Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate the member for Riverina, the member for Swan and others on their excellent contributions. It is little wonder that members on both sides of the House join the Australian people in acknowledging the extraordinary contribution of Her Majesty the Queen and particularly the milestone she achieved yesterday, 9 September, in relation to her historic reign. Yesterday, Her Majesty became the longest serving monarch in British history, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who sat on the throne for 63 years and 216 days. What an extraordinary achievement over six decades of selfless service.

Australia's constitutional arrangements established on 1 January 1901 describe the parliament as encompassing three parts: the Queen, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Queen then was Queen Victoria who, until yesterday, held the distinction of longest reigning British monarch. Her great-great-granddaughter is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and who can ever forget the difficult circumstances of her ascension to the throne? King George VI, the Queen's father, died in his sleep in the early hours of 6 February 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India and the first head of the Commonwealth.

The then Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, were travelling to Australia. It is characteristic of the Queen's adherence to the motto 'duty first' that her first response to being advised of the death of her beloved father was to write letters of apology to the governments of Australia and New Zealand that her imminent visit would be postponed. That sense of duty above self has endured and is the hallmark of the Queen's reign, who has been supported at every step by her husband, Prince Philip. The principles of duty and hard work have been her North Star all of these decades.

As monarch, the Queen has consistently demonstrated her love of Australia and our interests. The member for Riverina and others have talked about her many visits to Australia during her long reign, which have always been received with enormous affection and respect. It is remarkable when you think the Queen has known and advised 12 prime ministers, from Sir Robert Menzies to the present day, and she has always taken her constitutional rights very seriously. They are, of course, the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn. In 63 years the Queen has never betrayed a confidence given to her, by any of those prime ministers, in any of her realms. She has not played personal politics, and yet anything politically done is done in her name.

I am proud to have worn the Queen's commission, as an officer of the Australian Regular Army, for 31 years, first as a soldier and then as second lieutenant and through to brigadier and, particularly, as a nine-year veteran of the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. Indeed, all members of the armed services in the 16 realms hold the Queen's commission. They swear a pledge of allegiance to the Queen and her heirs and successors, according to law. I notice that hanging on my wall in Parliament House is my own oath of allegiance on 16 January 1979. I pledged allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of Australia, her heirs and successors and undertook to 'loyally and faithfully serve Her Majesty as a soldier in the Australian Army' at that stage for a period of six years or until such time as my service was lawfully terminated and to discharge all of the duties of a soldier, 'according to law'. That pledge was taken by Captain RA Snuggs at the Defence Force Recruiting Centre, in Adelaide, on 16 January 1979. It is an important distinction, in our parliamentary democracies, that our military personnel have a duty to the sovereign, and the directions they get from the government of the day must be lawful and in her name.

It is worth noting another important role held by the Queen. Since 1952 she has also been head of the Commonwealth. I mentioned earlier that her father was the first head of the Commonwealth. It is an independent association of 53 states, many of which have their own monarchies or are republics, but all honour Queen Elizabeth as the head of the Commonwealth. Our Queen, all these decades later, still puts service ahead of self for 364 days out of each and every year. Daily, Her Majesty dutifully deals with official papers from the British government and from the governments of Australia and the other 14 countries of which she is head of state. Indeed, she only gives herself Christmas Day off. The royal engagements are unceasing and Her Majesty continues to apply herself to them with gusto. It is worth noting the current generation of the royal family. I will quote from her grandson Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who praised his grandmother recently. He said:

… I am privileged to witness the private side of the Queen as a grandmother and a great-grandmother. The Queen's kindness … her innate sense of calm and perspective, and her love of family and home are all attributes I experience first-hand.

He goes on to say:

All of us who will inherit the legacy of my grandmother's reign and generation need to do all we can to celebrate and learn from her story. Speaking for myself, I am privileged to have the Queen as a model for a life of service to the public.

I just say in concluding: well said, Prince William. Many of us in Australia join you in paying tribute to the Queen of Australia and thank Her Majesty for her record of duty and service.

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