Condolence Motion - Queen Elizabeth II
Tuesday 27 September 2022, Motion
[11.54.a.m]
Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - I add my voice to those of the members in this place and to all those right across the Commonwealth who are feeling the loss of her late Majesty the Queen.
For 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to that of service, a job which she did not expect to have and one which she could not simply leave behind at the end of the day. In reflecting on the past 70 years, I have considered what the Queen has meant to me personally. She has always been there, she was an incredible female figure to look up to. She had an extraordinary life, not just as our head of state and as a monarch, but as a mother and matriarch. It is unlikely that we will see another queen for a very long time with the current line being kings: Charles, William and then George.
With the death of Queen Elizabeth, so too the second Elizabethan era comes to a close. Her reign saw countless significant events during the Cold War; periods of transition right across the world; financial, natural and civil disasters; and during periods of success and triumph, the second Elizabethan era characterised the better part of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Whilst the Queen's role was to oversee the historical events of the Commonwealth, she invariably became a part of them.
During her visits to Australia, Queen Elizabeth visited some of the most remote areas of our country and she truly had the desire and the will to understand us as Australians. Discussing the passing of the Queen over the past few weeks with many people, the vast majority have a story about when they met her, saw her and even spoke to her. I also remember the event at the Albert Hall mentioned by the member for Rosevears, as I was in the crowd. I was rather surprised that she was quite a small lady; she and the Duke of Edinburgh were quite minute, I might say.
People of all different ages can remember their interaction with the Queen and how it made them feel. How many people in the world have this effect on people's emotions and memories? Very few, indeed.
Queen Elizabeth's life and reign acted as a thread running through time and passing through our most recent history and the significant events that comprise it. I have no doubt that in decades and centuries to come, the second Elizabethan era will be viewed as historically significant. A period of 70 years is noteworthy on its own, but when you consider all the ups and downs of the world during that time, to have that consistent person and the institution she represented has helped us retain a sense of continuity that is important to how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Queen Elizabeth's life was extraordinary and we have just witnessed a truly historical event. We will never see another like her, and I pay tribute to the life, service and memory of Queen Elizabeth II.