Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know that the member for Riverina also wants to speak in this debate, so I will endeavour to be brief. It is with great sadness that I speak this afternoon on the death of Phillip Hughes. I think all of us who love cricket and who have played cricket have been absolutely shocked by what has happened, and also I think the Australian community have been reminded of how fragile life can be. I cannot forget seeing for the first time the footage of the blow that struck Phillip Hughes. Can I say to the young man who bowled that ball: you hold no responsibility whatsoever for what has happened here, and a nation feels for the pain that you must be feeling at the moment, as the nation feels for the pain that Phillip Hughes's family and friends must be feeling.

We have all—or a lot of us have—faced a cricket ball bowled at us which has whizzed past our ears, and we have ducked and we have weaved. We have also been hit by cricket balls. But none of us, I think, have ever thought that, in a split second, that could bring an end to our lives. I think that is the thing that has so starkly hit us all with what happened to Phillip Hughes.

As the events have unfolded, we have heard more and more about what an incredible young man Phillip Hughes was. I must say that, as a country boy and a very proud country boy, I have loved hearing about how he epitomised what coming from the country meant. The spirit with which he went about things and the approach he had to life reminded me that you can never take the country out of people who are born and bred there, who grow up there and who have those values instilled in them. Everything about Phillip Hughes seems to epitomise that.

The thing that most epitomised that was his ability to deal with the adversity that was thrown at him. He had a brilliant start to his test career. I remember watching it at night when he made his first test hundred over in South Africa. The approach that he took was brilliant to watch. He flayed the South Africans, especially through the off side, using that wonderful cut shot that he had. It was fantastic. But then, of course, with his technique, fast bowlers thought that they saw some opportunities and he was out of the test team. Did he drop his bat, did he say, 'This is too all hard, I am going to give up'? No—he just worked and worked and got himself back into the test team. He also focused on his one-day career. Then he had adversity again. He was dropped again. What did he do? All he did was say, 'I am going to work even harder and harder.'

I am sure that tomorrow, in what would have been the first test starting in Brisbane, we would have seen Phillip Hughes walking out to bat again for his nation. Without doubt he was about to embark on a wonderful career as a test batsman for this nation. He had learned. He had continued to hone his techniques. He had continued to develop the skills that he needed. In much the same way that Matthew Hayden took a while to get into the test team and had to learn to play with softer hands, Phillip Hughes learned that he had to come to terms with his technique. I think he had, and he was ready to embark on a fantastic career.

It is with great sadness that I speak on this matter today. The tributes that have been paid by the parliament have been absolutely magnificent. The tweet 'put out your bats' has been incredible. I know I did it myself. I know the member for Riverina also did it. It is extraordinary what that tribute really meant. May Phillip rest in peace. I extend my kindest regards to his family and friends following this absolutely tragic event.

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