Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Address to His Majesty the King

Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:06): I move, by leave:

That:

(1) the following resolution be agreed to by this house:

His Majesty King Charles III:

We, the Legislative Council of Victoria, in Parliament assembled, extend our sincere congratulations to Your Majesty on the occasion of Your Coronation and express our wishes that your reign is a long and happy one.

(2) the following address to the Governor be agreed to by this house:

Governor:

We, the members of the Legislative Council of Victoria, in Parliament assembled, respectfully request that you communicate the accompanying resolution to His Majesty King Charles III.

I will just make a few remarks on behalf of the government in relation to the motion. His Majesty, of course now the King, has been connected to Victoria for many years. He spent two terms in 1966 boarding at the remote campus of Geelong Grammar known as Timbertop, located in northern Victoria, so it is very familiar to members of the chamber from that region. Timbertop is near Mansfield. It gives students the opportunity to combine their academic studies with outdoor pursuits in Victoria’s High Country, such as hikes and walking trails, and creates an escape from public life and the worries of the world – something that I am sure His Majesty enjoyed. He has said on several occasions that he cherished his time there, describing Timbertop as the most enjoyable time of his education. He is said to have particularly enjoyed the pursuits of cross-country running, playing tug of war and chopping wood for hot water. It is also notable that the Timbertop campus, which was established in 1953, is celebrating 70 years of operation this year. His Majesty did not forget his time at Timbertop of course, because he returned to Geelong Grammar in 2005 to mark the 150th anniversary of the school.

His Majesty has made several other trips to Victoria throughout his lifetime, the most significant of which was the six-week-long royal tour undertaken with Princess Diana in 1983. The couple visited the Cockatoo Kindergarten, incredibly, a little over a month following the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires. The royal visit was appreciated by the Cockatoo community, which had been shattered by the events of the previous weeks when, as we know, over 1800 hectares were burnt and six lives were sadly lost. The royals planted a eucalyptus tree in the grounds of the kindergarten, which still stands today.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the Victorian Governor the Honourable Linda Dessau AC CVO as our representative for His Majesty for making the official trip to the UK on behalf of the Victorian government, firstly to attend the coronation and represent Victoria along with other Australian state governors but also to maintain the important relationship Victoria enjoys with the United Kingdom through education, industry and sporting ties. I am told the Governor undertook several activities to support these ties during her official visit. They included a visit to Oxford University to engage and learn more about innovations in medical research and investment in university spin-outs – that is, companies formed based on academic research conducted by and owned by the university. In her role as chair of the Victorian Rhodes scholar selection committee she also met with Victorian Rhodes scholars who are currently completing their studies there. Additionally, I understand the Governor met with the Secretary-General to discuss Victoria’s upcoming hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games and met with members of the Duchy of Cornwall, one of the establishments which funds the charitable activities of the royal family.

His Majesty is well known for his commitment to volunteerism through his considerable efforts in setting up organisations to help those in need, such as the Prince’s Trust, which runs programs to support young people with opportunities in education, training and employment. Several schools in Victoria took part in a two-day online series last year. He and the Queen have previously given donations to support the victims of the October 2022 flood and also the 2020 Black Summer bushfires.

I would like to acknowledge some of the notable Victorians who were also invited by the Commonwealth government to represent our country at the coronation: Nick Cave AO, the singer, songwriter and actor, also composer, who currently lives in Britain but hails from country Victoria; and Yasmin Poole, who grew up on a farm near Axedale. She is an award-winning speaker, writer and youth advocate and a champion young woman being heard in many political conversations.

Victorians marked the occasion of the coronation in several ways. Government House here in Melbourne was open to the public, who were invited to tour the rooms of the house and afforded the opportunity to write messages of congratulations to their majesties in commemorative books. Government House and other Melbourne landmarks were also lit up in purple to mark the coronation.

On behalf of the government I would like to congratulate His Majesty King Charles III on his ascension to the throne and subsequent coronation and offer the same congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen. I would like to finish my contribution by bringing the chamber’s attention to the Victorian state motto, which appears on the Victorian coat of arms, and the motto quite simply calls for ‘Peace and prosperity’. But I do like the quote from the Victorian Governor’s interpretation of this motto, which is often included in a speech given at citizenship ceremonies:

‘Peace’ comes to us, not just because we don’t fight with each other, but also when we each have a sense of belonging, of being respected and valued.

