On Wednesday 25 February 2009, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General Ms Quentin Bryce AC presided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

Later, the Governor-General received the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Commissioner Tom Calma; the Vice President Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, Dr Peter O'Mara; the Operations Manager National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Ms Elaine Lomas; the Chair Indigenous Dentists' Association of Australia, Dr Christopher Bourke; and a member of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses, Ms Vicki Bradford. In the evening, at the Office of National Assessments, Canberra, the Governor-General and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, as guests of the Director General, Mr Peter Varghese, attended a reception to celebrate the Office of National Assessments' Anniversary Day. Afterwards, at Government House, Canberra the Governor-General and Mr Bryce attended a ceremony at which the Governor-General issued the Oaths and Affirmations of Office to the newly appointed Parliamentary Secretaries: the Honourable Gregory Combet AM MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change; the Honourable Dr Michael Kelly AM MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, Parliamentary Secretary for Water; the Honourable William Shorten MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction; the Honourable Anthony Byrne MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Secretary for Trade; Senator the Honourable Mark Arbib, Parliamentary Secretary for Government Service Delivery. The Governor General also issued the Executive Councillor Oath to Senator Arbib. Later, the Governor-General and Mr Bryce hosted a dinner for the Members of the Council for the Order of Australia. Guests included: Mr Andrew Cappie-Wood and Ms Tracey Hayne; Dr Lyndsay Connors AM; the Honourable Sir James Gobbo AC CVO and Lady Gobbo; Dr Sue Gordon AM; Mr Neville Grayson and Mrs Lyn Grayson; Professor Andrea Hull AO; Mr Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC and Mrs Jennifer Lewis; Mr Greg Mackie OAM; Ms Lee Prince; Mr Ross Sue See; Mr Malcolm Wauchope; and Dr Fiona Wood AM.