Investiture Ceremony E, Thurs 1 May 10am

Representing the Acting Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, Deputy Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon APM; Representing the Commissioner of the Queensland Fire Department, Deputy Commissioner Kevin Walsh AFSM; Representing the Commissioner of the Queensland Ambulance Service, Deputy Commissioner Dee Taylor Dutton ASM; Commissioner of the Queensland Corrective Services, Commissioner Paul Stewart APM; Representing the President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, Queensland, Mr Samay Zhouand; families, friends and colleagues of the recipients; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.  

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians 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 morning.

This is a special year for the Australian Honours and Awards system because it marks 50 years since Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, as our Sovereign, signed the Letters Patent granting Australia its own system for the first time.

Until then, the only way Australian citizens could be acknowledged for their outstanding service was through the British Imperial honours system—even though the six Australian colonies had united to form an independent nation more than 70 years earlier.

It was a bold move by the government of the day, but on the 14^th of February 1972, Her Majesty gave consent to the establishment of our unique national system and to the three proposed honours—the Order of Australia, the Australian bravery decorations, and the National Medal. Those three honours included just nine separate awards; today, the number of medals and decorations that can be awarded totals 60.

This growth has come about because it was quickly realised that, as a nation, we needed to be able to acknowledge the many men and women who make an exceptional contribution to Australian society in other ways, including through their employment as public servants, or as members of an Australian police force, or fire, ambulance or corrections service.

Of the five different medals awarded today, the first to be established was the Australian Police Medal in 1986, followed over the next three decades by the Australian Fire Service Medal, the Public Service Medal, the Ambulance Service Medal, and finally, in 2017, the Australian Corrections Medal.

Those five, together with the Emergency Service Medal, the Australian Intelligence Medal and the Australian Antarctic Medal, form a unique suite of honours referred to as Meritorious Awards, each of them granted in recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by those who work in occupations that provide services for the community, particularly in times of emergency or disaster.

On behalf of all Queenslanders, I once again congratulate you on the medals you have received today and thank you for the dedicated service that you have given, especially at a time in our history when those who provide public service can sometimes be perceived as being inefficient, resistant to change or lacking in accountability and transparency.

The citations for the honours presented today make it very clear that nothing could be further from the truth – words such as excellence, dedication, integrity, resilience and professionalism clearly demonstrate that each of you has striven to give exemplary service and to lead innovative, transformative change during your careers.

As a result, you have created both a lasting positive impact on the communities you serve, and an enduring legacy within the services where you are employed.

The honours you have received today have been awarded only after a long and stringent process following the recommendation of relevant federal, State and territory ministers.

First, nominations for the police, ambulance, corrections and fire service medal come initially to a coordinating body.

That body, in turn, submits recommendations to the relevant minister, before the nomination, supporting documentation and references are further considered by the fully independent Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat in Canberra.

Only then, is a nomination forwarded to the Governor-General for a final decision.

Similarly, the various Commonwealth, State and territory Public Service Medal committees meet twice a year to consider nominations before recommending proposed recipients to the Minister or Premier.

And only then, does the Governor-General receive the nomination for approval.

It is a thorough and carefully controlled process that has served Australia and Australians well and has helped ensure that the international reputation of the honours you have received today is protected and their integrity preserved.

These are not rewards for long service or acknowledgement of a single action—they are honours that recognise tireless commitment to excellence and to making Australia a safer, fairer, kinder and more resilient country—and for that, once again, I thank you.