And ‘prosperity’ does not relate just to wealth, but to the opportunity – for ourselves and our families – to ‘prosper’ by a fair go, whether that is in terms of employment or study, or general well-being.

And so I wish for you, as I do for all Victorians, the courage to combine with your fellow Australian citizens, and I wish you all peace and prosperity.

Once again, congratulations to His Majesty King Charles III, and I am sure that the Governor will be pleased to receive this motion once it passes the chamber this morning.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:12): I am very pleased to be able to rise and speak in support of the government’s motion congratulating King Charles III. I would like to make a few remarks in relation to the role he has played and the very significant and close relationships he has had with Australia and indeed Victoria, and the Leader of the Government touched on some of those associations here in Victoria. I am just reflecting, President, as you are sitting here, on the wonderful image of the late Queen, who soon after her coronation opened this Parliament and sat in that very chair in this chamber in February 1954, and the history of what is so profound in this place and how we are here and what we do I think cannot be underestimated.

Really the coronation was that extraordinary, very important moment in terms of Australia’s relationship and the ongoing relationship we have with the monarch or the head of the state, with the King now, with the coronation that occurred on 6 May. Of course many people watched it. I did. I loved every second, I have got to say. I just thought the extraordinary pomp and ceremony that the British do so well was on display. Others will have a contrary view. But it just demonstrated the hundreds of years of history that are so steeped, and it came out in so many wonderful ways in the extraordinary contributions by so many across Britain to mark the occasion from a whole range of services and people involved in that moment. I thought it was just extraordinary. But of course that ceremony does have its origins in a very deep celebratory and deep religious occasion, which confirmed the role of the King, that very important constitutional role, and I think that was the whole point. So looking upon it was very foreign for some, but it was steeped in lots of tradition and very important.

I do want to make some comments around that close association that the King does have with Victoria – in fact I think the King has made 15 official visits to Australia either with the late Queen Elizabeth II or representing her – and indeed some of those visits that the Leader of the Government spoke about here in Victoria and the very heartfelt moments when he was understanding some of the issues that had arisen following the bushfires or other important events.

The King has also been involved in and supported some Australian charities. They include a number of organisations: the Australian Football League Europe; the Australian Wildlife Conservancy; the Australian Music Foundation; the Australian Stock Horse Society; the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre; the Prince’s Trust Australia; the Returned and Services League of Australia Limited; the Royal Australian Armoured Corps; the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, Friends in the United Kingdom; and Variety Australia. That shows the depth of the involvement, and of course it includes the Prince’s Trust. I know when the King was out in 2015 he attended the National Museum of Australia, and he looked at a number of exhibitions including the exhibition Encounters: Revealing Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Objects from the British Museum. So there is a deep understanding of the history of Australia. The King has a great understanding of the importance for all Australians of those ties, whether they be First Nations people or immigrants who have arrived more recently.

On a personal note, I just wanted to make some commentary around what the Leader of the Government also spoke about: the King’s attendance, when he was a young Prince, at Timbertop. I was very fortunate to attend Timbertop, and it was always a great thrill to see the Prince’s pictures around the school – yes, there were many, many things that we were very proud of. The one person who I have to mention, who is very well known to many people that attended Geelong Grammar, is the late Michael Collins Persse – an extraordinary teacher and an extraordinary person who became a teacher and guardian for the now King. The relationship that Michael had with the King was extraordinary. It was indeed very close, and there is a lot written about that. Michael Collins Persse was an extraordinary man. Any of us who had any dealings with him understand the amazing educational opportunities that he provided, and he gave those to the King when he was at Timbertop, providing him with that support and enabling, as the Leader of the Government described, many things ‍– some of the happiest years of his life and a very important aspect. I just wanted to make note of the late Michael Collins Persse, because I know that was a very strong relationship between the King and Michael when he was alive. They had a close relationship.

Can I again on behalf of the Liberals and Nationals lend our support to the government’s motion. This is an important part of this country’s history. I commend the motion.

