Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Later today it will be my sad duty, with the Prime Minister and thousands of Australians, to attend the funeral service of Phillip Hughes. I want to speak on behalf of the government and, I think, all Australian people in saying that his untimely passing at the young age of 25 is a reminder about the life that he led, which was an amazing life. It was full of love from his family, who were supportive in his early formative years—the years that made him into the fine cricketer that he was. It is also a reminder about how fragile life can be—to be lost at the age of 25. He was on the cusp of returning to the Australian cricket team. It said to all of us that it was such an unfair outcome. Our thoughts and prayers, of course, go out to his loving parents, to his two siblings and to the Australian cricket team and all of the support staff in the team, who feel this loss as much as anybody.

I also want to make special mention today of Sean Abbott, who is, again, a fine Australian cricketer, an amazing bowler and a young man with enormous talent, but he feels enormous grief and, no doubt, guilt. But he has the support of not only his team mates but, of course, the nation as well.

On Saturday I was at the under-nine Ferny Hills Cricket Team, where I help to part-time umpire and coach in my youngest son's cricket team. The innocence of watching those young boys wearing their black armbands, talking a lot about the loss of Phillip Hughes, was replicated at cricket clubs of all grades and all levels across the country. To me, it demonstrated the tight-knit community of cricket in this country. It is, of course, part of the Australian fabric. It has been reflected by cricketers of every generation, the names of whom Australians can instantly recall, and Phillip Hughes is amongst that company. Those young cricketers, as they went to the field, had a minute's silence and they remembered an amazing young man.

Phillip Hughes, of course, will be remembered for his great ability on the field, but Michael Clarke's outpouring of emotion, which to me is a demonstration of the great character of Michael Clarke, demonstrates that Phillip was a great man off the pitch as well. I think Michael Clarke has demonstrated the skills and the great capacity that a leader of the Australian cricket team must possess—people like Simpson, Border, Benaud and all of these people that had similar characteristics. Michael Clarke has demonstrated that over the course of the last few days. He has encapsulated the feeling of a nation. He has been able to lead his team through a very difficult time. At the same time, he has been having to deal with his own grief and loss for a person whom he describes as his brother in Phillip Hughes, somebody with whom he obviously had an enormous and heartfelt connection. He will suffer today, and all of us will be reminded during the funeral service about, as I say, the preciousness of life but also the ability of this young man to transform a nation not only on the pitch but off as well.

I want to in particular say thank you very much to Cricket Australia for the support that they have provided to the players within the team but also the broader cricket community, including the support staff as well. These are people that travel together. They are a very tight-knit group of people—the players, the support staff and the team at Cricket Australia. The fact is that they have been very conscious of the emotion which is still raw within the Australian cricket team. To delay the playing schedule is a significant undertaking, but they have done that with a great level of professionalism, and I congratulate James Sutherland and his team for the way in which they have been able to provide that support. They have demonstrated ably how they have been able to accommodate those players by delaying the Brisbane test and rejigging the playing calendar with India across this summer. Full credit to them.

I want to say something about the game of cricket, because the other day I went to a school within my electorate and I spoke to the year 7 groups about parliament, as all of us do from time to time. They ask about your parliamentary role, so they had questions about health, but predominantly they had questions about sport. In particular, they had questions about Phillip and they had questions about whether or not the game should change, whether or not helmets needed to be modified and whether or not there could be particular changes to cricket that need to be made.

In many ways, these things will be discussed at a later time, at a more appropriate time. But I think it is important to put on the record the fact that, by all accounts, this is a one-in-100-year event, a freak accident. Two young cricketers were doing their very best, representing their states and representing their nation. It was a freak accident. Frankly, from the medical advice, it seems that, had that ball landed a millimetre up or down or to the left or right, it would have resulted in a very different outcome. People can have discussions around whether or not you need to have a change in the design of the helmets—all of that. I do not think that is an appropriate discussion for today.

I do say that cricket is a safe sport. It is an amazing sport for young people to be involved in. We see thousands, literally, of Australian kids involved in the MILO program in the junior ranks who go on to have cricket as part of their life forever. I suspect that the Australian team and Phillip Hughes in particular would want the great game of cricket to continue on unimpeded—yes, with sensible changes if they need to be made, but, most importantly, to hold the values and virtues of this great game foremost. I think that is the message that we will see in coming weeks.

I want to say thank you very much to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and others who have contributed to this condolence debate in the other place. I know that their thoughts and wishes and prayers for the family in particular, as I say, would be representative of the messages that thousands of Australians would want to be conveyed. In closing, I want to say thank you to the Australian public for the way in which they have provided an outpouring of grief and of support for the Australian cricket team and for the family in particular. It makes me very proud as the Minister for Sport in this country to see us represented by amazing athletes, not just in cricket but in many sports, on the track, in the pool and on ovals across the country. We are a better country for sport and for having sport as part of our DNA in this country.

We say to young Australians that the life of Phillip Hughes, whilst cut short in his absolute prime, is a demonstration that being involved in sport in our country is in many ways to be fully immersed in Australian life. I think this is an opportunity for us all to celebrate the life of a young man who made an incredible contribution not only to club cricket but to state cricket and obviously to national and international cricket as well. He was a great ambassador. We have seen the fact that different codes and different cricket teams from around the world, who would normally be adversaries on the oval, have come together as one to unite in their grief and to say to the Australian public and to those internationally who are admirers of the game that this is a great game. It is a very important part of our life. It is a part of the formative years of many Australians. We celebrate an amazing life, but we recognise the support of those around him and in particular the grief being felt by the family and by the Australian cricket team, ably led by a great Australian in Michael Clarke.

I want to thank the House very much for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. These issues are always dealt with on a bipartisan basis. As I say, this is an opportunity for us to contribute to what is a sad affair but a celebration of a wonderful life. Thank you very much.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to honour the life of Phillip Hughes and send my condolences to his family and friends. Over the past week we have seen an amazing outpouring of grief for a life tragically cut short. We have also seen a celebration of a life lived to the fullest; a life that gave joy to so many; a life that will continue to affect so many for years to come.

Phillip was born in the beautiful New South Wales mid-North Coast town of Macksville in 1988 to parents Greg and Virginia. The son of a banana farmer, Phillip excelled in both cricket and rugby league, but his diminutive stature would always lend itself more to the gentleman's game. After wearing out the arms of Macksville's finest bowlers, Phillip followed in the footsteps of Don Bradman, Brian Booth, Glenn McGrath and so many other great Australian cricketers and made the pilgrimage from the bush to the big smoke in pursuit of the baggy green.

Arriving in Sydney at the age of 17, Phillip joined the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Ashfield, scoring 141 not out on debut. The transition from the bush to the city could not have been more seamless, and Sydney's grade scene knew someone special had arrived. As his career progressed Phillip was selected to make his Australian debut against the might of South Africa on 26 February 2009 at new Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Against one of the great bowling attacks in modern cricket, Phillip Hughes was dismissed for a duck in his first test innings. In what was to become a recurring theme throughout his career, Phil fought back after this initial setback and scored his maiden test hundred in the first innings of the second test before adding another hundred in the second innings. In doing so at the age of 20 years and 96 days, he became both the youngest Australian since Doug Walters to score a test century and the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a test match.

Phillip would go on to be dropped four times from the Australian cricket team, and after every setback he went back to shield cricket and piled on the runs. As Australian captain Michael Clarke said of his work ethic and attitude, 'His legacy of trying to improve each and every day will drive us for the rest of our lives.' Phillip's work ethic, determination and sense of humour are traits espoused by all those who knew him—a loved young man with a cheeky grin and a determination to represent his country in the game he loved.

In my remarks today it would be remiss of me not to mention Sean Abbott. Sean is a young man from Sydney's north-west, who played his junior cricket with Baulkham Hills Cricket Club, not far from my electorate, before progressing to the grade cricket ranks with Parramatta and now for his state. My thoughts are with Sean. He deserves our support and indeed the support of the entire community.

The passing of Phillip Hughes has obviously impacted on so many. It reminds us that life is fragile and precious. It makes parents hold their children that extra bit tighter. It reminds us that life is more important, more special and more unpredictable than any game. As Alan Stokes writes in Fairfax media, 'The loss of someone so young cannot fail to strike at any heart.'

On the day Phillip is laid to rest I send my deepest condolences to Greg, Virginia, Megan and Jason Hughes. I cannot imagine the grief you are feeling, but know that Phillip was loved by so many. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Rest well, Phillip.

Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is always a very sobering occasion when any of us speak in this place on the loss of a great Australian, and sadly we seem to be doing that quite a lot. I cannot claim to be Australia's foremost authority on cricket, but the passing of Phil Hughes is a tragedy that has affected not just the whole of Australia but the whole of the world. As a mother of a 26-year-old son—and Phillip was due to have his 26th birthday on 30 November—I have to say that Phillip's death has rocked me to the core. I cannot imagine the grief that Phillip's parents, Virginia and Greg, and his sister, Megan, and brother, Jason, must be feeling. My heart goes out to them. As a parent you never really expect to outlive your children. From the time that they are born you watch over them, you care about their safety and you fear for their safety. I think perhaps that as mothers we have a tendency to fret about our sons' safety even when they grow into men, as they will always be our little boys. While we as parents worry about them being in a car accident or some other such accident, I do not think anyone could ever have imagined that such fatal harm could occur from a child playing a game that they loved so dearly.

Since I first heard of the news that Phillip had been injured on Tuesday, 25 November, I have discovered a great deal about what an exceptional young man he truly was. He was a young man that any parent would be proud of, that his siblings loved and cherished, that his local community admired, that his team mates respected and that we as a nation should honour. He was a great Australian. At only 25 years of age, he had 26 centuries to his name in first-class cricket. I note that the Australian Captain, Michael Clarke, said that he had no doubt that Phillip would have made 27 centuries last Tuesday and gone on to play 100 tests, such was his determination and skill.

If anyone ever questioned how deeply cricket is ingrained in the Australian national psyche and how we as a nation have respond Phillip's loss, the episodes of the past week should remove any such doubt. The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops the nation, but I believe that cricket is in the nation's soul, just like football is in the country of my parents heritage. It is a powerful legacy that is as strong today as it ever was. There are heroes and legends that have defined us from the very first Australian 11 Aboriginal cricket team to tour England in 1868, the first Ashes series in 1882, our Don Bradman, Richie Benaud, the Chappell brothers, Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh—to name just a few. I did say that I am not the most foremost authority on cricket, but I do admire and respect these great men, past and present. I have been struck by just how strongly this legacy has been expressed with the 'put out our bat' campaign to mark Phillip's passing. I have been astounded by the huge number of homes and businesses all over the electorate of Brisbane that have cricket bats of all sizes and in all states of repair placed outside them as a mark of respect. They were put there for Phillip.

Phillip's passing is a tragedy not just for him and his family but also for another wonderful young man, 22-year-old Sean Abbott. I have been incredibly gratified at the level of consideration that has been extended to Sean for the pain and anguish that he must be feeling. I understand that Sean and Phillip had also been team mates in the New South Wales Blues. My heart goes out to Sean, who only recently made his debut in the Australian T21 one-day side. I know that Sean has the sympathy of everyone in the nation. We all hope that one day he will go on to realise his dream, as Phillip did, of wearing the baggy green.

From everything that I have read about Phillip, he was never one to let a setback keep him down or dampen his spirit. If there is a heaven then I am sure he is there now—another great Australian teaching them how to play cricket.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to express my condolence to the family of Phil Hughes, to his team mates and to his friends. Later today in Macksville on the New South Wales north coast, he will be farewelled. That is an occasion for which Australia will stop and pause.

This tragedy has had an enormous impact on Australians. Cricket is our national game. It is a pastime where people, young and old, participate either by playing or by watching. The shock that someone who was so well known to Australians could lose their life so tragically is one that has had a profound impact on the nation. (Quorum formed)

Phil Hughes was someone who I had the honour of meeting on a number of occasions. He played for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club as his local team, which is based in Pratten Park in my electorate. Phil Hughes was someone who always had time for the youngsters who played cricket there, from Milo cricket up to the district competition. My son was one of those young people who played cricket based at Pratten Park, for Summer Hill Cricket Club. My son was also a left-handed batsman. I think you can tell a lot about someone who is a star—and make no mistake: Phil Hughes was a superstar—by how they approach a young kid who nervously comes up to them and asks for a bit of advice or just to say hello. Phil Hughes gave batting tips to my son. I well recall him giving my son a bat and asking him about his stance and giving him a bit of advice that was gentle, considered and humble. This was a bloke who was a country cricketer based in the relatively small town of Macksville, which will be mourning today.

Phil Hughes is someone who never got ahead of himself. In spite of his setbacks—four times dropped and then returned to the Australian cricket team; he played 12th man and he spent a lot of time in the dressing room as well as on the field—he never thought that that was not good enough for him. The way that he approached the youngsters, not just my son but the youngsters coming up through the Western Suburbs teams at Ashfield, to me indicated the character of the man. It was absolutely of no surprise to me the impact that his passing has had on Michael Clarke, who has shown extraordinary leadership during this difficult time, and on the rest of his teammates.

Today I also acknowledge the trauma that Sean Abbott must be going through. Sean Abbott was just doing his job as a bowler, and there could have been no expectation of this tragedy. I have seen a lot of cricket over the years. You just do not expect that someone will be seriously hurt, let alone lose their life, when a ball comes down the pitch.

Phillip Hughes was someone you wanted to watch. He is someone you wanted to be in the team because of the quality of his cricket. He is someone who was unorthodox, someone who was not a graceful player like a Mark Waugh or a Greg Chappell. He had an unorthodox technique but he was extraordinarily effective and fantastic to watch, particularly his play through the offside. His driving and his cuts are something that will remain.

The fact that these statements are being made in the House—and that today he will be honoured by the presence of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and others at his farewell—says a lot about the impact that he had during his all-too-short time on this planet. I today express my condolences to his family, to his teammates in the Australian cricket team and the South Australian team, to his former teammates in New South Wales and to the Western Suburbs cricket club in my electorate. He had an enormous impact on all those who watched him but also an enormous impact on all those who had the privilege to meet him.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I consider it an honour to speak in the debate on these statements of condolence on behalf of many people across the Corangamite electorate who have been touched by the untimely death of Phillip Hughes. It really has been incredibly moving to see the tributes over the past week and the cricket bats outside parliament and outside the homes of so many local people in my electorate. I visited one of my good friends Patrice Savage the other day. Her boys love playing cricket, and there was the cricket bat outside her home.

Later today the Macksville community and the cricket family will join together to farewell this inspirational young man. I wish Phillip's family and friends all the very best as they come to grips with what is an utter tragedy at this very, very difficult time. His death has touched not only friends, family, coaches and cricketers, both young and old, but people from all walks of life, all corners of Australia and around the world.

I think perhaps there are a number of reasons why Phillip's death has particularly reverberated so strongly. He was so incredibly young, just days out from his 26th birthday. I think his death is a poignant reminder that one cruel twist of fate is all that it takes to take someone away that we hold so dear in such an instant. There are so many people across Australia who love their sport and who love their cricket, and we watch and admire cricketers across the nation, as we have for many years, with such a degree of emotion. We watch the successes and the failures, and there is a very deep connection with the emotions of the players. I think it has been particularly difficult to watch Phillip's teammates come to terms with his passing without deeply feeling that loss ourselves.

Phillip Hughes was capable of playing world-beating cricket. He made two test centuries against South Africa and one against Sri Lanka, as well as two one-day international centuries, also against Sri Lanka. And who could forget his memorable partnership with Ashton Agar in England in July last year. Ashton Agar stole the show that day with a score of 98 on debut—an incredible effort—but it would not have been possible without the leadership and the level-head of Phillip Hughes, who finished the innings unbeaten on 81. In first-class cricket Phillip maintained an average of 46.51, with 26 tons and 46 fifties. Australians love an underdog, and there would have been few things sweeter than to see this young man make his return to the test team.

The first test of the summer, against India, was due to start tomorrow. But for a few millimetres, Phillip Hughes might have had his chance to finally cement himself in the national team. That we will no longer see him strapping on the pads and striding to the crease is a very sombre thought.

At this point I want to reflect on the words of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said a number of days ago:

People are not supposed to die playing our national game. Sport is supposed to engender pride, not grief.

To Phillip's family, to his friends and to cricketers young and old, this is a very, very sad loss for our nation and a loss that has reverberated around the world. Rest in peace, Phillip Hughes—63 not out forever.

Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today will be a very sad day for many Australians as we commemorate the life and the tragic death of cricketer Phillip Hughes. Phillip Hughes was not a soldier who died in service for his country nor was he a hero who died trying to save others, but his death has greatly affected our nation and touched something within many, many Australians. It is appropriate that we acknowledge this grief in this chamber.

All loss of life is tragic. Family and friends will mourn the loss of loved ones deeply, regardless of whether the nation and the media spotlight accompanies them. But in this case the Australian public, and particularly the Australian cricketing community, are in mourning with Phil Hughes's family, friends and teammates because we feel a shared loss. The public loss of such an enormous talent and such enormous potential feels especially bitter to us all. We all know how much more Phillip Hughes had to offer Australian cricket.

