Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Can I start by thanking you, Tina, for your very warm welcome to country. Can I acknowledge also the Ngunnawal people, elders past, present, and those who are emerging.
Can I also acknowledge any servicemen and women who are here with us today and any veterans who are also here with us today and simply say to you, “Thank you for your service.”
To the members of the Diplomatic Corps who join us, your Excellencies, Parliamentary colleagues, and particularly His Excellency David Hurley and Mrs Hurley.
When Sir Paul Hasluck became Governor-General fifty years ago, he noticed that the school children who came to visit Government House and wrote him letters asked him a very consistent question, and they would say, “What does the Governor-General do?”
It's something that we know as Parliamentarians that school children ask similar questions when we meet them here in the building.
And it's an important question. There's an important answer.
Because the answer is central to the stability of our system of democratic government. The Office of Governor-General has provided the stability in spite of politics for more than a century.
But the role goes beyond constitutional, as His Excellency indicated today in his own remarks.
Years later, Sir Zelman Cowen answered that question when he said. “The Governor-General interprets the nation to itself.”
And His Excellency I think has started in such excellent fashion today in putting that very much at the forefront of his term.
The Governor-General finds the good in this country and shines a light on it.
In a global age of fragmentation and tribalism, we have in our system a constitutional office beyond politics that enables us all to come together.
The joy of this role is who you meet every single day.
Farmers getting on with their lives, providing for their families and their communities despite crippling drought.
Veterans recovering from their wounds that are seen and unseen.
Teachers who work back late to give kids the best possible start in life.
Those who care for our local environment and their communities, planting trees, picking up rubbish, keeping faith with our stewardship of the land.
Researchers making the breakthroughs that not only we need as Australians, but the world needs.
Brave heroes who will tell you they are not heroes.
Selfless community workers who can't see their selflessness.
And to all those people enduring the moments and tragedy and triumph, they embody all of us.
Our Governor-General - not just on tarmacs, or daises such as this, or platforms, but in classrooms, hospital wards and on drought-stricken farms.
More than any role in public life, the job of Governor-General is to bring Australians together, to remind us all of our social fabric, to uplift the discouraged and to give hope.
To do that, you need to be a person of extraordinary character and in our retiring Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove, we had two such people. And with His Excellency today and also with Mrs Hurley, we have been able to find two such people.
Real character that can only be found from a lifetime of service.
In this Governor-General, we have such a person. A Distinguished Cross holder. Your Excellency, you have served, so like so many.
You led with distinction as an officer in the Australian Army, especially in Somalia, where your command of a battalion group in a foreign conflict was a first for the army since Vietnam.
All up, more than four decades of such service, culminating in your appointment as Chief of the Defence Force.
Later, as Governor of New South Wales, and I'm particularly pleased that we're joined today by the Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, and also the Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall is also here, and I acknowledge you also Steven.
In that role you were determined to get out of the city and meet people in small towns and regions right across the state.
Long after your duty was done, you stayed, you listened, you broke bread, and you connected with people - and Mrs Hurley, usually for much longer after that.
Because real connection with people matter to you, because people matter to you both.
You regularly jumped in the boxing ring with young Indigenous people in Redfern.
And at first they simply knew you as Dave. After your cover was blown, you were bestowed with a slightly more formal title - Gov.
You have shown yourself to be generous, approachable, humble, humane, and as someone who looks people straight in the eye, not up and down.
All of those qualities, together with Mrs Hurley, you bring together to this role.
In Mrs Hurley, we have an unstoppable dynamo in whose presence even the most reserved of guests will find themselves - and I'm sure my Cabinet colleagues will know this joy soon - taking part in ‘You Are My Sunshine.’
She's a lady of genuine compassion. The last time you lived in this city, Mrs Hurley volunteered at the Canberra Hospice.
I know Mrs Hurley will take that, her Christian kindness and compassion, around Australia over the next five years, as will His Excellency.
General Hurley, you are our nation's 27th Governor-General because you have lived out your old motto from the First Battalion Royal Australian Regiment - ‘Duty First’.
Members and Senators will return here tomorrow to commence our formal Parliamentary duties for this term, and for many it will be the first time that they will have walked into that Chamber in that new role and I welcome them particularly also here today.
We look forward to you opening the 46th Parliament during your first full day on the job, and I thank you again on behalf of Jenny and I for accepting that invitation that was extended to you, and I know I'll be able to continually say, "Thank you for your service."