HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-19 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

ROYAL WEDDING GIFT

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (12:06): I move:

That this house notes the South Australian wedding gift for Prince William and Kate Middleton of a $10,000 donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Firstly, I congratulate the royal couple and wish them well in their future. The royal wedding was an important event as a national occasion for Britain in which the public was invited to celebrate and feel emotionally involved, lining the streets of London to congratulate the newlyweds. It was nice to see the royal couple return to Buckingham Palace and embrace on the balcony, in a tradition that was started by the late Queen Mother (that is, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) when she married the future King George VI in 1923.

Ms Bedford: Not on the balcony.

Mr PICCOLO: It was; well, according to my information. It was a tradition also famously repeated in 1981 at the wedding of Prince Charles to then Lady Diana Spencer. As members would be aware, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the charities nominated by the royal couple. It is a very worthy organisation. The RFDS is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a lot of noise here at the moment and it is difficult to hear the member for Light. Member for Torrens, you are being very vocal. Member for Light.

Mr PICCOLO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, it delivers extensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency services to those who live, work and travel throughout Australia. The RFDS is a not-for-profit organisation. While supported by the commonwealth, state and territory governments, the RFDS relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the community.

We hope that the South Australian government's donation will contribute towards the purchase of state-of-the-art medically equipped aircraft and to finance other major capital initiatives. At present, the RFDS has a fleet of 53 aircraft operating from 21 bases located across Australia, providing medical assistance to over 270,000 people every year—that is one every two minutes of the day.

I commend Prince William and Kate Middleton for their request for donations to charities instead of purchasing gifts for them. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture that will assist many people. I am certain that the charities benefiting from donations are sincerely grateful for this kind initiative from the royal couple. It was a commendable and positive initial step in what we hope will be a long and happy relationship. I commend the motion to the house.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (12:09): I cannot let this moment go past. I concur with the member for Light and congratulate him on this motion. I, too, congratulate the state for giving such a marvellous gift to Royal Flying Doctor Service. Yes, the member for Mawson has noted I am not wearing the jewellery today, which I wore in sympathy with Kate Middleton. Wearing such a large ring does actually hurt your finger.

I particularly wanted to say this: was I the only person in this house who saw our own David Wotton in the crowd on the day, walking down the mall, saying how marvellous it was to be there on that wonderful day of celebration?

The Hon. R.B. Such interjecting:

Ms BEDFORD: Our David Wotton was there, so I felt in some way our house was represented—truly represented—at the marvellous occasion. I have been known to be a royalist and I am very interested in the history of the royal family—

The Hon. R.B. Such: You're not part of it, are you?

Ms BEDFORD: Well, it's not proven, but it's not disproven. I really do wish Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge every good wish. It is marvellous to see so many people happy, even if it was only for a day. I hope that their lives will bring us all and them much happiness and many more happy days into the future.

Motion carried.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT