Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise today to give my warmest congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen as we celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne. This is a remarkable achievement of longevity and commitment, particularly to Australia, and for that we are sincerely grateful and appreciative. In 1977 Her Majesty celebrated her Silver Jubilee; in 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee; and now, in 2012, she will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. The milestones of Her Majesty's reign have been celebrated with enthusiasm throughout the Commonwealth, and I am confident that the Diamond Jubilee will be no exception.

Queen Elizabeth II will be one of only two British monarchs to have celebrated such a milestone as the Diamond Jubilee; Queen Victoria is the only other British monarch to have reigned for 60 years or more. I have no doubt that Queen Elizabeth II will become the longest serving a British monarch in history. Her Majesty's father, King George VI, reigned for a relatively short time compared to the reign of his daughter. King George VI passed away too soon, at only 56 years of age, leaving his daughter with the enormous task of reigning over the entire Commonwealth. The Diamond Jubilee takes place this year to mark the Queen's 60-year reign after coming to the throne on 6 February 1952, with her coronation taking place on 2 June 1953.

As Australia is a constitutional monarchy: the Queen is Australia's sovereign, and she plays very important symbolic and ceremonial roles. As the head of state of 15 Commonwealth realms and of the UK as well as of the Commonwealth itself, which consists of 54 independent countries, the Queen is always exceptionally and understandably very busy. However, Her Majesty has always found the time to visit and reaffirm her longstanding commitment to Australia.

We were fortunate enough to be visited by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in October last year, and I believe there was a real sense of community excitement by all Australians about the royal visit. This was the first time that I had met Her Majesty and Prince Philip, but it was the third time that I had seen both the Queen and Prince Philip. The first time I remember very clearly: it was on 20 April 1970 and it was in Townsville. I was a very young schoolgirl at that stage, and I, with the other children in my class, lined the streets as Her Majesty and Prince Philip drove through. We stood there for many hours, with the excitement and anticipation building, to see Her Majesty for a couple of seconds. Many years later I still hold that memory. It was interesting that, when the latest royal visit was announced and we knew the Queen and Prince Philip were visiting, all of my children shared a similar anticipation and excitement about the Queen's coming to Australia and what it meant to them. So I think the Queen and Prince Philip are very positive both for Australia and for the sense of community we have and hopefully will have into the future.

Discussions on whether Australia should become a republic are frequent. However, despite this debate and a referendum in 1999, our great country still remains part of the Commonwealth, with Her Majesty our Queen. Since Federation in 1901, Australia has only had six monarchs. For over half of this time, 60 years, Australia has been under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen has seen Australia change Prime Ministers 12 times, yet her commitment and loyalty to all these governments, of both political persuasions, has not wavered.

I will finish my remarks today by again congratulating Her Majesty on the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee and noting the oath she swore at her coronation on 2 June 1953: 'to govern the peoples of Australia and her other realms according to their respective laws and customs'. Your Majesty, you have most certainly stayed true to your oath, and we as Australians are eternally grateful for your service and dedication to us. God save the Queen.

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with much pleasure that I stand here today to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the accomplishment of her Diamond Jubilee. On her 21st birthday, Queen Elizabeth II pledged:

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we will belong.

To this day I believe the Queen has stayed true to her pledge and now, some 60 years on, her passion and dedication has been witnessed as she continues to serve all of the Commonwealth nations.

Over the years the Queen has displayed a genuine love and warmth for our nation, as was evidenced during her visit here last year. That was brought home with her visit to Brisbane and the many that turned out at Southbank to watch her come past, but also in her visits to Melbourne and her time in Perth with CHOGM. Over the years the Queen has visited our nation 16 times, making many public appearances in each and every state as well as the mainland territories during her travels. The Queen is the first reigning monarch of Australia to visit our nation, and the crowds are always immense. Around three-quarters of the population of Australia has over that time seen the Queen during one of those visits.

Over the years the Queen has travelled the globe many times, making many public appearances. This has led to her being recognised as the most widely travelled head of state in history. Her first ever overseas trip was to southern Africa with her parents. This trip occurred around two years after she made her first ever appearance. In a rare interview, Queen Elizabeth spoke about this first appearance, which occurred on Victory Day and which celebrated the end of the war in Europe. With her sister, Margaret, in tow, the young royals mingled with the local crowds in the streets of London. During this interview she said:

We asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. I remember we were terrified of being recognised… I remember the lines of an unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us were just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.

Some years after her public debut the public appearances steadily increased as her father's health deteriorated. Being the third in line for succession, there was not a great expectation that she would take the throne. It was at the age of 26 when her father passed away that she assumed the role of Queen Elizabeth II.

