Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great humility that I rise today as Braddon's representative in this place to mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to acknowledge Her Majesty's unwavering devotion to our nation and to commemorate a lifetime of service to her people. The electorate of Braddon has many hallmarks, and amongst them is loyalty: loyalty to each other, loyalty to their communities, loyalty to their nation and to their Queen. Her Majesty has been an ever-present constant in our lives. Now, sadly, that constant has gone.

The impact of the loss is great and it has been marked by an unprecedented outpouring of grief across the North West, the West Coast and King Island in the state of Tasmania. It has been a time of personal reflection for many. Hundreds have contacted my office to sign the condolence book and to reflect on the impact of the Queen's passing and the impact that it had on their lives.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the Queen of our lifetime. It was just a year after her coronation, in February 1954, when Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning monarch to visit the beautiful island state of Tasmania. Fittingly, it was the year of Tasmania's sesquicentenary. And regional Tasmania wasn't forgotten either. On Tuesday 24 February 1954, Her Majesty, accompanied by her beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, flew from Hobart to the Wynyard aerodrome on the north-west coast. There was a royal procession through the small rural towns of Wynyard, Burnie, Penguin, Ulverstone, Devonport and Latrobe. There were official engagements in Burnie and Devonport, and thousands lined the streets to catch just a glimpse of their Queen. When reflecting on her time in Tasmania, the Queen said: 'My stay in Tasmania has, of necessity, been all too short, but we shall carry away happy memories of the charm of your island state and the steadfast kindness of its people.' True to her word, Her Majesty would return to Tasmania a further six times. On 26 April 1988, Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh again returned to the north-west coast of Tasmania. It was to be an historic day for the township of Burnie. At a reception at the Burnie Civic Centre, Her Majesty officially handed Mayor Rex Collins the scroll that proclaimed Burnie a city. Again, the streets were lined with wellwishers, excited to catch a glimpse of their Queen.

Tasmania has a proud military history. For 70 years our commander in chief of the Defence Force has been Queen Elizabeth II. The Victoria Cross is Australia's highest military honour, named after the Queen's great-grandmother, and it is the pre-eminent award for supreme acts of bravery in wartime. Tasmania has the proud honour of having more Victoria Cross recipients per capita than any state or territory in the nation. For 70 years, members of the Australian Defence Force have sworn an oath under Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As a young—much younger—18-year-old, I, too, am eternally proud to have sworn that same oath. For me, and for many others of the Defence Force, tradition and history are the fundamental pillars on which the defence of our nation is built. To loyally serve the people of Australia, and its Queen, is what members of the ADF literally devote their lives to. And there has been no finer role model—no finer role model—when it comes to service and dedication than that of Queen Elizabeth II during her 70-year reign.

After a lifetime of service, Your Majesty, may you forever rest in peace with your beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. On behalf of the electorate of Braddon and of the state of Tasmania: vale, Queen Elizabeth II.

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