Message of sadness on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II

I know that for so many of my constituents across Edmonton the passing of Queen Elizabeth II will be a deeply sad moment but also a moment of celebration for a truly remarkable life.

Queen Elizabeth was the one constant in our shared public life. While Prime Ministers came and went, culture changed and the very way in which we live shifted, there was always the Queen. Now that one constant is gone, and the second Elizabethan age has ended.

An incredible figure of public service, Queen Elizabeth was a reminder of what we have often forgotten to cherish – community and the public good. As her reign progressed it became increasingly politically fashionable for governments to emphasise the private interest and pursuit of individual success. Yet Queen Elizbeth II was always there, an ever-present reminder of an alternative to that narrative: That we are more than a collection of individuals. That as a community we have rights and duties to one another and not merely to ourselves. We would do well to remember that lesson now.

More than anything, the Queen was a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. In the weeks to come, the country’s thoughts will be with her family as they mourn her passing. My thoughts and the thoughts of my constituents are with them now during this difficult time.