It will be small consolation for his family and friends, but Phillip Hughes will long live on in Australian cricketing folklore. Like Archie Jackson, another cricketing prodigy—who died of tuberculosis at just 23 years of age 80 years ago and who still lives on in the imagination of the cricket obsessed 10-year-olds across our country—Phillip Hughes will hold a special place in Australia's collective cricketing memory. I will tell my children how, at just 20 years of age, Hughes scored centuries in both innings of just his second test match in South Africa—becoming the youngest player in history to achieve this feat—punching the South African pace attack through the offside again and again. I will tell them how I sat glued to the television throughout the night watching Hughes and another brilliant young Australian cricketer—Ashton Agar—compile a world-record last-wicket stand of 163 runs, with Hughes giving Ashton Agar every opportunity to score a century on debut, which would have been magical for a number 11, and falling just two runs short. It was truly one of the most extraordinary cricketing partnerships I have ever seen.

And I will tell my children that if Hughes had lived long enough to receive another act, another chance as a test cricketer, he would have surely followed in the footsteps of other brilliant young talents like Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Damien Martin, who came back from periods outside the test team to achieve even greater feats in the baggy green.

The fact that this public loss of Phillip Hughes—and the loss of his great potential and talent—occurred in the most prosaic circumstances, while he was doing something that so many thousands of cricket-playing Australians have done many times over, makes it that much more personally affecting for us all. The way in which the 'put out your bats' phenomenon has taken hold in the days following his death is a testament to this feeling of shared loss in the Australian community. Since Sydney father Paul Taylor placed his cricket bat at his front door and tweeted the image in Hughes's honour, thousands of Australians and sports lovers from all around the world have joined in in this act of respect to demonstrate their appreciation for Phillip Hughes in a tangible way. As Taylor explained: We've all played cricket in one way or another …We've all grown up with a bat and ball. This is our way to connect and show our sadness.'

We find our sense of community as Australians both when we want to celebrate and when we need to mourn, and in this way it is pleasing to see how the Australian cricketing community has embraced Sean Abbott, the bowler who had the pure bad luck to have delivered the fateful ball. We all know that Sean Abbott bears no responsibility for what has occurred, but we also know that he will be suffering more than we can imagine at this point, wondering the little things that he may have changed on the day. Our thoughts are with him at this time. He bears no responsibility and he has our this full support.

I also want to note the way that the Australian cricket captain, Michael Clarke, and Cricket Australia have managed this extraordinarily traumatic event. The deferral of the first test match showed appropriate consideration for the welfare of the Australian players dealing with the loss of a friend and work colleague. The decision to adjust Phillip Hughes's final scorecard to record him as being 63 not out forevermore is an especially apt, symbolic gesture. Symbols matter at times like this, and that little asterisk beside his name will be a potent symbol and a reminder for the generations of cricketing Australians to come of what the Australian cricket community has lost in the tragic death of Phillip Hughes.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in condolence at this very sad time. Today will mark the funeral of Phil Hughes, and many in this place will take the opportunity to reflect on his contribution. When he made his debut for his country in February 2009, there had only been 408 Australians—privileged, nay, talented Australians—who had had the privilege of donning the baggy green cap. As we heard from the previous speaker, almost every Australian boy—and, increasingly, Australian girl—grows up playing cricket, aspiring to one day wear the baggy green. I can tell you that I was such a young man. I spent much of my youth juggling my responsibilities scholastically with a love of cricket and the game. I shared that love with my brother, who was 11 years older than me, and I was privileged enough to play cricket at a reasonably senior level. Unlike Phillip Hughes, who had the talent to play for his country, I did not, but it is the fact that he was playing our national game when he was taken from us which I think has caused his plight to resonate so deeply with the Australian psyche.

A life well lived can be measured in years or it can be measured in quality, and I think it is important to note at this time that a life well lived is indeed a ripe old age. If one lives their life well and to the fullest, one can take solace in the fact that they have lived to a ripe old age, even if they are taken far too soon as Phillip Hughes was. We heard from the Prime Minister earlier this week. He said—and I will repeat his words—that Phillip Hughes's death 'has so affected people because it happened in the midst of life, at its most exuberant'.

This was a man who had played for his country, whose unconventional technique had made him both a local hero and someone that the ordinary Australian could relate so clearly to. He had gotten on top of his technical difficulties and was returning to the field and, quite frankly, was slated to play for Australia and to continue his test career. We could sit here and speak about his statistical record, his 26 tests and his 25 one-day internationals, but this story now speaks a lot larger than that. His passing reminds us that life is both precious and fragile. I, like the previous speaker, have held in my thoughts ever since last Thursday Sean Abbott, who did nothing more than play the game we love and play it as hard as Phil Hughes would have wanted.

It is important that he be marked as 63 not out. Symbols really do matter. I am pleased to see that across our nation we have seen the phenomenon of 'putting your bats out'. I am pleased to report that amateur cricket in my electorate of Barker continued on the weekend. Not only did players don black armbands, but they all paused to reflect on the tragic loss of Phil Hughes.

We have all had opportunity to understand more of the Phil Hughes story since his tragic passing. I noted with some interest that he was a country lad. He shares that with me. He had a great love of cattle, and stud cattle in particular. Like Phil Hughes, I hope one day to leave this place and retire to a farming property. Like me, Phillip has Italian heritage, in his case through his mother, Virginia.

I know something about loss. Whilst my sympathies are with Phillip's mother, Virginia, and his father, Greg, I cannot pretend to know their pain. What I do know acutely is the pain that Jason and Megan, his siblings, are sharing right now. I know it because I have lived it. I say to them: you will never forget—as this nation will never forget—the contribution your brother has made, but you personally will never forget him. You wake up most mornings thinking of him. From time to time during the day you will think, 'What would Phil do in this situation?' From time to time you will think, 'How would Phil have coped with this?' The reality is that you never recover from a loss of this nature. You learn to live with it but you will not recover from it.

Not only have cricket clubs throughout my electorate reflected and acknowledged this sad passing, my own cricket club, the South Gambier Cricket Club, which I maintain membership of, was very keen to acknowledge the passing of Phil Hughes. I spoke to a number of players before they took the field on Saturday and remarked to many of them, many of whom I have played cricket with for a decade, that was has shocked them is the fact that we play our national sport and play it hard, but none of us ever thinks that will be the last act in the drama of life. I think that is why this event has so shocked the Australian psyche.

Phil was a great cricketer. He was a great Australian. Much more importantly than that, he was the best of people taken at his most exuberant, as the Prime Minister described it. Vale Phil Hughes. My sympathies go to his family. My sympathies go to his team-mates. I am grateful that, as a nation, we have acknowledged his passing in the most appropriate of ways. We probably will not see his equal again. He was an unconventional batsman who had a raw talent who has been taken from us far too soon. As a nation, we have been robbed of his talents. To his family and his team-mates I send my deepest condolences. May he rest in peace. May he enjoy cricket for the rest of his days in that oval in the sky, and join other Australian and international greats playing the game they love for all eternity.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today, like so many in this place, to pay my respects and speak on the condolence motion for Phillip Joel Hughes, an outstanding cricketer taken far too soon doing what he loved best. Phillip was born on 30 November 1988 in the small New South Wales town of Macksville. Today in Macksville the funeral and memorial will be held for this very young man, aged just 25 years.

Phillip started playing cricket as a junior in Macksville, where his undoubted talent quickly shone through. At the age of 17 he moved to Sydney to play for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club, having in front of him a most brilliant career. Phillip played two seasons with New South Wales in first-class cricket before making his test debut for Australia in 2009 against South Africa, at the age of only 20. He was the 408th person to play test cricket for Australia. It was an illustrious achievement in his career to have been the 408th cap in what is such a special and small club.

In just his second test match, at the age of 20, he scored a century in the first innings before scoring a further century in the second innings, making him the youngest test cricketer in history to score a century in both innings of a test match. Phillip played 26 test matches during his career and scored 1,535 runs with a batting average of 32.66—a great achievement. He also played 25 one-day international matches for Australia and scored 826 runs with a batting average of 35.91. He was the first Australian batsman in the history of one-day international cricket to score a hundred on debut.

But all the numbers and all the great achievements never tell the full story. Like all players, Phillip went through some peaks and some troughs—as we all do in life and through our careers—and experienced good and bad times. Those who knew him well have noted the remarkable way that he dealt with those inevitable setbacks and maintained his dignity and his friendships and built a fantastic career at such an early age. His determination to work harder and improve, because he loved playing for his country and had more to offer the game, is a tribute to his attitude as a professional sportsperson and character as a human being.

Last week, while playing for South Australia against New South Wales, he compiled 63 runs and was undoubtedly reminding the nation and the national selectors of his talent. What happened next was as unexpected as it was tragic and sad. On Thursday, 27 November 2004, Phillip passed away as a result of the injuries that he suffered from being struck by a cricket ball. There is no doubt that Phillip's injury and death has struck a very deep chord in all of us in this parliament, in his home town, in cricket, in Australia and much, much further. Right across the world, it seems to have struck a chord in terms of who Phillip was but also in the tragic way that life can be taken from us in the most unexpected of circumstances—in a game that is not meant to have an element of danger that would result in somebody losing their life, or as we go about our daily business, doing what we do best, working, playing, living our lives and not really contemplating that at any moment somebody could be taken away from us. What we have seen is this outpouring of tributes, not just from close friends and team mates but from ordinary Australians who would not have known Phillip Hughes apart from seeing him on the television but who really felt this connection—some affinity, some loss within themselves—which is why they are grieving as well as his family.