Jeff BOURMAN (Eastern Victoria) (12:18): I just wish to congratulate King Charles III on his coronation. We did cross paths many, many years ago: I was in grade 1 and he was driving by. That is as close as we got, but we did cross paths. Congratulations to the King.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:18): I want to make a few reflections to welcome this motion and to welcome the new King. King Charles III will be a good king, I hope – there is every chance that that will be the case. As has been pointed out, there is a strong relationship between him and Australia but Victoria in particular. The link with Timbertop has been outlined by Ms Crozier. Also, I might add, there is the very close relationship that seems to have developed quickly with our Governor, Linda Dessau. I put on record the fact that she has been given an award by the King, and I welcome that closeness.

On that day many of us monarchists, including me, were very happy to see the pomp and circumstance and the recognition of a long history of more than 1000 years. A group of us celebrated at Maling Road at Chapter Three – a small restaurant. Certainly some of us were at Evensong at St Paul’s the next day, and as Ms Crozier outlined, many of us did watch the proceedings.

The proceedings, I think, are important – to recognise that the ancient rituals are just that, rituals, but at the same time they signify important aspects. I note the religious aspect does place a new sovereign in a zone where they need to recognise their mortality and the fact that they are part of a broader picture. In a sense it is an ancient way, with the anointment and so forth, of indicating clearly to a sovereign that they are not beyond control and impact. Certainly the oath that the King swore and that previous monarchs have sworn has a long and ancient history, which I think is actually important to indicate: that whilst the King is a hereditary monarch and whilst we may well see value in all of that, he is there at the behest of the people. That is an incredibly important point, and that has been throughout English – and I say, very pointedly, English – constitutional history. Those points have been reinforced time and again, even in the last century with the effective removal of a king by the decisions of not just the British but those across, as it was then, the Empire. So I think it is actually important to note that the King is there under an oath to serve and to work within the laws and customs of his realms, and he did swear to that effect. I personally would have liked a mention, I might say, of each of the clear parts of the Commonwealth, but nonetheless the essence and the legal effect was very clear.

It is more than a thousand years of history – Anglo-Saxon history, I might say. Some of us are proud of that, and we see that we are heirs to a long and noble tradition that actually has limited government, parliamentary government, democracy and all of those key aspects – and they are signified, perhaps paradoxically, in the coronation as well. I do even note the Kentish Bible that came to the fore in the service, and I do pay tribute to King Charles for his attempt to widen the inclusion that is part of our society now but certainly British society as well. I think whilst recognising the need to preserve the deep traditions, he did recognise also the need to widen and to recognise the multicultural nature of the parts of the Commonwealth, including Australia. So I say God save the King, and I join in this motion very willingly.

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:23): I rise to add my congratulations to the new King, Charles III, crowned last week in a service which combined solemnity and celebration and which demonstrated the extraordinary reach and diversity of the modern monarchy’s role. I was struck by the support shown for the King by the assembled crowds from every walk of life and every part of the world and by the global media presence. Guests in the abbey came from across the Commonwealth and across the world: heads of state and diplomats, representatives of the armed forces and of charities, honours recipients and ordinary citizens. The participants too demonstrated diversity, from the nations and faiths taking part in the service itself to the Commonwealth service men and women policing and parading the streets.

We celebrated in Australia too. I was delighted to be at the Kelvin Club with the Australian Monarchist League to watch the proceedings and enjoy the evening. Fortunately, we watched the BBC live stream and not the appallingly opinionated taxpayer-funded version, for which ABC management should be sacked. I was so pleased that we could take the time, as like-minded supporters of constitutional monarchy, to celebrate this great occasion. Too often, in my view, those who believe in our system are maligned and intimidated into silence. Not me.

I am a strong supporter of constitutional monarchy, and I am always happy to make a case for it. And I can do so today, unlike my colleagues in the green chamber, who have been denied a similar opportunity. Clearly, this is a better place. Last week I took part in a debate at the Robert Menzies Institute on the motion that Australia should become a republic. I opposed this, naturally – you will not be surprised – with fellow speakers Jeremy Mann and Michael Gronow KC, and I am delighted to report to you, President and members, that the negative team defeated the motion in both the audience vote and the official adjudication. The deputy lord mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece, a great Labor man; law professor William Partlett; and the former convener of the Victorian branch of the Australian Republic Movement – I think Mr Bach knows something about him – Tristan Layton could not muster a coherent argument to win the day. We won resoundingly; however, it was refreshing to take part in a debate conducted in such good spirits. There were a few protesters I might add, but they were protesting against Nicholas. It was a debate where ideas mattered and where both sides had respect for their opponents, as we all do here. We have great respect for each other.

