Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army – Queensland Division Major Mark Everitt; staff and volunteers; distinguished guests; friends and supporters of The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.
I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here this evening.
Her Excellency the Governor and Professor Nimmo are currently on official travel to India as part of a Trade Investment Queensland delegation, but, as Joint Patrons of The Salvation Army in our State, they have asked me to express their gratitude, on behalf of all Queenslanders, for the exceptional contribution that the Army makes to Australian lives.
As Acting Governor in Her Excellency’s absence, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Government House this evening to recognise the work of the Salvos and acknowledge the ongoing commitment to the Red Shield Appeal by volunteers, donors, sponsors, and corporate partners.
This is a particularly appropriate time to recognise that commitment because, earlier this month, on the United Nations’ World Day of Social Justice. The Salvation Army’s Australian Territory released its landmark 2025 Social Justice Stocktake.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the foremost concerns identified in this national snapshot were housing affordability and homelessness, with a remarkable 71 per cent of those who responded to the Army’s questionnaire citing these as the social justice issues most affecting their community. As well as housing issues, mental health, financial hardship and access to health care were raised as major concerns.
But this stocktake was a lot more than just an exercise in data collection and statistics; from the mass of information collected, the Australian Territory has compiled a total of 159 reports: one for the whole of Australia; one for each State and Territory; and one for each of the 151 federal electorates across Australia.
That’s a very impressive total and an important contribution to the wellbeing of our nation because, importantly, these reports are an invaluable guide to practical solutions and actions that can be taken, not just by governments, but by communities and individuals.
Working for justice is at the heart of what The Salvation Army does, and by making these reports publicly available, it empowers individuals and communities throughout Australia to make a difference.
For empowerment to have an impact, it needs funding, and the annual Red Shield Appeal is a critical part of the Salvos’ commitment to helping and giving hope to the thousands of Australians, each year, who are affected by crisis, disaster and hardship.
Now in its 61st year, the annual Red Shield Appeal will begin in just over a month’s time, and over the three-month period from April to June, the soldiers and officers of every one of the 308 Salvation Army corps[1] in Australia will be focussed on raising the vital funds needed to continue the Salvos’ exceptional record of addressing community concerns.
Last financial year, the Red Shield appeal nationally raised more than 102 million dollars.
This year, I share the hope of all Australians that, with the continued support of the generous individuals, organisations and corporations in our community such as yourselves, the Appeal will reach a new record. Thank you.