Over the weekend, local cricketers paid tribute to Phillip in many different ways and ordinary people put out their bats to honour his memory. Today, also, I am thinking of Sean Abbott—many other people who I know are thinking of Sean Abbott—a young man who has done nothing wrong and, simply by bowling a cricket ball, has been caught up in this tragedy.

At the end of all the tributes about his career on the pitch, Phillip was a son, a brother and, in many respects, an ordinary person like the rest of us, albeit an extraordinary one. Having recently experienced loss myself, like so many people in this House, you know that all of those things cannot possible replace the loss that you feel. I know that today his family and his closest friends will be confronting their deepest fears about that loss—his parents, brother, sister, friends and everybody. I extend my deepest sympathies, particularly to his parents, Greg and Virginia, and siblings, Megan and Jason—to know the difficulty they will be facing. There is no doubt that Phillip will remain in the memory of all Australians, No. 408, forever 63 not out. May he rest in peace.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The outpouring of grief across Australia, and indeed across the globe, as many members have said, is quite remarkable—everyone is paying their respects to an inspirational young man who touched the lives not just of people in our nation but across the globe. So I rise today to speak on behalf of the people of Solomon.

Phillip was deeply respected by Territorians, as he was nationally and internationally. Territorians remember him with great fondness. It is no secret that Territorians love their sport, and cricket, along with AFL, is one of the sports that we love the most. The Territory was honoured to host Phillip Hughes, and many children were able to learn from his spectacular cricket skills earlier this year, when he visited my electorate to announce the upgrades to Northline Oval that enabled us to host the quadrangular one-day series in Darwin and Palmerston. That meant that we were able to host players of the calibre of Phillip Hughes.

As many have said in this place, Phillip Hughes was an outstanding cricketer and, by all accounts, an outstanding person—and there have been lots of media stories about what an outstanding young man he was, not just on the cricket field but in his personal life. He will be forever remembered as a national hero because he made Australians proud, not just because of his ability as a fantastic sportsman but because of the way that he conducted himself in his life. He will be remembered not for how he died but for how he played Australia's favourite game.

I want to share with the House from the NT News Facebook site. A lot of constituents have shared their thoughts. Camilla Snelson said that she is really looking forward to the fact that she can share in today's funeral and be able to watch it. People are pleased that all the media outlets have worked together to enable the country to come together. John White said:

R.I.P. mate. My thought's go out to your family, friend's, colleague's and to Sean Abbott.

Leanne Kossack said:

RIP mate and Godbless your family and friends.

Jodie Corbett said:

God bless those you left behind mate. Especially your mum

Andrew Douglas said:

"Spare a thought for the people of Macksville and the Nambucca Valley today. They are beautiful, salt of the earth human beings."

Tim Gilbert from the Today Show indicated that this morning. I think that it is really important that we as a country acknowledge and think about not just Phillip's family and friends but his teammates and, indeed, his very close-knit small community.

I would like to finish by saying that Phillip Hughes, as I said, was an outstanding cricketer and an outstanding Australian. I would like to say to Sean Abbott: our prayers and thoughts are with you as well. The nation stands behind you. We hope that you will be able to resume your life as a cricketer. No-one holds you responsible. It will be a tough day for you as well. To Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan, I hope you all find comfort in knowing that our nation mourns with you. Phillip's short life was lived so well. May he rest in peace.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in this debate as a cricket tragic, as somebody who grew up in Macksville and attended the same schools in Macksville as Phillip Hughes—he attended the Macksville Public School and the Macksville High School—and as a person whose family still lives in the Nambucca Valley.

I remember the first test that Phillip Hughes starred in. At that particular time, I was visiting my mother. We talked about how wonderful it was to have somebody from Macksville, from the area that she lived in and the area that my sister and her sons live in, starring on the world stage in cricket. The pride that the people in the Nambucca Valley had in the achievements of Phillip Hughes was enormous. My nephews used to talk to me about how they would go up to Macksville and go to the pub up there; how they would all stand there and have drinks with Phillip, and he was still the same guy that he had been in the past; and how committed he was to that local community.

I know how that community are hurting. I know how they will feel. I know how devastated they are by the loss of one of their favourite sons, somebody who has achieved at the absolute highest level of cricket and somebody who was on the doorstep of coming back into the Australian cricket team. He will always have that very special place within the community of Macksville and the Nambucca Valley. He will be one of the heroes of that area. He will become a legend. He will be talked about for decades to come, centuries to come, as he will within the history of cricket.

I will not go through his achievements. I know there have been many, many people that have stood up and talked about his fantastic double century, his achievements in the Sheffield Shield, his achievements in county cricket, his achievements in one-day cricket—his achievements in all levels of cricket. But the one thing that I really want noted in this House is how important he has been in the psyche and the history of that little town that people are gathering in today, a little town of just over 2,000 people, which will really swell today; how people will gather in that school hall at Macksville High School; and the enormous sadness that will pervade that town. I think I read that the shops will be closing their doors this afternoon. That is a true Macksville tradition. That is a community getting behind somebody that is very special to them.

In addition to expressing my sympathy for the town, I would like to express my sympathy for Phillip's family. They would really be hurting today, as will his fellow cricketers. To see their son starring, to see their son achieving, to see their son so vital, to see their son so full of life, to be just a few days short of his birthday—one minute he is this vibrant young man who is achieving at the highest level, and the next minute his life is taken from him. What that does is show us just what a precious gift of life is—how each and every one of us can end up just like Phillip Hughes.

But the thing that is so special about Phillip is that he really epitomises what Australians look to when they look to their sporting heroes. He really has done so much not only for cricket but for young people, going along and coaching when he was not playing, and telling young people always to 'go for your best shot'. I suspect that that is what Philip was doing when that ball hit him—going for his best shot—and that bouncer came up and caught him unaware.

It is interesting that there have only been a hundred such deaths before, and two of those have been in cricket. I know that Cricket Australia and cricket worldwide are looking at the helmets. That is a good move.

Sometimes there are things that you just cannot account for. Sometimes things just happen. This is one of those events. This is an accident that nobody can be blamed for and one that will pull the cricketing community closer. Sixty-three not out—that is fantastic—and the retirement of his shirt are all great tributes to Phillip.

Of course there is Sean Abbott—a young man whose cricket was blossoming and for whom the tragedy is amplified over and over. One the one hand, he could have been hit for six but, on this occasion, the ball just bounced the wrong way. My thoughts are with Sean Abbott. I hope that he continues to strive in his cricketing career. I know that Phillip Hughes and the other members of the Australian team would want him to.

Phillip's colleagues in Australian cricket will be doing it tough today as will his parents and family. This is a time to remember his family, friends, the cricketing fraternity, and the community of Macksville and the Nambucca Valley.

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to lend my voice to the millions who have grieved since the tragic death of Phillip Hughes. We all feel the loss of a life cut short. There is no rationalising this event. This was a terrible accident. For this brilliant and talented young man to have been taken from his us in the midst of playing our national sport seems unimaginable.

Phil Hughes was born in Macksville New South Wales to Greg and Virginia. He grew up with a love of sport and excelled at a young age. His passion and skill led him, on the cusp of his 19th birthday, to become the youngest New South Wales debutant since Michael Clarke in 1999.

In 2008, Hughes was rewarded for his achievements by winning the New South Wales Rising Star Award. And following his wondrous debut to competitive cricket, Phil Hughes became only the 408th man to be given the honour of pulling on the baggy green cap and playing test cricket for his country. His achievements did not end there as he went on to become the youngest cricketer in history to score centuries in both innings of a test match.

I have been deeply moved to witness the national and indeed international response to this event. Sport has forever been our unifying factor, and this has been made evident in our reaction. Families have joined together to honour Phil by placing cricket bats outside their front doors and tributes have been left at local cricket clubs.

Today we as a nation will come together to support Phillip's family and community. We will take an hour from our day and celebrate Phillip's life.

Phil will be unquestionably remembered for his cricketing prowess and his love of the game, but the words of his teammates, friends and family over the past week have revealed a much admired and loved young man. Every image shown has seen him smiling. This is how we should remember him—for how he lived, loved and played.

Cricket is more than a sport. The term 'cricket' is the embodiment of fairness, sportsmanship, accepting the umpire's decision, the bravery to face a fast ball, and the bravery to choose to hook. What happened to Phil was not fair. Phil will remain in our hearts indelibly. Phillip will remain in the very soul of cricket as long as it is played.

