Public Safety and Integrity Agencies International Women’s Day Event

Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Queensland Government, the Honourable Mark Ryan MP; Commissioner, Queensland Corrective Services, Mr Paul Stewart APM; Commissioner, Queensland Police Services, Mrs Katarina Carroll APM; Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Mr Greg Leach; Inspector-General of Emergency Management, Mr Alistair Dawson, APM; Queensland Integrity Commissioner, Ms Linda Waugh; Principal Commissioner, Queensland Family and Child Commission, Mr Luke Twyford; Director-General, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Mr David Mackie; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you, Ms Claire Walker, for your warm Welcome to Country. I would also like to begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the land where we’re gathered today, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I extend that respect to any First Nations people joining us today.

I am delighted to be with so many of you at this marvellous annual celebration of International Women’s Day, and I warmly welcome the many hundreds of others who are watching this event as it is livestreamed to the agencies who, every day, ensure our safety and welfare as Queenslanders.

Today, I particularly acknowledge and thank those seven partner agencies for all that they do to support and protect women and girls – Queensland Corrective Services, the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, the Family and Child Commission, Integrity Commission, Crime and Corruption Commission and Inspector-General Emergency Management. They all work tirelessly to sustain and strengthen the fabric of society.

Organising and coordinating this celebration is a splendid example of cross-agency collaboration and I take this opportunity to commend and thank everyone involved in bringing this year’s event to fruition.

I also commend the agencies on the theme they have chosen this year: Courage, Strength, and Resilience.

These qualities are exemplified in this morning’s keynote speaker, Karni Liddell. Her life shows us all what can be achieved through courage, strength and resilience, and I know everyone will be inspired by her determination to succeed in sport and to pursue her chosen career.

As a person who has lived with disability all her life, she knows first-hand about the struggle for equity, and I trust her experience encourages us all to adopt and promote this year’s International Women’s Day global theme: ‘Embrace Equity’.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate this year’s recipients of International Women’s Day Awards, which will be presented later this morning.

On behalf of all Queenslanders, thank you for the wonderful work you are doing across your respective agencies to uphold the safety and integrity of our great State, and, happy International Women’s Day!