House debates

Friday, 23 September 2022

Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Ii and Accession of His Majesty King Charles Iii

Address

4:55 pm

Photo of Rick WilsonRick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today on behalf of the people of O'Connor to pay our respects and offer our condolences on the passing of the Queen, Elizabeth II, after 70 years of rule, and to convey the overwhelming feelings of gratitude and respect that have been expressed by my constituents over the last two weeks. It's fitting today that we recognise and honour a life defined by extraordinary and selfless service, grace, dignity, and exemplary leadership of a Commonwealth of 54 nations.

Queen Elizabeth's reign of 70 years began on the passing of her father in 1952 and is the longest of any British monarch. The Queen visited Australia 16 times, overseeing the coming and going of our prime ministers 16 times. In fact, when the Queen visited Australia in 1954, it was the first time a reigning monarch had visited our shores. On that visit, the Queen and Prince Philip spent 58 days Down Under and visited 57 towns and cities, including the beautiful and historic south-coast city of Albany. The Queen visited Albany again in March 1977 as part of the celebrations of 150 years of European settlement in Western Australia, and I'm hoping that King Charles will be able to visit in 2026 for the bicentenary. In 1954, the Queen also visited Western Australia's economic powerhouse, the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and returned for a second visit in 1988. There are many older residents of both Albany and Kalgoorlie-Boulder who, in recent days, have recalled their vivid and fond memories of those visits.

In the course of those 16 visits, the Queen officiated at the opening of some of our most famous and iconic buildings and institutions, such as the Sydney Opera House in 1973 and this Parliament House in 1988. The Queen has been a constant, reassuring presence in the lives of the people of O'Connor, and, as I travel the vast electorate, the portrait of the Queen is always present in our town halls, our CWAs, our ag societies, our Girl Guide and Scout halls, to name just a few.

The incredible scenes of public grief and mourning that we've witnessed over the last two weeks are testament to the extraordinary affection that people of all nationalities held for Queen Elizabeth. The royal funeral, broadcast to billions of people around the world, was a sombre reminder that the monarchy is as much about the 1,900-year-old institution as it is about the individual. At this sad time, we must remember that there is a family at the head of that institution who is grieving the loss of a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. I extend my condolences to King Charles III and the extended royal family.

In conclusion, on behalf of the people of O'Connor, I thank Queen Elizabeth II for a lifetime of dedication, service and devotion to her people. May her soul rest in peace.

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