Statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died is deeply saddening.

Throughout her extraordinary reign of more than seventy years, Her Majesty personified values of duty, service and dignity.

She was rightly regarded with great respect, admiration and affection by the people of Great Britain; by the people of Australia and other nations of which she was Queen; and by people around the world.

Amongst my constituents in Bradfield I know she was held in the highest regard.

My wife Manuela and I had the great privilege of being among those at the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra when the Queen visited in October 2011, and Manuela cherishes her memory of speaking briefly to Her Majesty on that occasion.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II will be felt deeply by many of us, as the loss of a familiar figure who for many decades personified reassurance and stability.  For the great majority of Australians she has been there for our whole life. 

In performing her duties, Queen Elizabeth II had a central role in the operation of several parliamentary democracies around the world - including Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  In this as in other aspects of her work and service to her people, Queen Elizabeth II was exemplary.

On behalf of the people of Bradfield, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Queen, and express my gratitude for her remarkable service.