Afternoon Tea for National Palliative Care Week

President, Ms Margaret Adams; Chief Executive Officer, Ms Shyla Mills; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Kaye and I are delighted to welcome you to Government House this afternoon to mark National Palliative Care Week.

I at once acknowledge the traditional owners of these lands and extend respectful greetings to Elders and emerging leaders.

As Governor of Queensland for the past seven years, I have been dedicated to fulfilling the commitment I made at my swearing-in to do all that I could to ensure the welfare of all Queenslanders.

Supporting Palliative Care Queensland is part of that commitment, and Kaye and I are very pleased that less stringent COVID restrictions have enabled us, once again to host a reception for the members, staff and board of PCQ to thank them for their care, compassion and advocacy on behalf of communities, families and individuals throughout the State.

Since the pioneering work of Professor Tess Cramond in the 1980s, PCQ has developed into an influential peak body which is now routinely approached for comment on end-of-life issues.

In parallel with this, it has maintained a grass-roots connection to Queenslanders through initiatives such as hash-tag TimeToRemember.

Just last night, at sunset, Queenslanders everywhere were encouraged to reflect on loved ones they have lost, give thanks for the care-givers and health professionals who supported them, and post videos and messages on social media with that TimeToRemember hashtag.

Educating the public and connecting them to services through such initiatives is important, but arguably the greatest contribution PCQ has made is through its dedicated advocacy for quality end-of-life care for all.

I congratulate everyone concerned on that outcome and on their submission to parliament on Voluntary Assisted Dying which included the compelling statistic that 75 per cent of the Queenslanders who die every year could benefit from palliative care, with the benefits extending to the entire community. With the Parliament soon to be discussing Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation, a robust discussion about palliative care has never been more critical.

PCQ deserves the gratitude of all Queenslanders and, on their behalf, I thank you for all you do and for reminding us, through your motto, that while living well is a daily choice, dying well takes planning and community support.