I do not propose to rehearse all the arguments in this motion of congratulations, but I will briefly comment on why I believe this house is right to extend its support to the King and to affirm the success of our existing constitutional arrangements. Constitutional monarchy works. It survives and thrives not just here but across the world – and not just in times of peace and plenty but under the stresses of economic crises, war and other unforeseen emergencies which cause many other forms of constitution to collapse or to morph into authoritarian rule, despotism or dictatorship. Of course it would never happen here.

It is not just Australia. New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden and others support a constitutional monarchy, and they work very well. And it works not because the monarch exists above democracy, far less because he or she overrides it, but because an external figurehead provides a safeguard and a defensive mechanism which tempers the excesses of ego and demands for short-term expediency which electoral politics create. The stability which custom and convention enable does not constrain the ordinary operation of democracy but rather protects it from the excesses of individual power which have led to the downfall of so many previously legitimate governments. It is almost a paradox. It is in the lack of direct executive power that our ceremonial head of state strengthens our constitution. It underlines an essential part of the system. The point is that Parliament remains and retains the ultimate power. We have faith in the collective wisdom of MPs – the electorate might not think so sometimes, but anyway – of opposing parties, views and values, not in the individual ego of an elected head of state. Even if that elected head of state is supposed to be ceremonial, the very fact of their election would give them a personal mandate.

And who would seek that power? Politicians, naturally. We know the kind of names that would be floated – I will not go into it here. Worse still, we would be paying for the privilege. An election process costs, and the office of president or whatever we would be calling it costs even more. Contrast this to our system of governors and governors-general, who fulfil the constitutional roles in our country and who offer their service. They are from diverse backgrounds, far more so than elected presidents and prime ministers. Victoria is a great example, with the last three holders of the office being immigrants and children of immigrants. Anyone can aspire to this. Our constitutional system is headed by a far more diverse and far more money-blind cohort than elected heads of state and, in our experience to date, by those of significantly higher calibre. The key point is that no individual is granted a position which undermines the legitimacy of Parliament or which undermines the collective wisdom of representatives elected directly by the people. That is just one of the arguments. If you want the full version, I can provide the live stream link.

I welcome King Charles because I am proud of the system, because it works and because I am proud of the independent, sovereign, successful Australia which a constitutional monarchy has created. We have always got more to do – I know that – but it is wrong to ignore what we have achieved. We are a great multicultural, multiracial nation, with the oldest continuing human culture on earth but also with continuing immigration and integration. Half of our current population was born overseas or has an overseas-born parent. We are defined not by race, religion or culture but by shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and equality of opportunity – a fair go. And this successful, stable nation has not evolved by chance or by mistake; our current situation has evolved precisely because of our existing system. It works, and what is more, it works in an Australian way. Like us, it has inherited aspects, but time and experience have shaped it to fit like a glove. The fact is no political system is perfect – there is plenty more of that on the live stream – but our system is strong, stable, pragmatic and fair. It is uniquely Australian, and frankly, it is pretty bloody good.

To conclude, I will just say that King Charles has demonstrated in his life to date that he will fulfil the role we grant him with aplomb. The example of his mother the late Queen Elizabeth will guide him – and so too will his dedication to us. This is a King who has great love for our country. As was mentioned, he was educated here at Geelong Grammar School, a school based in my electorate. He lived here. He has been here 16 times. In fact we are reliably told he wanted to buy a property here but was advised it would demonstrate undue favouritism towards us over his other Commonwealth countries. King Charles will be a great representative of a great system, and so I offer the King my congratulations on his coronation, my best wishes for his service to us and my thanks for his assumption of all the constraints, the challenges and the constant obligation his role will place upon him. Long live the King.