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith, I wish to pay tribute to Phillip Hughes who passed away tragically on 27 November. The Australian summer is defined by three things: the beach, the barbecue and cricket. It is part of Australian culture. In summer, our kids' heroes are those who wear the baggy green. Phil Hughes was Australian hero No. 408. He was characteristic of a true Australian opening batsman—unassuming, small in stature but big in heart, with a fierce determination to score runs for his country. And score runs he did. In his second test, he scored a century, at the age of 20—115 against South Africa in Durban. In the second innings of that test, he scored 160 and became the youngest cricketer in history to score centuries in both innings of a test match. In 2013 he made a century on debut in his first one-day international game, against Sri Lanka. Like many of Australia's great batsmen, Hughes battled for his place in the Australian side. He was dropped four times, but he showed characteristic guts and determination to make his way back into the team. On 27 November this year, on 63, he was on his way to a century and what many believe would have been another test call-up.

Hughes was the quintessential Aussie cricketer. Born in Macksville on the North Coast of New South Wales, he was also a very good rugby league player and played beside none other than Greg Inglis. Greg Inglis last week, in The Courier-Mail, recalled the boy who would get up the noses of his opponents and mates when nobody could get him out in a cricket match. Greg Inglis said that Phil Hughes was always destined to play for Australia. He played A grade in the local competition at the age of 12. At 17 he came to Sydney and began grade cricket with the Western Suburbs club. In 2007 he was selected for the under-19 Australian World Cup squad. In 2007-08 he was selected to play for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. Like many Australian cricketers, he also did a stint in England, in county cricket, playing for Middlesex, Hampshire and Worcestershire. Towards the end of his career, he was paying Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia. Phil Hughes played 26 tests for Australia and scored 1,535 runs, with an average of 32.65.

The outpouring of grief and sorrow that we have seen throughout Australia, from not only his team mates, friends and family but also the Australian public, has been remarkable and is testament to the high regard in which he was held and his tenacity and spirit for the game of cricket. David Warner, a constituent of Kingsford Smith, was one of Phillip's greatest mates and sat beside Phil as he was taken from the SCG on a medicab and later to St Vincent's Hospital. His feelings are reflected in the sorrow that people in the community of Kingsford Smith are feeling at the moment.

Phil Hughes represents our love of cricket and our love of cricketers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his team mates, in particular Sean Abbott. On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith, I say to Sean Abbott: know that you are not at all at fault in respect of this tragic accident; know that you have the support and encouragement of the nation; and know that we hope that you play on in your cricketing career.

Finally I would like to pay tribute to the cricketing community in Kingsford Smith—to the players, the family and friends, the officials and the fans who have given touching tributes to Phil Hughes and his family. I am deeply proud to represent the sentiments of our community in this place.

In conclusion, I think Richie Benaud summed up perfectly the feelings of the nation when he said last week: 'A boy just beginning, 25 years of age, baggy green No. 408. His father's best mate. Son, brother, fighter, friend, inspiration. Phillip Hughes, forever rest in peace, son.' I offer my condolences to Phillip Hughes's family.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to support the Prime Minister's motion that the House records its regret for the tragic loss of Phillip Hughes, one of Australia's elite sportsmen and, in the words of Australia's national cricket captain, Michael Clarke, 'one of its great blokes'. On behalf of the electorate of Swan in Western Australia, where there are many cricket clubs—particularly South Perth Cricket Club, which is one of the biggest junior cricketing clubs in Australia—I express our deep sorrow that Australia has lost one of its cricket players, one of its cricket team, one of the nation's heroes who wore the baggy green with such pride. He could only inspire you as he plied his trade when he went out onto the grounds and played his heart out not only for himself but for his team mates and for his nation.

The day of 27 November 2014 will go down in history as a dark day for cricket and for sport, and for Australia. It is the day that our nation last an amazing talent; but, first and foremost, it is the day that Phillip Hughes's family lost a son and a brother, and his friends lost an irreplaceable mate. While Hughes's family and friends, his team mates and members of the community, both in Australia and internationally, mourn this tragic loss of life, we hope that some of this grief may be lifted by knowing that we lost this young man while he was playing the sport that he loved. We do not expect such tragedies to occur in sport, particularly not in a game that brings friends, communities and nations together, recognising players' hard work, their dedication and their ability to achieve what many of us can only dream about.

As I said, sport, particularly cricket, which is our national sport, has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life. In some of the citizenship ceremonies I go to where people becoming Australian citizens are from other cricketing nations, I always emphasise to them that the true test of their citizenship will be that they now support the Australian cricket team. It is a sport that people just love. You can talk about the statistics. You can look at all the different shots that go through. Unfortunately, most players, even after a test century, always remember the shot that gets them out, not the shots that got them their test century. There is so much variety and there are so many aspects to that sport that people can talk about for hours in the pub and enjoy it and relive those moments and look at the statistics and the history of that sport. It has such a great ability to bring people together in the community.

On the weekend, I joined some mates of mine to recognise the 30-year anniversary of the formation of the Subiaco Floreat Cricket Club. Since its inception, the club has lost three members: Ray Bully Smith, to cancer at an early age; Ian 'Jughead' Jones, to a heart attack last year; and Ken Screech, recently, to cancer as well. In each instance, when these members have passed away, the club has rallied, coming together to remember and celebrate their lives. On a much grander scale, across the nation, that is what we are seeing with the loss of Phil Hughes to our sport, our cricket team and our ability to cheer him on as he plied his trade, making runs for his beloved country.

The three members of the Floreat cricket club that I mentioned who have passed away will be remembered by the club in the same way that Phil Hughes will be remembered by our nation—but certainly not for their cricketing ability, as Phil Hughes will be remembered for his. They were in no way in the same class as Phil. They were prime examples, though, of mateship, fun and piss-taking that sport and particularly cricket instigates in our nation. Sport is known for its camaraderie. The mateship that we have all seen displayed by Hughes's teammates could only be described as uplifting, during such a time of tragedy. All Australian cricket players, both nationally and in state teams, have joined together to pay tribute to and to honour a man who left this world far too early. These tributes have also been reflected all over the world, including from our head of state, the Queen—which is a true testament to the life he led.

I take this time to commend Cricket Australia for their recognition that this is a tough time for their players, and for the immediate steps they took to ensure that all players had access to grief counselling. I would also commend their rescheduling of the test series, to give players the time they need to grieve. I commend Australia's cricket captain, Michael Clarke, for the leadership he has shown to players; for the support he has given to Hughes's family; and for the respect he conveyed to his teammate and—in his words—his brother, in his own personal tribute to Hughes on what would have been his 26th birthday, last Sunday. As Michael Clarke said, his cricketing achievements, of which there were many, really play second fiddle to the human qualities that he exhibited—loyal to a fault, eternally optimistic and kind-hearted, with a wicked sense of humour and a childlike verve for life. It is for these qualities that he will forever be remembered by his friends and family. But I am sure he would be happy to have his on-field achievements recognised too, and we have heard many of those from other members here today, including his three centuries, seven half-centuries, and his total of 1,535 test runs in 26 tests.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11 : 46 to 11 : 51

While I have made reference to the cricketing world, it is of course the Hughes family who have suffered the most since that fateful day on 25 November when Phillip was felled by a bouncer at the Sydney Cricket Ground. When a parent is forced to carry the burden of burying their child, it is as though the world has been turned upside down. Thankfully this remains the exception rather than the rule in our society, but for those who are struck by such tragedy life can never be the same. Time may help, but a parent can never truly heal from such a heartbreak. I take this moment to pay my respects to the Hughes family—Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan—whose world, within a few moments, collapsed around them. It is my hope that knowing every Australian is thinking of you brings you some comfort at this time.

Lastly I would also like to pay tribute to Sean Abbott. Although I, along with all of those members who have spoken before me, cannot begin to imagine what he is feeling, our thoughts are also with him. The death of Phillip Hughes was both a tragic and extraordinary circumstance which has shaken the sporting world. While we remember Hughes for his talent on the field, we also pay tribute to the man he was off the field. With his love of the game and quick wit echoed by each of his teammates over the past week, I am sure he will be looking down on his friends and family and forever making the claim that he is still not out—a sentiment that I am sure every Australian would be happy to applaud.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and other members in extending my condolences to Phillip Hughes's family. Last weekend was the annual parliamentary versus press gallery cricket match. Like cricket fixtures all around the country—including my grandson's under-9s game in Campbelltown—we started with a minute's silence, and everyone played with black armbands.

The tragic death of Phil Hughes has seen one of the greatest outpourings of grief. It is not just among those of us who are cricketing enthusiasts; it is throughout our nation. Indeed, we are seeing it across the globe. Phil Hughes died as result of a very freakish cricketing accident in a Sheffield Shield match last week, when he was struck on the neck from a bouncer delivered by a pace bowler. Cricket, like most sports at the elite level, certainly has a high degree of risk and implicit dangers. It is why we celebrate our champions who excel at that level of the game.

