Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister) (14:00): I move: That: An Address of Congratulation be presented to Her Majesty The Queen, as follows: YOUR MAJESTY We, the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, express to Your Majesty our warm congratulations at this time of celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of your accession to the Throne. We express our respect and regard for the dedication you have displayed in the service of the Commonwealth and your deep and abiding commitment to Australia and her people. Seventy years ago, the then Princess Elizabeth was on her way to Australia. Then the world as she knew it changed forever. Her beloved father had died, and a young princess in her 20s, in the first years of her marriage and with two young children, became Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and a Commonwealth of Nations that spanned the globe. The Queen has never celebrated this day, and understandably so. I am sure she would have preferred to enjoy her father's love and example for many more years before she was called upon to wear that heavy crown—a reminder that, no matter who we are, events happen in life, events out of our control, that require more of us than we think sometimes we may be able. In that moment of profound and immense sadness, and with the tremendous grace and poise and dignity and strength for which she has become known all around the world, and particularly here in Australia, Her Majesty commenced her duties as our Queen. Her life is one of dedication; of duty and devotion; of service over self; of steadfast and unflinching adherence to the ideals and the responsibilities of constitutional monarchy. Years before that heartbreaking day of accession, on her 21st birthday, in a broadcast from South Africa, the future Queen declared: 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. Looking across the vista of three-quarters of a century, we can say that Her Majesty has in every way been faithful to that vow. Throughout her reign, Her Majesty has been a steadfast and unifying presence in the life of our world and in the life of our nation as Queen of Australia. Even in our capital, we see her recurring presence. Here in Canberra, Her Majesty opened the High Court in 1980, the National Gallery in 1982 and our Parliament House in 1988, and back in 1970 she opened the National Carillon. Aspen Island, where the Carillon stands, will be renamed in her honour in June. Her Majesty heads a Commonwealth of 54 nations, almost a third of the world's people, and is the sovereign of the United Kingdom, Australia and 13 other nations. Seventy years marks a reign of 25,568 days as of last Sunday, and I hope we will see many thousands more—a remarkable achievement from a remarkable woman. Her Majesty has been at the reigning sovereign for 15 Australian prime ministers, 16 governors-general, 14 British prime ministers, around 170 Commonwealth prime ministers and also seven James Bonds, one of whom Her Majesty worked with very closely. If there is an indelible moment from the 2012 London Olympics, it was the cheeky, slightly irreverent and magnificent video of Her Majesty and Daniel Craig playing James Bond. The story goes that no-one thought she would do it, and eventually a nervous courtier asked. I can only imagine, having met Her Majesty. The Queen looked at the proposal and said she'd do it, but there was one condition: she wanted a speaking part. And with that, she took out the pen and wrote the words, 'Good evening, Mr Bond.' In that we see something of her quiet assurance and her good humour. Someone whose values are timeless and yet change with the times, a monarchy that has evolved from distance to involvement and from reserve to good humour. The Crown is above politics, and the Queen has upheld that throughout her reign. It is a unifying force that highlights good causes and brings people together. And in the moments of trial and testing times that she has known over her life, both personally and as monarch and sovereign, she speaks for us all and to us all. 'Grief is the price we pay for love,' the Queen wrote to New Yorkers after September 11. During our Black Summer fires—I had the privilege to sit with her and discuss them with her as she shared her reflections on them—she reflected on the character of Australians. She observed publicly that the stoic and resilient nature of the Australian people will rise to the challenge, and we did, as she always knew we would. In the midst of the darkness of the early days of the pandemic she pledged that, like in an earlier time, we would meet again, and surely we have. In past jubilees—silver, gold, diamond—there has been unbridled joy, a celebration of a life of service, a reminder of the ties that bind and an expression of affection for the history we share. There have been flags, bunting, visits, gun salutes, stamps and coins—an excuse, as good as any, to celebrate. But this jubilee is one that is more poignant. In the midst of these celebrations, we know that our Queen will stand alone, as she did during the service that farewelled her loved husband of some 73 years. And on that day we all saw her, we truly saw her: stoic and strong, yet human and frail and vulnerable. There was dignity in the midst of suffering, even if it was her own. In that moment, we realised that, though we will her on forever, even monarchs face the frailties of body and the sunsets that beckon us all. But, still, at 95, Her Majesty continues to serve, and passionately so. So this jubilee is one of gratitude—a pause to reflect on what a good life truly means, to ponder the place of non-partisan service and selflessness in a modern, robust democracy and to reflect on the values that sustain us as a free people. Since the Queen's first visit to Australia in 1954, which was, in its day, a cultural phenomenon unlike any other in our history, the Queen has had a deep understanding and respect of Australia and Australians. It was best reflected in her action and words during and following the 1999 referendum on the republic. As a constitutional monarch she lived out her belief that monarchy must be above politics. The Queen played no role in that campaign, pledging to respect and accept the result. After that debate had passed, she said: … I shall continue faithfully to serve as Queen of Australia under the Constitution to the very best of my ability, as I have tried to do for these past forty-eight years. It is my duty to seek to remain true to the interests of Australia and all Australians as we enter into the twenty-first century. And so she has done. Over these past 70 years the Queen has shared our Australian journey. As she once said: … since I first stepped ashore here in Sydney in February 1954 I have felt part of this rugged, honest, creative land. I have shared in the joys and the sorrows, the challenges and the changes that have shaped this country's history… So, Your Majesty, on this Platinum Jubilee—a jubilee unlike any other—we, too, remember the joys and the sorrows, the challenges and changes of which Her Majesty has been a part. We honour her service. We honour her duty and her devotion. On behalf of all Australians, I offer our warmest congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee. God save the Queen.