During her life she has witnessed the ongoing transformation of what was then the British Empire to now the Commonwealth. A quote by Harold Macmillan during her visit to Ghana in 1961 gives an insight into her character, earning her great respect with everybody that she met. He wrote:

The Queen has been absolutely determined through all… She is impatient of the attitude towards her to treat her as … a film star… She has indeed 'the heart and stomach of a man'. She loves her duty and means to be a Queen.

This was amply demonstrated some six weeks prior to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer when the Queen was widely praised for her composure during a safety crisis when shots were fired towards her at close range as she rode down the Mall. She continued to display this composure and strength during times when she saw people treat her more critically than they had in the past.

Over the years the respect and recognition that the Royal Family has been held in has waxed and waned. Recently that has been greatly renewed with the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last year attracting a record amount of interest both locally, nationally and internationally. This was further demonstrated by the Queen's visit to our country last year. That visit elicited a number of discussions with constituents around the electorate. At a school visit last year to Shailer Park Primary School the students were engaged in a host of activities designed to better understand our government and how our country works. In one of those activities students from grades 2A and 2B made collages of the Queen and decorated her crown jewels. It was great to see our younger generations taking such a keen interest in learning about the role of the Queen in our country. She is a terrific role model for all our young people and for our nation as a whole.

It is not just the young who show an interest in the Queen. One of my constituents, June Hinze, tells me that she has a very large memorabilia collection, and I expect that there are many more people in this country who have collections of special editions of magazines or video footage of the Queen's achievements, accomplishments, family milestones et cetera. We greatly appreciate and admire the Queen for her loyal and steadfast support for this nation over the past 60 years and we wish her all the best for many future years in her role. I congratulate her again on her Diamond Jubilee.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a few words to say about the Queen in recognition of the Diamond Jubilee of her ascension to the throne. I think we have all seen the newsreels of London in the Second World War, when the two princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, refused to leave and drove trucks around the city to help with the evacuation and rebuilding of London. Therein lies the story of the person: it is service above self. If anyone epitomises service above self it is Queen Elizabeth II.

My grandmother was always a staunch royalist. Every Christmas we would all have to stand in front of the TV. We would be there in shorts with no shirt and bare feet and we would all have to stand to attention to listen to the Queen's message and stand up for God Save the Queen. Those of us who are old enough will remember that when we started school we had to stand on the parade ground and sing God Save the Queen before Advance Australia Fair, and that was another wonderful contact with the throne.

I was lucky enough to be in the crowd at Queen Elizabeth II Stadium during her Silver Jubilee year, at a special athletics meet on a very rainy Wednesday afternoon in Brisbane. She and Prince Philip drove around the track greeting all the students who had turned out. My good friend Nicki Marks did very well that day to get a third in the shot-put. The Queen was driven around, and it was one of those things you see where real class says that it was raining and she did not get wet. That just shows you what sort of person she is.

My grandmother was also lucky enough to meet her at one of the shows in England. My grandparents made their living as pig farmers on the Darling Downs. They were over there ostensibly to look at breeds of pigs. My grandmother was in the tent for an official reception for the Queen and they asked if there was anyone from overseas. My grandmother put up her hand, was brought forward and was introduced to the Queen. Grandma always said she could not just go straight back to the pigs; she had to go back via the flowers. She could not make that trip all in one go. To be in awe of someone like that is truly wonderful.

I was at St James Cathedral in Townsville on Sunday night, when Townsville celebrated the anniversary. We were very privileged to have there the Governor of Queensland, Penelope Wensley. She did the best impersonation of the Queen I have ever seen. In Townsville on Sunday night—this is true—it was 300 degrees and 1,000 per cent humidity! It was stinking hot, and yet Penelope Wensley was there wearing shoes, stockings and a lovely dress, and there was not a bead of sweat to be seen anywhere. The Queen would have been so proud of her representative.

That is what the Queen also has done, by and large, with the selection of governors. Although they are suggested by the governments of the day, we look for a particular type of person. We spoke this morning about Sir Zelman Cowen, and some of us were lucky enough to be at Government House on Monday afternoon with the Governor-General. The way that our governors and Governors-General portray themselves and the role they play in the community mirrors what the Queen has done for our country.

There is not time to talk about the republican movement or have a debate on the issue. I will simply say God save the Queen. She is a truly wonderful person. She has done this for 60 years and never appears tired. May she reign for a lot longer yet and may she have a truly wonderful year.

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 9 May 1988 Queen Elizabeth II officially opened this building, our permanentParliament House. On that occasion she related how, exactly 61 years earlier, on 9 May 1927, her father, the then Duke of York and later King George VI, had opened the first parliament house, Old Parliament House, here in Canberra. She also related how exactly 87 years earlier, on 9 May 1901, her grandfather, also the then Duke of York and later King George V, had opened the very first session of Australia's national parliament. The monarchy, mostly at arms length, has accompanied our parliament every step of the way from Federation to today.

