Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the Charter of the Commonwealth.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fowler for his question. He asked me to make some comments about the Commonwealth, and I have the Commonwealth charter to table today. Today's Commonwealth is diverse and it is multifaceted. It brings together two billion people living in 54 countries, spanning all continents and major religions. From its inception the Commonwealth has been underpinned and sustained by the aspirations of its people for democratic governance, tolerance of diversity and respect for human rights. Now, for the first time in its history, the Commonwealth has a document which reflects the Commonwealth spirit—a single statement signed by Her Majesty the Queen setting out Commonwealth core values.

This charter was a recommendation of the Eminent Persons Group, whose report was presented to Commonwealth heads of government in Perth in 2011. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Australia's representative on that Eminent Persons Group, Mr Michael Kirby, for his personal commitment to securing support for this charter. I would like to thank the foreign minister, Senator Carr, and the former foreign minister Kevin Rudd for their work in seeing the charter through to its drafting and adoption.

The challenge now for all Commonwealth members is to promote and uphold the values set out in this charter. The future strength and unity of the Commonwealth depends on this.

As I table this charter today we also pay tribute to the distinguished service of Queen Elizabeth as Head of the Commonwealth over these many decades. The institution of the Head of the Commonwealth, standing as it does above individual governments, has been an asset of the Commonwealth since its foundation, and we need not be reticent about its future. For Australia's part, I am sure the Queen's successor as monarch will one day serve as Head of the Commonwealth with the same distinction as Her Majesty has done.

Speaker, today I present the Charter of the Commonwealth—an important achievement of Australia's term as Commonwealth chair in office—which has now been brought to fruition.