The fact is that, quite frankly, players are regularly injured as a result of being struck by the ball. Miraculously, only a handful of players and now one umpire have been killed by a cricket ball in the game's long history. Given the nature of this accident—and I note the comments of other members—we should not forget about the dreadful impact that this has had on the bowler, Sean Abbott, who, it must be stressed, has done nothing wrong. He bowled a bouncer at a well-positioned opening batsman, who was well set in his innings having already scored 63. It has been the practice throughout the game that fast bowlers try to disrupt a batsman's thoughts by forcing him to play a shot that he was not planning to make. We can only hope that, not before too long, Sean is able to recover his composure and take his place in the New South Wales squad and to hopefully continue on his quest to be included in the Australian team.

Phil Hughes is the first test player to suffer this fate, although there have been several near misses. In 1975, New Zealander's medium pacer Edwin Chatfield was struck in the temple, and his heart stopped. Fortunately, he recovered and went on to play another 42 tests. Phil Hughes, as everyone has already indicated, was a very talented sportsman right from childhood. He was a most talented batsman and set records right from the start. He made his debut as a test player at age 20. He was awarded the baggy green, No. 408, when Australia played against South Africa, in Durban, in 2009. He set a record on his debut, scoring centuries in both innings. That is a pretty significant achievement for a 20-year-old. As so often happens with cricket players and those of other sports, Phil showed himself in and out of form, but his more recent successes in first-class cricket, his batting in the Sheffield Shield side for South Australia, saw him widely spoken about to be recalled to the test team. He was clearly a very talented young sportsperson.

That Phil was taken out like that at age 25 is just beyond belief. As the former speaker, the member for Swan, indicated, it certainly goes against the grain from any parent's perspective to have to bury your child. That is not the way life in our society normally works, regardless of whether or not you are a sports hero. For a father, for a mother, it is almost beyond belief.

As everyone has already indicated, Phil Hughes was one of those really likeable larrikins. He was well admired amongst his team players and he did a lot of work in the community. When he was in the New South Wales squad, he used to spend a lot of time with schoolkids, helping to teach them the finer points of the game. He was one of those youngsters who knew that he was on the way up but who wanted to take a very clear role in giving back by encouraging others to follow him.

I would also like to mention the Australian captain, Michael Clarke. He has shown considerable maturity in the way in which he has conducted himself, not only in the way he has reflected the feelings of his team at this very sad time but also in the way he has channelled the grief of our nation. For me, Michael Clarke has shone like a beacon, with his long bedside vigil—he hardly left Phil Hughes's side for the two days that he was in hospital—and the dignity and the compassion that he displayed in delivering the final announcement of Phil Hughes's death.

For the Hughes family, I offer the condolences of my community. May Phil Hughes rest in peace.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wanted to make a short contribution to this debate. It has been a terribly sad week, since last Tuesday when we all saw the horrific incident which took Phillip Hughes's life. In saying 'the horrific incident', it was an incident which happens quite regularly on the cricket field. In fact, I got hit about five centimetres away from that same spot in my last game of district cricket, which broke my jaw. I think it brought home just how lucky we are—every day, in a lot of ways—and just how terribly unlucky Phillip Hughes was for that one spot in his head to have been hit and for it to have taken his life.

He was an outstanding cricketer who was progressing to become, I think, an even better cricketer. I think, probably because of the focus on AFL and the physical nature of AFL football, we look at people playing that game, and when they get to 25 or 26 they are getting to the mid-to-later part of their career. Cricketers, I think, often get a lot better as they get older. And I think with Phillip Hughes you were seeing a maturity develop with his batting and his cricket, which would have meant he would have contributed much more significantly in the future. In saying that, he was an outstanding junior cricketer. Anyone who plays under 19's for their country is an outstanding junior cricketer. He travelled from country New South Wales to the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney to pursue his dream. I went from Mildura to Adelaide to play cricket with Glenelg to pursue a dream; he was far better than I was. It is a trip that many young Australians take, particularly those from regional areas.

Cricket is a game which was invented in heaven and will be played in heaven even better now, with Phillip Hughes as part of the starting 11. His death, I think, has shown how important cricket is to our culture. The reaction in the last week, with a simple tweet from a man in Sydney about putting out your bats and the reaction that got, was quite extraordinary. It is a game that pretty much everyone in our country plays at some point in their life, whether it be seriously and to the level of wanting to play for Australia or whether it be on Christmas Day in a backyard. Pretty much everyone has picked up a cricket bat and played a version of the game. It touches our lives enormously.

I think what you saw last week, and what we will see today, is that sport is more than just a recreation. It is a community builder; it brings people together. We can all share in the grief because whether you knew him well, whether you were as close to him as Michael Clarke, or whether you were just an admirer or someone who knows about the importance of the game, it has brought everyone to this grief that we all share.

I share the sentiments of all the members who have talked about Sean Abbott. Of course, we feel for what that young man is going through as well, and we hope that he is able to find peace and recover.

Michael Clarke, I think, has shown absolutely outstanding leadership in the last week, not just with the bedside vigil that the member for Werriwa mentioned but with the statement he made on Saturday morning, which was one of the most brutal things I have ever seen on live television; it was horrific. That moment, I think, encapsulated the grief that we all share as a community, and he deserves as much credit as he is rightly getting.

It has been a very sad occasion. Cricket will go on and life will go on, but it will not be the same. We have lost a very bright young man—a very talented young man—and it is a reminder of just how precious life is. Rest in peace, Phillip Hughes.

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Phillip Hughes played 26 test matches, made 26 first-class centuries and died just days before his 26th birthday, following a freak accident while playing for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield game against New South Wales last week. Phillip Hughes's death was the result of terrible luck. The injury that he suffered was an incredibly rare one, with only a hundred cases having been identified in the medical literature and only one previously in a cricket match. Phillip Hughes is not the only one suffering from this bad luck. Sean Abbott, who bowled the bouncer that struck Hughes, was simply doing his job as a fast bowler, providing a gripping contest between the speed and aggression of bowler and the bravery and skill of batsman.

Luck, good or bad, plays a greater role in our lives than we would often like to admit. This is no less true of cricket, the game that is often claimed to be a metaphor for life. In their analysis of cricketer performances, economists Shekhar Aiyar and Rodney Ramcharan look at debuts. They look at players whose test debut was at home and those whose test debut was overseas. It is a stroke of luck where you debut, but they find that the challenges are quite different. So an Indian batsman who debuts at home expects the cracks that emerge on Indian pitches in the later days of a test match but might not be prepared for Australia's bouncier wickets. It turns out that, if you debut at home, you score a third more runs and, over your career, a fifth more runs.

So luck has affected every career of a test cricketer, and in some ways Phillip Hughes was lucky. He got a break at a young age and bucked the trend of players that struggle if they debut overseas, because he made his debut in a test series against South Africa, in Johannesburg in 2009. It was his second test match against South Africa, in Durban, for which he will be remembered. He scored 115 runs in the first innings and 160 in the second to clinch the three-match series for Australia. Phillip Hughes's centuries made him part of one of the most exclusive clubs in cricket history. In 137 years of cricket test history, only 63 players have scored centuries in both innings of a test match. His achievement was even more remarkable for the fact that Hughes was only 20 years old at the time, the youngest man to achieve the feat in cricket test history.

His career was not perfect; few are. His technique was unorthodox and he had been in and out of the Australian team. By the time of his death, he was fighting to regain a spot in our test team. But his performances were remarkable. He was one of only four Australians to have scored multiple centuries by their 21st birthday. The other three were Neil Harvey, Doug Walters and Don Bradman.

When young people die, we cannot help but think of the promise unfulfilled. This is the second condolence speech I have given this year in this place on a young man full of potential dying shy of his 26th birthday. Who knows what heights Phillip Hughes could have reached had his career not been cut tragically short—how many more runs to score, victories to savour and fans to delight?

For Phillip Hughes's family—his mother, Virginia, father, Greg, sister, Megan, and brother, Jason—it will not be his unfulfilled professional potential that they will miss but the presence of a cherished member of their family. There is no meaning to be found in death like this. It was a tragic accident. But we can take comfort from the way it has brought us together as a community—the heartfelt tributes by cricket and sporting fans across the world, including here in our cricketing community in Canberra, and the bats left out across Australia.

