Official Opening of the 50th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your kind introduction.

I too acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather. I pay my respects to their Elders, and thank Mr Ruska for his Welcome to Country this morning.

As Governor of Queensland, it is my great honour to be with you today at the Annual Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference. And may I offer my congratulations on this being your fiftieth conference! We are fortunate to host you here in Queensland for this milestone occasion.

May I also commend the work of the conference organisers in bringing together more than 60 representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Pacific jurisdictions. It is no small undertaking for you to take time from your schedules to discuss matters of practice and procedure, and yet it is so very important that time is taken for just such matters.

This year, the theme of your conference is ‘Practicalities of Presiding and Administering Parliaments’. Within that, two focal points across the conference will be balancing security and access to the peoples’ houses, and reaching out through community engagement.

These are weighty topics worthy of spirited discussion. I heartily encourage your dialogue and deliberation on these issues, and the many other interesting matters that will no doubt arise during this conference.

I am particularly pleased that there will be discussions around access and reaching out – it is important that our governing institutions are embedded in the community and accessible by all. To this end, I applaud our Parliament’s excellent forays recently into the social media space – my staff and I follow it attentively.

I would also like to acknowledge and welcome Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Deputy Speaker, House of Commons in the United Kingdom, who will provide the keynote address.

As members of the Westminster ilk, we of course look to the United Kingdom as the forebearer of tradition and practice which so richly benefits the people whom our system serves. Welcome, Sir Lindsay.

I hope that this conference is engaging and inspiring for you, and that you connect with your fellow officers and clerks from Australia, New Zealand the Pacific. May there be much knowledge and wisdom learned and shared over the coming days.

In closing, I also encourage you to make the most of your stay in Queensland, to explore our Parliament House including the grounds and neighbouring Botanic Gardens.

I am left now with the great pleasure to declare officially open, the 50th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference. Thank you.