For most of that period our head of state has been Queen Elizabeth II. Her 60-year reign has spanned a period of enormous growth, change, development and progress in our society. Perhaps only a handful of members in this place would remember her sudden ascension to the throne on 6 February 1952, when a young Elizabeth was on tour when her father, King George VI, suddenly died. Even the member for Hinkler was one year shy of being a sprightly young teenager. The Father of the House, the member for Berowra, was barely nine years old. The reign that the Queen has enjoyed is something to think about.

During that 60-year reign Queen Elizabeth II has seen 12 prime ministers in both this and Old Parliament House: Harold Holt, John McEwen, John Gorton, William McMahon, Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard—and, of course, Sir Robert Menzies. The Queen ascended the throne four years into Menzies's 16-year tenure as Prime Minister, and it is probably worth noting an extract from an article written by Menzies in 1954 for the Sydney Morning Herald. That extract certainly reflects the mindset and relationship of Australians to the monarchy at that point in time. Menzies said:

It is a basic truth that for our Queen we have within us, sometimes unrealised until the moment of expression, the most profound and passionate feelings of loyalty and devotion. It does not require much imagination to realise that when 8 million people spontaneously pour out this feeling they are engaging in a great act of common allegiance and common joy which brings them closer together and is one of the most powerful elements converting them from a mass of individuals to a great, cohesive nation. In brief, the common devotion to the throne is a part of the very cement of the whole social structure.

Queen Elizabeth II may be our head of state in Australia, but she is probably recognised for many other things. Australians love their long weekends, and the Queen's Birthday long weekend is no different, although her real birthday is 21 April. Go figure—that is typically Australian. If you do not care to send her a card for her birthday, she will still send you a telegram for yours if you are turning 100. During her 60-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has sent more than 175,000 telegrams to centenarians around the Commonwealth. She has conferred more than 400,000 honours and awards. She has launched 21 ships. She has sat for 129 portraits. How you could sit still for 129 portraits is beyond me, but she has done it. She has also owned more than 30 corgis. That is one thing she is famously known for, and many of those are noted descendants of the first corgi, Susan, which was an 18th birthday present in 1944.

She has undertaken 261 official overseas visits to 116 different countries. But I would like to dwell on one particular visit for a moment. Of the 18 times that Queen Elizabeth II actually visited Australia I would like to highlight her 1954 tour. This tour took in approximately 60 cities and regional centres, including some in my electorate of Dawson in North Queensland. On 13 March the tour took a young Elizabeth to Townsville at the northern end of Dawson. She went to Lindeman Island in the Whitsundays for what appeared to be a brief holiday and then to Mackay after 40 days on tour.

It was a short stay in Mackay—only a few hours—but it was enough to leave a lasting impression on anyone who attended the official occasion. I have got to say that it was most of the town. It was reported that 30,000 people crowded into the Mackay showground. The visit is recorded in fabulous detail in a book called Mackay Revisited, which many Mackay people know as a history of the town. The book paints a picture of townspeople falling over themselves to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II and records the local newspaper, the Daily Mercury, devoting more coverage to that visit than to any event since the great cyclone of 1918. The editorial of the day after the Queen's visit read:

If so much has been achieved in times when the monarchy had been confined to British shores, how much more could be expected from the rising generations who, with their elders, will draw a new inspiration, a burning zeal, a pride and a joy from the visit in person of their Queen; a closer contact than they have ever known with all the Crown symbolises.

That certainly reflects the mood of the time and the feeling of Australians towards the monarchy. On that visit, the children of Mackay put on a performance for the Queen. There were three items by the Junior Choral Society; there was a verse of Greetings to our Queen by the West Mackay convent; there was an Australian bush ballet scene—I have never seen a bush ballet, but I am sure it was fantastic; and there was a pageant of flags by the local Girl Guides. We have come a long way since that visit in 1954, but the recent marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton proves that Australians have not lost their interest in the institution of the monarchy.

I have to admit that I am a bit of an anomaly within the federal parliamentary National Party—I support a republic, though the republic I would support would have a directly elected head of state. I am a republican; I am not so gung ho about it, but I am a republican nonetheless. However, you do not have to be a staunch monarchist to appreciate the historical significance of the monarchy and of Queen Elizabeth II herself. I am not sure that even Elizabeth would have appreciated what was to come when she said at her coronation:

I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendour that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God's Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.

God's grace and mercy have granted 60 years to Queen Elizabeth II. Even as republican, I hope that there are many more to come. God save the Queen.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee: the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. I, like a few on my side, am of the view that Australia should be a republic; however, unlike the member for Dawson, I do not really favour the direct election of a president. We have recently had the Queen and Prince Philip visit us in Western Australia and other parts of Australia. It was very clear during the visit that the Queen and the Duke and the Royal Family are held in high regard. I attended a couple of events over in Perth. There was a reception in the grounds of Government House for Her Majesty the Queen, and this was attended by a lot of people, including many school leaders from the electorate of Cowan. I remember looking around at that time and seeing how enthusiastic people were.