In the under-13 game on Saturday between Canberra Grammar and Daramalan College, Grammar batsmen Felix Ford and Oliver Phillips both retired on 63 not out—Phillip Hughes's final score. Felix's mum, Simonetta Astolfi, said: 'The players were talking about it a lot. The mood was pretty sombre. But by the end of the of the day, the kids were energised and playing for a purpose.' That ambivalence that she speaks about will be familiar to cricket fans around the country as we look forward to a summer of cricket forever tainted by the tragedy of Phillip Hughes's death. Cricket is a great Australian pastime and Phillip Hughes was a highly skilled, enthusiastic and joyful cricketer. We will fondly remember his triumphs and rue the innings he will never get to play. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a short contribution to this debate about the death of Phillip Hughes. I do so as a member of parliament representing my 100,000-odd constituents but also as a proud board member of the Western Australian Cricket Association and as a person who has had a lifelong love of the game, inherited from my grandfather and fostered obsessively by my mother. Last Friday after returning from Canberra, watching my wife digging through a grey nicks bag—for an old bat to place next to a tattered Greg Chappell wide brim hat at the front of our house in tribute to the loss of a fine young cricketer—was a deeply sombre experience.

Even when middle age reduces playing to the odd social game, the opening of a cricket bag on any other occasion is just a simple joy. The cricket bag is one of those needle-hooks of experience that drags the mind back to wonderful things. The smell of zinc stained whites, usually unwashed from the last rare match, ignites the summer corner of the brain. The mere sight of the strange artefacts in a cricket bag revives a collage of memories that are better than the best of dreams. The cricket bag is the treasure-trove of youth, of summer, of friends and of the pursuit of simple and beautiful things. Cricket is the greatest game on earth. Everything good about sport and life is to be found somewhere inside cricket. So the opening of a cricket bag in mourning, rather than joy, was something that hundreds of thousands of Australians would have done for the first time in their lives last week. Opening a cricket bag in sadness rather than joy is something that none of us would ever have thought we would do.

Phil Hughes, by every single account, was just one of those guys, one of the few who embody all the best things about the pursuit of a great game at the very heart of Australian life. Cricket is not a skill that just happens; it is a craft that only a handful of completely brilliant people can master over decades. Even then it is only mastered if they are willing to offer the sport itself their complete and utter dedication. Sometimes the sporting personalities who can combine natural talent with the single-mindedness the game requires can be as difficult as they are admirable, but the picture that emerges of Phil Hughes is very clear and very simple—that he was one of those diamonds of the game, a combination of amazing athletic skill and personal discipline wedded together to produce a rare optimism and a redoubtable person.

In losing someone like this, Australia is confronting one of those singular events that forces us to withdraw briefly from the busy swim of our lives and sit just for a while on the bank. I recall the biography of the greatest ever Scottish sportsman, the heroic Eric Liddell. In that biography, the author in the preface felt compelled to make the point that, after the endless interviews and research for the biography, they were astounded by the simple fact that not a single person in the hundreds that they had interviewed had a single bad thing to say about the great runner. The same can clearly be said of Phillip Hughes.

To be so good at something so great, to have so loved his cricket, and at the same time to be the best of teammates, of friends and of people, is the rarest of things. To lose the best of us doing something we all love as much as he did is why our mourning is so profound. To Phillip's family, I extend today every conceivable sympathy.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness that I rise to speak in this condolence debate and add my words to the other members of parliament who have spoken so eloquently.

In the week that Phillip Hughes, tragically, passed away there were many other tragedies around the country. We had the death of truck drivers, we had youth suicides, we had deaths by industrial accident, we had fatal car crashes and we had people die unexpectedly of heart attacks and strokes. All and each of those were a tragedy in their own right and a tragedy for their family, friends and loved ones. But the death of Phillip Hughes has struck a chord in the nation that I do not think I have ever seen before. We have seen such an outpouring of grief.

The PutOutYourBats campaign saw perhaps 100,000 Australians around the country actually putting a cricket bat out at the front of their house. We saw a cricket bat stuck up outside Kirribilli House. On Sunday night when I came into parliament to drop my things off, the member for Barker, whose office is a few doors up from mine, had his bat there. I brought my own in and, with the member for Barker, we put those bats down in front of the House of Representatives chamber as a small tribute.

I ask the question: why has there been such an outpouring of grief over Phillip Hughes' deaths? I think there are a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is because of what cricket actually means to our nation. There is something about the game of cricket that gets into our blood as Australians and as young people. Maybe it is the nobility of the game, but there is something special that the game has. It is something that we can talk about amongst friends and colleagues. And, of course, there is the traditional Christmas Day-Boxing Day test match. There is just something about the game that is unique to Australia.

Secondly, I think the reason it struck so many people is that we were all once Phillip Hughes. We were all once those kids from the country or kids from suburban parts of our cities playing backyard cricket with dreams of one day wearing the baggy green and trying to replicate our idols. When we will bowling, we were Dennis Lillee; when we were batting, we were Ian Chappell. We were all once those kids play in our backyards. We all played backyard cricket, where we developed the rules to our backyard game like English law—in the way that the English common law has been developed, we debated what constitutes a four, what was a six or, if you hit a particular house, how much that was.

As we read through the tributes to Phillip Hughes this is exactly what he did with his family. In fact, his history said that Phillip Hughes was known for his strength through the offside through those slashing square cuts and those slashing cover drives. It said that those actually came about because where he played in his family home on the leg side is actually because of where his family home was. He was frightened to hit a shot to the leg side too hard as it would hit his mother's kitchen window and perhaps he would be in trouble—and so therefore he became an offside player!

Perhaps the other reason that this has caused such an outpouring of grief is because of what Phillip Hughes actually achieved in his too-short career. I will just go through some of the records. At age 17, while still in high school, he made a century on debut in Sydney grade cricket. At age 18 he became one of the youngest players ever to debut for New South Wales. In that year he averaged 62 and he became the youngest player ever to score a century in a Sheffield Shield final. At the age of 20 he was selected to open the batting for Australia against South Africa. We can all remember that most ugly four-ball test duck that he faced when he was taking on the might of the South African pace attack of Dale Steyn and Morkel at the time. But in his second test he became the youngest cricketer ever to score a century in both innings. He was the first Australian batsmen to score a one-day century on debut and was the first Australian batsman to score 202 in a recent one-day match up in Darwin.

It is well known that many Australian batsmen have all sorts of trouble playing in English conditions. Phillip Hughes first went to England to play for Middlesex and he scored three centuries in his first three innings.

But perhaps his greatest performance was his Sheffield Shield game playing for New South Wales against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. Often the true indication of a genius or someone with great skills is how they perform compared to everyone else. For many years a record was held by Don Bradman from the 1939-1940 season when he scored the greatest percentage of runs in a Sheffield Shield game. Phillip Hughes broke that record in the 2008-2009 season when in one match he scored 58 per cent of New South Wales runs. If you have a look through the scorecard, it is truly amazing to see how talented he was. On a green wicket at Bellerive Oval down in Hobart, New South Wales batted first and scored 172. Phil Hughes scored 93 of those 172 runs. At the end of the day's play, after Tasmania had gone into bat, 17 wickets had fallen with an hour to go; Tasmania was seven for 41. So 17 wickets had fallen for only 213 runs, and Phillip Hughes had scored 93 of those runs. That in itself would be a truly remarkable effort, but, after Tasmania were finally rolled for 127, in the second innings Phil Hughes repeated the same thing. Out of a total of 173 for New South Wales, Phillip Hughes scored 108 runs. That performance was the highest percentage of runs ever scored by an Australian batsman in a Sheffield Shield game.

The other reason there has been such an outpouring of grief is for what Phillip Hughes could have achieved. He died, was taken away from us all, at the age of just 25. If you look at some of our greatest test players, many of them did not achieve their best efforts until they were 26, 27, 28 or into their early 30s. Look at a player like Adam Gilchrist, who did not get selected for Australia until he was almost 27 years of age. But I think there has been such an outpouring because Phillip Hughes's death reminds us of the fragility of life—that, for any of us, our lives can be taken away in a split second. Rather than going along with the sometimes petty gossiping and bickering, and worrying about petty issues, we should live life as Phillip Hughes batted and seize the day: make every day count.

Cricket is a game of numbers and statistics. Every child knows that Don Bradman's average was 99.94. I think for many years or forever, as long as cricket is played, the number 63 will be remembered as the score that Phillip Hughes was not out on. Finally I would like to add a message to Sean Abbott. Mate, the best thing that Phillip Hughes would want you to do is to charge in off your long run, bend your back and dig the ball in. Vale, Phillip Hughes.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in this debate about Phillip Hughes and commend the remarks of the member for Hughes, which I have just listened to. His words speak to many of the feelings that I have about this event, which has, as the member for Hughes said, unleashed an extraordinary outpouring of emotion across the country—which is genuinely remarkable and which has grown since the moment we heard this terrible news. It is emotion which has poured out not just across the country but around the cricketing world.

It does beg the question: what is it about? Over and above the obvious tragedy of what we have seen, this has touched a chord in the life of Australia. It is worth thinking about why this has become such a profound moment. Part of it obviously has to do with the sudden, inexplicable tragedy of a moment in time which utterly changes our world and brings somebody's life to an immediate end.

