Deputy Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
(1) notes with profound sadness the untimely and sudden death on Thursday, 25 June 2009, of Michael Jackson from cardiac arrest;
(2) further notes that the 50-year-old Jackson, former "King of Pop", died at a time when he was preparing for a series of London concerts and that tickets to those concerts were already sold out;
(3) recognises that Jackson, who became known as the "King of Pop" with the success of albums such as Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, first rose to fame as a child singer with his four brothers as part of the Jackson 5 and it was Michael who became a sensation, most notably with the 1979 release of the album Off the Wall and that his status as a musical superstar was cemented in 1982 after the release of the album Thriller, which generated seven Top 10 hits;
(4) believes that he was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative dance moves, stunning musical versatility and sheer star power carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim;
(5) acknowledges that Jackson was key in mobilising and organising other artists to raise funds to help the children of Ethiopia during the drought and famine of the early 1980s; and
(6) conveys its condolences to the Jackson family, the music industry in particular and the broad arts and culture community in general.
Agreed to.