Afternoon Reception for Outstanding Queensland Contributors

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished as are you all, it is my great pleasure, with Kaye, to welcome you to Government House this evening, and in doing so, to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of these lands, the Turrbul and Jagera peoples, and their Elders.

I see before me a lot of familiar faces from my time so far as Governor, and there are many new faces: we looking forward to meeting you all during the evening.

While you are an interestingly eclectic group of people, you share a love of this wonderful State and its people, and you have all in many and varying ways made an outstanding contribution to it.

You all, I am sure, appreciate the significance of all our people, north to south, east to west, citizens from enormously differing circumstances – all so important in defining who we are and should be, with the ultimate message being one of mutual respect and support – as indelibly printed on Kaye’s and my psyches over the last two and a half years.

May I first welcome those of you from government and the public service sector, whose work underpins so much in the State.

There are our Directors-General and public sector CEOs – State and Federal, service Commissioners, and senior executive staff.

Our governmental system, thereby the advancement and contentment of our people, relies heavily upon your service, professionalism and dedication, deeply impressed on me in our meetings from time to time, and for that I thank you all wholeheartedly.

We Queenslanders depend on you for the optimal administration of the State, to deal effectively with a number of issues which so fundamentally affect us all: providing opportunity for business development and jobs growth; supporting and promoting our vitally important regional communities; countering the scourge of domestic violence, to name just a few.

Sensing the spirit in this room tonight, I am confident you are energised to serve our people increasingly well.

There are also those here tonight from our State’s arts sector, which makes such a significant contribution to Queensland’s economy, and is so closely linked to higher levels of life community satisfaction and wellbeing. 

Through the commitment of those here tonight from the arts and cultural sector, and many others not here, we acknowledge tonight that Queensland hasn’t just “come of age”, indeed it is now to be envied!

All of which is not to downplay the role of sport and major events in Queensland – far from it!

Physically active communities have better health, higher levels of workplace productivity and more social cohesion. 

The sports and events sectors provide employment and opportunities that benefit us all, and we are indebted to those representatives in this field here tonight.

Without all of you wonderful people, doing what you so magnificently do, the Queensland landscape would indeed be very bare: and how exponentially luxuriant it will be, with the Commonwealth Games soon to come.

Whether your background is sport or the arts, business or government, or something else entirely, you are here because we perceive you can continue to make a real difference to our fellow Queenslanders.

I say these things tonight because you are all people in instrumentally important roles; and because, frankly, I hope I may, if in a gentle and respectful way, influence and encourage you!

We are greatly honoured to have you here this evening at Government House.