House debates

Friday, 23 September 2022

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

Address

5:08 pm

Photo of Melissa PriceMelissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the condolence motion for the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In the last two weeks, it seems much of the world has stopped to mourn the passing of Her Majesty. The depth of love, respect and admiration for the Queen has been felt not just in the Commonwealth but also across the globe. Her Majesty was an inspiration and guiding light to many.

Her Majesty made several visits to regional Western Australia, sharing her sense of dignity, grace and strength and, occasionally, sense of humour. Today it is my privilege to recount memories shared by some of my Durack constituents. One clear recounted memory was of the Queen's visit to Geraldton in 1988. My constituent and much-loved local Barb Thompson was lined up with her husband and baby son. They had all rushed down from the service station they owned, still in their work clothes, and were very excited at the prospect of seeing the Queen. As the Queen passed by, Barb's husband smiled at the Queen and said, 'G'day Your Majesty.' To their surprise, the Queen turned around and came back to speak to them. Her Majesty admired their eight-month-old son, stating:

He is a dear little boy. I have a few grandsons myself.

She then tickled the little one's toes for a moment. Those photos taken at this encounter were published in newspapers right across the country—a very proud moment for Geraldton. Barb recalls the Queen's warm, friendly and genuine manner, as well as her sparkling blue eyes and the beautiful brooch she wore that sparkled in the Gero sun.

An additional memory from another constituent, who was a year 8 girl from a farming family, remembers a very strong female leader and a woman who held herself with poise and power. She loved her fabulous yellow outfit and recalls thinking, 'Why blend in when you can stand out?'

The Queen was no stranger to Durack, having made numerous visits to my vast electorate during her royal tours. Next March will mark 60 years since the Queen stepped onto the Old Town Jetty in Roebuck Bay in Broome. This was a very exciting sight for Broome, considering most locals were used to seeing pearling boats at the jetty as opposed to royal yachts. Sporting her signature pearl necklace, the Queen spent her time in Broome chatting with locals and admiring the local pearling harvest. It must have been a very proud moment for the Broome pearlers that day, knowing how much the Queen loved and appreciated pearls, something that the Queen and I have in common.

Since her passing, many have had the time to reflect on the sense of stability that Her Majesty gave us. She was a constant, reliable fixture in our lives—for most of us, all our lives. The passing of the Queen is a loss of familiarity. It is a little like losing your favourite auntie or someone very dear to you, an important person in your life.

As a woman who likes to dress in bright, beautiful colours, I was very inspired by Her Majesty's incredible, immaculate dress sense, and I don't think enough has been said about this. Her Majesty set an impeccable example in every way, and her attention to detail with her appearance gave us just a bit of an insight into how she managed her duties as our sovereign.

Personally, I'm not surprised at the outpouring of love and respect for our Queen from all corners of the globe. But I'd long thought that it is a real shame that all the good things that people say about someone upon their passing—it would be good if they could say those things when that individual was alive. I only hope that our majesty, our sovereign, our Queen knows just how much she was—is—loved, admired and respected.

On behalf of the people who call Durack home, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the royal family, particularly to King Charles III. It is clear how much the King loved his mother. She was Queen to us, but she was 'dear Mummy' to him. I wish our King a long life and to be given a chance to fulfil his duty with grace and devotion, just as his mother did before him. I recall with fondness the time I met King Charles on Lady Elliot Island in 2018. He was very respectful and kind and warm, and he was particularly interested in how long it had taken me to get to Lady Elliot Island from regional Western Australia. I assured him it was almost a whole day.

Like many other electorates, my offices in Broome and Geraldton have received several touching messages of sympathy, lovingly and thoughtfully written in our condolence books. One entry, by Mr Chris Whiting of Nabawa, comes to mind, an entry which I believe sums up the mood of the nation. Chris wrote the following:

RIP ma'am. I served for 14 years. Best boss I ever had.

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