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (12:33): On behalf of One Nation Victoria I would like to formally congratulate His Majesty King Charles III for his successful coronation on 6 May. I personally sat up and watched the entire coronation ceremony live and was honoured to be able to witness our new King pledging his service to his people before God and country. As I swore to do in my own swearing-in ceremony on 20 December, I will continue to serve the King, his heirs and his successors through my work as an elected member of Parliament in the Parliament of Victoria. Long live the King.

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:33): I rise to associate myself with this motion, and I would like to congratulate King Charles III and also his Queen Camilla on their coronation. The King, as many members have mentioned already, was educated in my electorate at Timbertop in the High Country around Mansfield, and from all reports he enjoyed that time very much. In fact he has said it was the most enjoyable part of his education. We here in Victoria feel a special affinity with our new King because of that time that he spent as one of us.

I was fortunate to actually meet and to speak with the new King many years ago when he, as the Prince of Wales, and the Princess of Wales Princess Diana visited Shepparton. They visited the Driver Education Centre of Australia and rode in our Careful Cobbers around the area. Lots of schoolchildren were also there on the day. As part of the Rotaract club of Shepparton we were doing the marshalling and we actually got to meet and speak with the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales, and that was a highlight that I will remember all of my life.

My English family and, through my English family, our family have felt a very special affinity to the former Queen and also to the new King. My Uncle Leonard participated in the coronation of the Queen back in 1953 as a naval officer and my cousin Brian made sure that none of us forgot that. As we watched the coronation this year, he was posting pictures of Uncle Leonard participating in that coronation and also pictures of the invitations that my aunt and two cousins received to watch the parade for the then Queen. My cousin Jo, who now resides in Canberra, took her two daughters Isla and Isobel back to England to experience the coronation in depth as part of the British Empire. She wanted to ensure that they fully appreciated the importance of the coronation and the pomp and ceremony that goes with a coronation.

On behalf of the people of Northern Victoria, I would like to wish the new King a long and very successful reign.

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:36): I am also happy to rise in support of the Governor’s remarks and to speak on the King’s coronation and in support of it. I wish to pay my respects and extend congratulations to His Royal Highness King Charles III on his recent coronation, and I also wish to extend congratulations on behalf of the people of the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, especially those that are monarchists. During my time of doorknocking, I found paraphernalia of the royal family in windows and on doors and in quite surprising places in some of our suburbs.

In accordance with tradition, as a member of Parliament in Victoria I, like my colleagues in this place, have taken an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the new monarch the King. It was wonderful to see, as many people have mentioned, the variety of people, of faiths and of communities of service who were represented at the coronation. As we know, King Charles spent two semesters of his school years in Victoria, at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus in the High Country. He was only 17 years old at that time, and he recalls having matured from a boy to a man during his time here. It is interesting to note that Timbertop will be celebrating 70 years, and likewise King Charles was the first in the line of succession for 70 years and had trained his whole life to be King. It is an honour both to acknowledge that King Charles has lived amongst us as fellow Victorians and also to acknowledge that the constitutional monarchy has served us well in this nation. May His Majesty live long and well and reign with wisdom and grace.

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:38): I am also incredibly pleased to rise in support of this motion, and I do thank the Attorney-General for bringing it forward. It is wonderful to have the opportunity. There has been some discussion during the debate on this motion about how fabulous our system is here in Australia, and I concur with those comments, especially the comments of Mrs McArthur. There are different views in the community, of course, about the institution of the monarchy, and oftentimes the criticisms of that institution revolve around the fact that in the eyes of some the institution is not modern enough, perhaps too stodgy or stuck in its ways.

I do think that the Attorney-General is right in saying that the reign of King Charles III will be a happy one, and principally in my view that is because of two particular character traits that our new King has ‍– firstly, his extraordinary foresight for his entire life. Certainly for the period of his life that I can recall, he has been such a staunch advocate of environmentalism and he has campaigned on numerous causes, including sustainability, and there was a time when some people, perhaps many people, thought that his commitment to environmentalism and sustainability was a little odd. However, Prince Charles as he was then, King Charles now, has shown that his commitment to these causes demonstrated extraordinary foresight. I am sure that he will bring that same trait to his work now, finally as our King. Secondly, there is his remarkable lightness and sense of humour. Like others, I thought the coronation ceremony was quite fabulous – wedding great respect for tradition with elements, as Mr Davis said, regarding modern Britain, and in particular the wonderful diversity and multiculturalism of modern Britain, which in many respects is similar to our own here in Australia.

