Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

My Queen! My Queen! Honourable members, the Queen is dead. Long live the King!

Today I stand on behalf of the people of Wright to offer my respect to a family and to those nations that are grieving her passing. I want to associate myself with the comments made today by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and with the reverent contributions that they made. In those contributions, it was said that grief is the price we pay for love. It was a great love we had for our Queen; thus, a great grief.

In 2011, it was her farewell tour. The Queen had travelled to Australia on 16 occasions, and I was fortunate to be present in the Great Hall to bear witness to the ceremony that was conducted here. As a new member, having been sworn in at the dispatch box in this chamber only 12 months beforehand and having given a service of allegiance to Queen and country, to then be in her presence was overwhelming. She was 85, and her husband, Philip, was then 90. She visited Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, and the year following that she celebrated her 60th year on the throne.

As part of this speech I also want to acknowledge King Charles III and, in understanding the task that is now in front of him, reflect on the King's lineage—King Charles I and King Charles II. Regretfully, in 1625, King Charles I lost his head to Oliver Cromwell, who was a member of the parliament at that time, ironically. The King, in his wisdom, decided to dissolve the parliament. There was a revolt of the people, a civil war ensued, and the King lost his head. King Charles II was restored after Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ruled for a relatively short amount of time. For those who seek the republican journey, I encourage you to study history as to how long that potentially can last. Only a couple of years later, the restoration of Charles II came, and he reigned for 25 years. King Charles III has had a lifetime of preparation for the role that he undertakes today. I support a monarchy limited by constitution. King, know I am your servant.

Upon reflection, there are two other qualities I admire in the Queen. This morning I sat and I thought, 'What are the two remarkable qualities that I can attribute to those in my electorate?' The words that come to mind when reflecting on the Queen's contribution are, first, her poise and, second, her steadfastness. When I think of those in my electorate who also carry the tag 'poise', I think of none other than Beth Hern OAM, who volunteers as the secretary of our show society and who rolls up day after day, year after year as a volunteer, knowing that our community is a better place for her contributions. She is graceful and she is elegant. When I think of steadfastness, a quality of the Queen, I think of a distinguished leader in my electorate—none other than the Mayor of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Councillor Tanya Milligan, who was first elected in 2000 and has been elected for 22 years consecutively. Resolute, dutiful and firm, she has led through many disasters, mostly floods and droughts, within the electorate of Wright.

On behalf of the people of Wright and a grieving nation, I pay my respects to a remarkable person who led an exemplary life of service. We close the chapter now on the second Elizabethan age. Vale, my Queen.

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