Luxon ChristopherCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of His Majesty's loyal Opposition—and yes that pronoun still feels unfamiliar—to join with the Prime Minister in mourning the passing of the Queen and recognising her extraordinary lifetime of service to others. In the days since her death the heartfelt outpouring of emotion from around New Zealand and the whole world has been remarkable and sincere both from people who knew her well and those who never met her.I like many Kiwis did not know her personally but one of my very first memories is of standing on Memorial Avenue with my mother and my brother enthusiastically waving our little plastic flags as the Queen drove past on her way to open the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. But regardless of how well or how little we knew the Queen we all feel her loss in some often surprising way because she has been such a constant presence in all of our lives—from appearing on our money and on our stamps and on our magazine covers and on our TV screens. But the loss is also felt because with her passing we also have a renewed appreciation and greater gratitude for her unprecedented legacy of selfless public service.Upon reflection we can all see it was a life incredibly well lived. The Queen lived her life with a real mission and purpose. She showed great determination tremendous care and compassion for her people and an awe-inspiring sense of duty to do her job to the very best of her ability each and every day. Queen Elizabeth was an inspiration and an example for all of us to look up to. From around the world and here in this Chamber Queen Elizabeth is mourned because she and she alone for 70 years was the embodiment of unwavering devotion to duty and commitment to public service as she uniquely combined the role of Sovereign with that of wife mother grandmother and great-grandmother.When she pledged aged 21 that whether her life would be long or short it would be devoted to serving the public she did not know that just four years later she would be Queen. On that day of her coronation news broke out that our Edmund Hillary had become the first person to conquer Mount Everest alongside Tenzing Norgay. Those two events—her coronation and the conquering of Everest—I think gave New Zealanders a special link to the start of the Queen's great reign and the arc of history that it would eventually encompass.So much changed in those 70 years of her reign: post-war austerity and recovery the space race the start of the Cold War and the end of the Soviet Union Britain joining the European community and departing it through Brexit the continued rise of the United States the emergence of China and the technological revolution which means that even as royal proclamations are posted on the gates of Buckingham Palace they are shared by the royal family on social media. The long sea voyages of the Queen's early reign were replaced by the convenience of air travel and society became more permissive more inclusive and more conscious of the need to reflect and embrace diversity. She had seen it all; the good times and the bad times. She uniquely understood the arc and the pattern of history. She was indeed a part of what has been referred to as the greatest generation" —a generation that made big personal sacrifices but by and large made no demands from the generations that followed and prospered economically politically and culturally because of their sacrifices. So much changed yet more than anything else the Queen embodied steadfastness. In an age of ephemera celebrity and instant gratification the Queen was a pillar of stability and tradition. That does not mean that she and the monarchy did not change during her reign—they did but her values did not. She remained true to her pledge of service loyal to the Commonwealth the defender of her faith and devoted to her husband and family. These were constants throughout her long life; an anchor for the people of New Zealand and the Commonwealth and all qualities I personally admired in her.All of us in this House are committed to public service. While the monarchy sits above party politics the Queen's life is an example to us all. She demonstrated that in public life living your values every day and keeping going matters. Her life reminds us that service is noble and powerful and influential.Another huge change during her lifetime was the role of women in public and professional life. The Queen was in fact the unparalleled example of female leadership in the last century. She already had two children when she became a young queen and combined her global public role with motherhood. She had the strength to impose her own values her own will and her own personality on her reign and she became the confidant of Presidents and Prime Ministers trusted for her discretion and judgment and unerring in providing comfort and support when they were needed.As she aged the Queen increasingly relied on her family and in particular Charles. His life has already been one of long service to his mother and to the Commonwealth as Prince of Wales. He committed to the causes of conservation and the environment long before it was popular and via the Prince's Trust has supported young people. Even if he is now obliged to step back from these causes and issues we know that they will always matter dearly to him as monarch.A strength of this monarchy is its continuity. In a period of increasing volatility and uncertainty around the world King Charles' wisdom experience and commitment will be an important anchor for New Zealand and the Commonwealth. We wish him well as he begins his reign as King Charles III.Finally on behalf of the New Zealand National Party I want to record our enormous gratitude for the long life and devotion of Queen Elizabeth II. Moe mai moe mai moe mai rā."