"Come on in, I'm doing the 'meet and greet' today," boomed the impressively tall and suited governor, now regrettably former and late, as he invited visitors to rubberneck around the historic sandstone pile.

Asked by this correspondent if he was happy playing host, the state's former chief justice smiled disarmingly and replied: "I just do what I'm told."

Indeed.

The occasion was a government house open day where Tasmanians got to see how their tax dollar is spent maintaining the vice-regal residence, and role, as part of our cobwebbed constitution.

Aside from doing what one is told, can you see that representing Queen Elizabeth II in Tassie is a really cool gig?

You get to live in one of Godzone's most impressive and palatial old joints surrounded by a park and just a short and chauffered drive to Hobart's CBD.

The day job? Hey, no sweat.

Cut a ribbon here, declare a bridge or library open there, compliment the gorgeous white-aproned country show women's committee on their freshly baked pumpkin scones.

And smile, smile, smile, even while sipping cups of tea or quaffing white wine siphoned straight from the cask.

At the end of the day, sprawled in front of the tele, a click of the fingers will have a flunkey bring you a toasted chicken sandwich and a cuppa. (Or if you have real class you may just ask politely).

A newly announced bonus is that governors get to keep the "honourable" part as a courtesy title for the rest of their lives.

Why upset a perfect formula?

Well, the down side of being the Queen's sales rep has so far been zipping the lip on the grease of conversation including politics, war, religion and/or sport.

You have to keep asking yourself: What would the Queen say?

The answer: "Nothing, diddly squat."

In a recent two-part program on the royals shown on ABC-TV, a commentator pointed out that in 60 years the Queen has never made a public political comment.

British author Alastair Campbell points out in his new book Winners (Random House): "She (the Queen) genuinely doesn't have views or ideology."

Which leaves us to a flight of fancy regarding Her Maj following Australian football — with a particular interest in the fortunes of Collingwood.

"Of all the teams who play the colonial game, we do rather favour the sophisticated team of fellows known otherwise as the 'Pies," she may have once been overheard whispering to an Aussie diplomat.

Before inquiring: "Whatever happened to that nice Mr Michael Malthouse?"

Goodness, and here's new governor Kate Warner with her views on gender gaps, family violence, glass ceilings and Indigenous matters.

The rules on acting as the Queen's Tasmanian representative have certainly become elastic.

Mind you, the late Mr Underwood may have set the agenda here with his comments on "glorifying war" during an Anzac Day service last year.

You might imagine his successor, former law professor and Australian Republican Movement foundation member, would know her way around such delicate constitutional matters.

A recent pertinent letter to a Southern Tasmanian newspaper claimed that if the governor wants to set the social agenda the role should not be determined by the premier of the day so much as voted on by the populace.

We await with interest Governor Kate Warner's views on cutting-edge issues including global warming, penalty rates, Aboriginal opposition to roads in national parks, bringing back the lash for repeat offenders ...

Of course, all would be forgiven should she declare, like the Queen, an admiration for the 'Pies.