On a personal level, Bill Hayden, has not received any of the parliamentary pension to which he would have otherwise been entitled since going to Yarralumla. Also his salary was set at some $20,000 a year lower than it would have been if set on the basis of his predecessor because at the time the Government was appealing to all sections of the community to exercise wage restraint. However, on an official level, the annual report of his office, somewhat exaggerated by some press reports, indicates that the running of Government House is costing a figure that would make many Australians uncomfortable. The stark figures are the $517,000 spent on the trip to Gallipoli and the $12 million it cost last year to maintain Government House. The $12 million includes renovations and extra security, but even without them, the office costs 50 per cent more than in Sir Ninian Stephen’s day.
Most other areas of government have come under heavy cuts and cost pressures. The figures presented in the annual report will make many Australians wonder at the functions of the office and whether it requires this level of funding. Whether the head of state is seen as a representative of the monarch or as a symbol of the nation either now or in an impending republic, Australians still want value for money. They will ask: are the number of functions and number of staff all necessary?