I was living in Europe, years ago now, when our late Queen celebrated her golden jubilee, and that celebration was organised by King Charles – Prince Charles at the time. It was interesting that those celebrations were in fact headlined by an Australian – we have talked about his respect for Australia, his love of Australia indeed: a certain housewife from Moonee Ponds. Many Europeans thought it was very strange that such august celebrations should be headlined by an Australian housewife from Moonee Ponds, who now sadly is deceased herself. However, of course that demonstrated I think something about Prince Charles, as he was then, who indeed referred to his mum as ‘Mummy’. I think King Charles will do a wonderful job. I also congratulate him, and I thank the Attorney-General for bringing this motion to the house.

Samantha RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:41): I rise to speak to this motion on behalf of the Greens and congratulate the new King on his coronation. With all due respect, I do so with the hope he will be the last King of Australia. It is time for Australia to define itself beyond its colonial past. It is time for a reckoning with this past; proper acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the First Nations of this land depends on it.

The spectacle of the coronation was so far removed from the lives of Australians. We are a multicultural nation for whom a monarch in a country on the other side of the world is anathema. Indeed for many of us it was a stark reminder of the British history of colonisation – a king bejewelled in the precious stones of the nations the British have invaded and plundered. This land we are on is Aboriginal land; sovereignty was never ceded to the British Crown.

Here in Victoria we have embarked on a treaty process, and the Yoorrook Justice Commission is hearing powerful evidence on the ongoing impacts of colonisation. We have heard how state-sponsored institutions have inflicted the gravest of trauma on First Nations people, for which they must say sorry – but we cannot stop at apologies. Our future requires an acknowledgement of our past and national treaties. Our future requires us also to recognise and celebrate new identities. But we cannot do that while we hold on to sentimental and symbolic attachments to bygone times and systems that once fundamentally suppressed us. It is time we took our future into our own hands. It is time to cut ties with our colonial monarch. It is time to embark upon a national treaty process. It is time for a republic.

Nicholas McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:43): Fawn maybe, but do not fall for it. Fawn over the Windsors and the crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, but do not fall into the trap of thinking they or the Cambridges, with all their recently acquired titles, represent our nation’s future. They do not. The royals are part of our regal past, but Australia’s future rests squarely in a democratic republican embrace. Only with a republic can come an Australian residing at its apex. Right now the royals reign over this nation. It has worked until now, but time and tide tell us it has to change.

The birth of my own children brought the republican question firmly into focus. No matter how hard my children or any child of the Australian story might try, or what little Johnny or Jill might do to merit it, there is one job in this country of their birth they could never attain. None of our nation’s children will ever hold the highest office in the land. They can never be Australia’s head of state; our country’s constitution forbids it. With this forbiddance it becomes abundantly clear there is something incomplete with this nation we have created.

We need only to cast back into our country’s history and a clear picture and understanding quickly emerges. It is a picture of a nation built one brick at a time. Ours was not a nationhood overnight, rather nationhood by negotiation. The proud passage of our First Nations peoples’ story is well known. Colony is only a recent circumstance in which we find ourselves, and that began in 1788. Self-governance followed in 1901. We became our own realm with a shared Queen in 1927. We broke our judicial links with Britain with the Australia Act 1986, at the same time ending Britain’s ability to make laws for us.

Our incremental independence explains why in so many ways the canvas that is Australia remains incomplete. But like it or not, we are still governed in name and law by a foreign national. Do not get me wrong, I am not anti Queen Elizabeth nor anti King Charles III, nor am I anti the British monarchy or for that matter anti-British in any way. This is simply not true. I have a proud British heritage. My mother was a London-born British national and later became a very proud Australian national, and I believe the monarchy has served us well. It is just that I am unashamedly pro-Australian and fiercely pro-independence. I cannot wait for the day when an Australian-born child stands aloft and executes the position as our military’s commander-in-chief and head of state. Leave us no doubt in our minds, our head of state should be an Australian by birth or by choice but not by royal inheritance.

