on Thursday.
"The hard fact I have had to face is that in at least one
incident, though I acted in good faith, I got it wrong. Now the
onus is on me to move forward and do something constructive to help Australia's vulnerable children and their families," he said.
The controversy has reinvigorated republicans who want to replace the Queen with an Australian president, but their cause is seen as having little chance of success under Mr Howard, a staunch monarchist.
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