I do not see their interest in the monarchy as a great loyalty to the mother country or anything like that; instead, I think the interest that people have shown has to do with the respect they have for the lady and the way in which she carries herself. It is not every day that royal weddings such as that of Prince William and Catherine Middleton happen. The wedding was a highlight for a lot of people in Australia—the ratings on TV clearly demonstrated that—but there have been harder times for the Queen and the royal family, and she has carried herself through them with distinction. I think a lot of Australians appreciate that, and, whilst many of us are not absolutely wedded to the constitutional monarchy as opposed to a republic, I think there is interest in the monarchy because of the respect that Australians have for the Queen. Following the opening ceremony of CHOGM in Perth, I remember leaving that venue and seeing all the pomp and ceremony of that event and then walking up through the streets of the CBD of Perth, getting up to St Georges Terrace and just being astounded by the thousands of people who were lining the streets. It was a classic look, really. There were children on fathers' shoulders, mothers trying to hold their babies or toddlers up to get a bit of a view—families all over the place. They were five or six deep, particularly around where I was on St Georges Terrace. Looking to the left or to the west, and to the east down St Georges Terrace, it was the same all the way along. And it was not just a day out for people; I think there was a genuine respect and warmth for the lady and the manner in which she conducts herself.

While in many ways the position of Queen, the head of the royal family of the United Kingdom and, as it stands, of Australia, is a ceremonial position but, again, when you look through the sort of work that they do—the charity work and the representational work—it is hard not to be respectful of the work done by the royal family and, in particular, as I said before, Her Majesty the Queen.

As we look back on 60 years of the Queen's reign, and when you consider what a long life her mother lived, you would imagine that the Queen will certainly exceed the reign of Queen Victoria and become the longest serving monarch in British history. Whilst she reigns, I think Australians will certainly have that ongoing regard and respect for her. I think that in the future we will see a republic in this country, but I think that there will always be a special place in the hearts of Australians for the Queen, and that is due to the way she has conducted herself and the way that she has been a great leader in a lot of regards. And I think that Australians will always have that special place in their hearts for Queen Elizabeth II and that that will always be remembered when we transition through to another form of head of state. But on this occasion I pay my respects to Queen Elizabeth II and wish her all the best for the future.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II is only the second British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee. The last, as we heard from the member for Cowan, was Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest lived and the second longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, and also the second longest serving current head of state.

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on 6 February 1952 and was proclaimed Queen on 8 February 1952. She was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. Sixty years of public service is certainly an incredible achievement and a remarkable milestone. She has seen 11 Australian prime ministers during her reign.

It was this Queen who, in 1970, invented the walkabout which gives the public the opportunity to meet the royals—a memory that they will cherish and hold dear forever. Others have already noted that, while there is so much that has changed over the past 60 years within our country, there are some things that remain the same. As the Leader of the Opposition stated yesterday, what has not changed is the Queen's unstinting devotion to the ideals of duty and service, nor has Australia's affection for the Queen. This was clearly on display across the country during last year's royal tour to Australia. I as a monarchist was absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, albeit very briefly, in Parliament House last year, an experience I certainly I will never, ever forget.

I was interested to learn that the Queen and Prince Philip have visited Australia 16 times in her 60-year reign. During her second visit to Australia, in 1963, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the naming of the capital and the Canberra jubilee celebrations, she toured the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which is based in Alice Springs, my hometown. During her sixth visit to Australia, in March 1977, Her Majesty and Prince Philip visited Darwin. As a symbol of this visit, at the Darwin Civic Centre in Harry Chan Avenue there is a photo of them both inspecting a plaque which pays tribute to victims of Cyclone Tracy.

I would also like to thank Her Majesty for her commitment and service to our country over the past 60 years. As a role model she continues to inspire people from all walks of life with her spirit, energy, wisdom and dedication to public service. I offer my congratulations and very best wishes for her Diamond Jubilee. God save the Queen.

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():I will make my comments very brief. I want to acknowledge the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. If we look at world leaders today, she stands alone in her consistency both in her majesty and in the way she links with people of the realms for which she has a significant titular role.

Australians have always warmed to the Queen when she has been in Australia, no matter which year it has been from 1952 onwards. Her impact on ordinary people has been significant. I think that is a measure of her quietness and the way in which she looks at the nations for which he has a responsibility, and certainly of her compassion and understanding of people. I think the other thing that is extremely beneficial about this jubilee year is the government's commitment to a series of events and activities that will highlight the jubilee but will also involve Australians. I want to acknowledge Her Majesty and say long live her royal highness, and I certainly look forward to the celebrations of the jubilee year.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his brevity. I did not mean for him to be so short but I do appreciate it.

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