For as long as I can recall the republic debate in this country has been divisive. It need not be. We need constitutional change in this country which builds on our Indigenous and settlement foundations and reinforces them. Becoming a republic will do precisely that. Those Australians who are uncertain or who resist becoming a republic have nothing to fear. We will not forget our past. Our history shows us that with each new generation we have continued to evolve, grow and prosper as a nation. To do nothing, to leave things as they are, would cause our country to stagnate, our nation’s march to full independence to stall. Simply put, we honour our past by continuing to build our future – a future where we can all, republicans and monarchists, sons and daughters, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, embrace a new, renewed Australia, a uniquely republican, independent and democratic one, a republic where the president might very well lead their party, our Parliament and the Australian people.

Whatever the form our new republic takes, we must not shirk from the challenges simply because we fear moving forward or we cannot see the path to prosperity. Each step we have taken toward expanding nationhood has proven that we have the capacity to grow and prosper. Like all children, it is time for our nation to grow up and necessarily grow apart from its mother and father, and so we must. Our future lies beyond the vestiges of the royal house – once revered, still respected but now far removed. The question is: how much longer will Australians deny our children the right to run our own nation as Australians should? It is time we finished the Federation.

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:47): I am really pleased to rise today. I thank the Leader of the Government for bringing this motion congratulating King Charles III, and I thank the leader of the Liberals and Nationals, Georgie Crozier, for her very personal comments as well. The King has had a long and deep relationship with Australia and indeed well into Gippsland in the past as well. I was out at a lovely little island, at Rotamah Island Bird Observatory, which is out on the Gippsland Lakes, this time last year, and I walked on the spot where I think Prince Charles, as he was then, took his bride for their honeymoon. It is the most beautiful and tranquil place.

King Charles was born into monarchy. None of us choose where we are born. King Charles was born into monarchy, and it is what we do with our life that we are given. Some are at a very high and elevated position and others are not, but it is what we do with our life. King Charles had an incredible mentor in his mother the late Queen. She committed her life at 21 to duty and service and humility and passion for her realm that she created, and I believe – and I think it was very evident in the ceremony ‍– that he has that same desire. He has an earnest desire – and I think he is a man of faith – to bring people together, and it was interesting that he incorporated in the coronation ceremony leaders of many faiths and hymns and songs of different British languages. Women played an integral part in that ceremony, and I thought that reflected a very modern-thinking and sensitive King.

His life has also been under the most intense scrutiny, and I wonder how we would all hold up if every breath, moment, comment, statement and photo was displayed like this royal family’s has been. That is I guess their lot, both good and bad.

But I also think that many of his achievements and good endeavours have gone along very quietly. We know of, and Ms Crozier read out, the many Australian charities that he has been associated with. He has also set up many British charities of course and the Prince’s Trust – about young people and getting them jobs and education and training. One that I found quite important and interesting is the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, which looked at urban and rural regeneration in areas of social and economic deprivation, and there is also the Prince’s Foundation, putting into place a sustainable approach to building communities. It has the motto ‘Respecting the past and building the future’. I trust that King Charles will continue with this motto of respecting the past and building the future, and I wish him every success in his long reign.

David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan) (12:51): I rise to congratulate King Charles III on his coronation. Speaking at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, David White, the Garter Principal King of Arms, captured a nation’s aspirations when he said:

Let us humbly beseech Almighty God to bless with long life, health and honour, and all worldly happiness the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, our Sovereign Lord –

Charles III –

now, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

What Australian in this richly multicultural nation could but relate to such a turn of phrase!

I hope and pray that history will be kind to King Charles III and that he successfully reconciles his long history of advocacy with the requisite impartiality of a constitutional monarch. That said, I hope and pray that history records King Charles’s continued advocacy on environmental issues, particularly climate change, where he has called for bold action by governments for decades. I hope and pray that history records his continued advocacy for the importance of providing youth with access to skills and training. I hope and pray that history records his continued advocacy on the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Finally, I hope and pray that history records him as the last King of Australia as it peacefully transitions to a republic and, further, that history records that this occurred but a few short years after this profoundly multicultural country constitutionally recognised 60,000 years of continuous Indigenous ownership by Voice, truth telling and treaty.

Motion agreed to.