David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to offer my condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For 70 years, she has reigned as our head of state, the longest-serving monarch in British history. Globally, she is being remembered not only for her dedication to duty and service but also for change. She championed change, not just for the sake of change but to make the world a better place. Becoming Queen at 25, she stood as a proud symbol of stability in her long reign. She witnessed world wars and provided a source of strength and stability as governments came and went. Queen Elizabeth truly served as a monarch that guided the world to become a better place.

A crucial aspect that has been overlooked is how the Queen presided over one of the greatest periods of decolonisation the globe has ever seen. Despite many in this chamber looking to wash over this history, it was under the Queen's reign that decolonisation was accelerated, which is something that we should all celebrate.

What was most impressive about her reign was her dedication to duty and service, providing an example to all of us that serve of what a life of service means. This commitment extended to before her reign as Queen, when she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the British Army in 1945, learning to become a car mechanic and becoming the first woman in the royal family to join the armed services as an active member.

I believe that the Queen recognised and loved Australia for what it is—a harsh land on the other side of the world whose secret ingredient to success is its people. At the opening of the New South Wales parliament in 1992, the Queen stated:

The problems in this country ... have been compounded by severe drought, and, more recently, by flooding. The qualities of the Australian people and the resources of the Australian continent, however, continue to hold abundant promise even in the face of such economic and climatic adversity.

It is notable that the Queen said this, reflecting Dorothea Mackellar's words earlier in the century, and that we are now facing similar environmental conditions, which some are now looking to exploit for their own political agenda. However, I think it is her words to this Parliament House in 2011 that strike the truest chord and highlight her true understanding of Australia as a nation:

Ever since I first came here in 1954, I have watched Australia grow and develop at an extraordinary rate. This country has made dramatic progress economically, in social, scientific and industrial endeavours and, above all, in self-confidence.

As leaders, we must recognise these words for what they are—an assessment of where we have come from and a hope of where we will go.

Australia and Australians have so much potential and have demonstrated the ability to be global leaders. The Queen recognised this back when she first visited in 1954, and it is up to us as parliamentarians to ensure that we live up to this expectation and that Australia lives up to the Queen's hopes and aspirations for us. Vale Your Royal Majesty, and long live the King.