Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

Today the Senate recognises a remarkable milestone, the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Today is a landmark, the complete meaning of which is difficult to fully encapsulate in this place. It is something that has rarely been achieved by any monarch in world history. It is through a combination of circumstances that we celebrate the long reign of Australia's sovereign. Were it not for the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII, and then the premature death at the age of just 56 of her father, King George VI, the Queen would never have ascended to the throne at such a young age on 6 February in 1952. Now we observe 70 years since that occasion—the Platinum Jubilee.

It was nearly five years earlier on the occasion of her 21st birthday that the then Princess Elizabeth spoke to all the people of the Commonwealth from South Africa, and in doing so she made this solemn pledge:

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

While now times have changed and we may no longer talk about the 'great imperial family', there can be no doubt that Her Majesty has fulfilled her commitment over her long life. We know that during the course of her reign much has changed—the Empire has now become the Commonwealth and many nations, over which Britain was once the colonial ruler or for which the Queen was head of state, have become independent republics.

For some of us, we would like to see a change in the head of state here in Australia, but this does not in any way diminish the recognition we give the Queen today for our appreciation of her life of duty, her role in Australia and in the family of the Commonwealth. Today, we join together in that community of nations that we now know as the Commonwealth as we pay tribute to Her Majesty for the extreme dedication with which she has served. When she made that very famous speech in South Africa, Princess Elizabeth spoke of her aspiration that the Commonwealth would grow to be 'more free, more prosperous, more happy and a more powerful influence for good in the world'.

It is also worth remembering that the Senate and the House of Representatives do not stand alone in our parliamentary system of government. Our own Senate Odgers advises us that parliament is 'a collective entity' consisting of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the monarch. So, in making this address today, we are also recognising the direct connection we have to the sovereign through our position as elected representatives in Australia's system of government here in the Australian Senate.

We particularly acknowledge today the way in which Her Majesty has maintained her engagement with our country, especially through her visits, perhaps most famously in 1954, when she became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia but also on many other occasions such as when she opened this parliament house in 1998 and, through my own personal anecdotes, her visit to Western Australia in 1979—150 years since colonialisation—and, indeed, CHOGM, in Western Australia as well. We've seen, as a nation, her humanity, standing with us in our own times of hardship even as she has endured her own. As the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Albanese, said earlier today: 'It is possible that we can be a republican nation and still have the deepest respect for the Queen.' The Queen has done her duty. She has done her duty with vitality, integrity, humanity and even with the slightest sense of humour coming through at times as well.

The opposition joins today with the government and other senators to express our sincere congratulations to the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee. We extend our very warmest regards on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.