IMHO, Tim would be a good choice. Whenever Johnnie was out of the country or whatever and Tim was filling in, he did a great job. Would have been a much better PM, too.
But after having fucked up so spectacularly last time, Howard will have to go for some safety. Probably just another High Court retiree.
Boonie for GG??
Actually, I can kinda see it… We’ll then have had a PM and a GG who have drunk themselves into the Guiness book of records…
This might be a little late, but has anyone wondered where Tanner got the info about a suppression order from? I wouldn’t put it past Howard to have leaked it himself. It gave him a perfect opportunity to obscure the issue, persuade the GG to step aside ‘temorarily’, accuse others of a ‘witch-hunt’ and take the moral high ground (or at least appear to) all without coming under direct fire himself. Sure, now that it’s all over he’s taken responsibility for Hollingworth’s appointment and admitted things could have been better, but since the media’s more concerned with speculating who the next GG will be, no-one’s paying much attention.
Bundaberg Ginger Beer, at the moment, but I have a couple of Dark and Stormy’s in the fridge for later. World’s best Rum (not saying much, I know) combined with it’s best Ginger Beer…
I think the assumption that Howard leaked to Tanner would be a bit of a leap. Every second journo in Australia knew about the rape case, they just weren’t allowed to tell you till Tanner broke the story in parliament.
But I like the way you’re thinking, BYK. Howard has been underestimated for a long time. Now I’m getting paranoid. How about an I Claudius trick: Howard deliberately appointed a dud to sow further divisions amongst republican ranks. 
Getting back to the OP now that the G-G has resigned, …
Is there really a constitutional crisis? I think not, back when the OP was first posted, or now. Are there mechanisms in place to replace the G-G? Yes. Are those mechanisms flawed to the point they do not work? No, I don’t think so.
Is the political process the real issue here? Yes, but that’s best for a different debate thread.
Dead right, Duckster.