It is the idea that, just two weeks ago, Phillip Hughes walked on this earth and was breathing and living in precisely the kind of normal, day-to-day way that each of us here is. And now we are speaking in this debate in this parliament today. It is unimaginable. With that moment of shock, so many lives around Phillip Hughes's life are changed in a way which will be permanent. There is something appalling about the fragility of life that that moment demonstrates. Of course, that moment in different ways is played out, sadly, almost every day within our community, but this was a very visible moment that we all got to see.

Part of it, then, is that this has happened not to just anybody but to a really famous, highly skilled person—one of the 20 or 30 best cricketers on the planet, a person whose fortunes we have followed over the last few years. Sometimes I think we have a sense that those in the public eye are immune from the fragilities of daily life, but this tragedy is a reminder that they are not and that a person of his skill, of his standing, of his extraordinary flair and of his individuality and the way that he was able to bring that to his sport can be the subject of such a random, sad and devastating event.

Part of it also, I think, is this idea of distilled talent unrealised. Phillip Hughes really was at the beginning of his career; the best of it was yet to come. He was 25 and, as the member for Hughes said, in cricketing terms his best years were ahead of him. Indeed, many players do not make a debut in test cricket until after that age. It has surprised all of us who are cricket fans, in a way, that Phillip Hughes was still so young, because he burst onto the scene playing his first test for Australia as a 19-year-old and he was genuinely a prodigy. He had talent in bundles in a way which is hard to imagine. The idea that we will not get to see that played out in all its glory seems profoundly sad. We have been deprived of so much joy that we were all awaiting. As a sports fan across a number of sports but particularly with a love of cricket, there is an excitement about watching a career begin and explode, and there is a certain anticipation of what is going to occur. Of course, all of that has been denied.

There are parallels to Archie Jackson, who played eight tests for Australia in the twenties and thirties. He was a contemporary of Bradman's. He was also from New South Wales and, at the age of 19, he debuted for Australia, making 164 in his first test match. At the time, he was the youngest person ever to score a test century. When he and Bradman went to England on the 1930 tour, it was regarded, actually, that Archie Jackson might have been the better of the two players, though that may not have played out, given the extraordinary nature of Bradman. Archie Jackson contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 23, having only played eight test matches. When you read the histories of that Bradman era and the histories of cricket through the thirties—it was an important game, almost more important then in our nation's psyche than it is now—you really get the sense that something was tragically lost in the inability for us to see the full glory of Archie Jackson's career. So it is with Phillip Hughes. The circumstances of his death were obviously different, but the idea that we will not get to see his full development is absolutely the same.

Part of it is Australia's love of cricket. This is a fantastic game, a game that is full of stats and full of different stories. It is a game that is absolutely about exquisite skill and ability but has an enormous mental element to it. We see people without ability who make it and people with ability who do not. Grittiness plays a part in it as well. It has been utterly central to our nation's history. When Bradman was carving the English to bits during the 1930s, there was a sense in which that, as much as anything, was Australia striking out with its independence from another country. It was a time when Australia's status as an independent nation was ambiguous. Some have described it as almost akin, in a way, to our war of independence, as Bradman took apart the English. When the Prime Minister of India was here recently, there was a quote about the first Prime Minister of India, Nehru, and about the way in which Bradman dealt with the English at that time. It was more than cricket. It was absolutely about the beginning of the identity of our country and, to this day, Bradman is probably the single most unifying person in our nation's history—and he is a cricketer.

This is a sport which is deeply imbued in our psyche, as it is in the psyche of so many around the world, but this is, deeply, an Australian game. I was looking at quotes about cricket and, back in the 70s, John Arlott and Freddie Trueman made this remark: that most games are skin-deep, but cricket goes to the bone. I think that is absolutely the way we as Australians regard this game. That this game can have thrown up such a tragedy as the one we witnessed last week with Phillip Hughes is also, I think, part of why there is this outpouring of emotion—part of why so many of us who love cricket feel compelled at the moment to have a bat outside our door.

But ultimately, this is actually more than cricket. Michael Clarke's testimony about Phillip Hughes made the point that Phillip Hughes's cricketing ability was secondary to who he was as person. When you read what those who knew him have written about Phillip Hughes, you get the sense that he was first and foremost a person of enormous humility. When somebody has been given a great gift—an enormous gift—and can deal with it in a humble way, there is something really special about that. There is something that attracts all of us to it. So often, we see that with great gifts comes a difficulty in handling them, and sometimes a conceit—but none of that appears to have been a feature at all of Phillip Hughes; indeed, the defining characteristic that you hear spoken about him was his humility—this humble kid from country New South Wales, bequeathed with an extraordinary gift. I think that that is actually why there is such an outpouring of grief: because it feels profoundly unfair that this person—of all people—who dealt with his gift in such a graceful and humble way, should have been deprived of it, along with his life, in this way.

I too would like to finish with a thought for Sean Abbott. I cannot imagine what Sean Abbott is thinking about. This is deeply unfair to him. He did not do anything wrong. There was not even a sense of negligence. It was just a random event. And I really hope that he is able to return to the game that he loves, and that he is able to continue it in the future. Vale, Phillip Hughes.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak in this important debate on the death of Phillip Hughes. From Marrickville to Mumbai, from Lords to the Sydney Cricket Ground, people all over the world have paid tribute to Phillip Hughes since his tragic passing. The pain of losing a son, a brother, a friend, and a talented cricket player has touched more than just cricket fans; it has reached across Australia and across the world. In winter, we are divided as a nation by four football codes. In summer, we are united by our love of one truly national game—and that is cricket. It is the backdrop to our childhood summers: the sound of backyard cricket, the test on the TV over Boxing Day, the scents of barbecues—it is quintessentially about who we are and how we have grown up. So Phillip Hughes is one of us but he is also about all of us.

Prime Minister may be the highest office in the land but no status is more revered than to be chosen to play test cricket for Australia. To be given that honour and then to fight repeatedly to win it back says something about the character of Hughes, and the way he went about that earned him the love and the respect of all who follow our game. His passing has prompted an unprecedented outpouring of grief and extraordinary tributes. Bats at a gentle lean in the shade of verandas around the nation, from humble backyards to the gates of Kirribilli House, and here in the corridors of Parliament House and even at Lord's is a simple but magnificent way for all of us to share in the grief caused by the loss of a young man who played the game his own way.

At cricket grounds around the nation, 63-second silences were held in honour of Hughes' final score, and players retired their bat at 63. In my own electorate there was a magnificent gesture from the captain of the Haddon Cricket Club, Shaun Macarthur. With a score of 408 at the end of the 63rd over against VRI Delacombe, Shaun declared their innings closed, ensuring the scoreboard became a memorial to Phillip Hughes, with his baggy green No. 408 united with that final innings of 63. Despite Haddon's all-time batting record being within reach, Shaun chose to walk from the pitch to remember Hughes. It was a fine gesture and one that many across the nation have replicated with '63 not out' becoming a catchcry for many young cricketers. I want to thank Shaun and the many clubs in my own community and across the nation for providing such fine tributes to such a fine young man.

As with other contributors, I too want to finish my remarks by saying that our hearts go out Sean Abbott—a young man who I hope very much feels and understands the love and support that is coming not just from this parliament but from the entire Australian community. We are proud of this young man. We think that he has suffered an unimaginable experience that will obviously be with him for his whole life. All of us send him our support and our care and wish him all the best over this summer of cricket.

Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to associate myself with the Prime Minister's condolence remarks on the tragic loss of Phillip Hughes. Today as we mourn the loss of one of Australia's finest sporting talents, we also pay tribute to his life. Phillip Hughes was a humble and decent man from Macksville in northern New South Wales. He was raised on his parents' banana farm and always stayed true to his country roots. From a very young age it was clearly apparent that Phillip had a prodigious talent for cricket. At nine years old, he was playing representative cricket for the north coast and by 12 was already playing A-grade cricket.

Phillip's dream of playing cricket for a living did not come without its sacrifices. At 17, he left his family and friends in northern New South Wales and moved to Sydney to play professionally. However, Phillip did not have to wait long to get his chance to play for his new team. On 20 November 2007, at 18, he made his first-class debut with the Blues against Tasmania at the SCG, becoming the state's youngest debutant since Michael Clarke. Three months later in February 2008, Phillip went on to become the youngest player ever to score a century in a Sheffield Shield final, subsequently winning the New South Wales Rising Star Award. The following year, in 2009, while on his debut tour with the Australian Cricket Team in South Africa, Phillip scored back-to-back centuries against the Proteas in Durban. Phillip was 20 years old, the youngest ever player in test cricket to score two centuries. This historic achievement helped Australia to a surprise series victory and, in doing so, the boy from Macksville had grabbed the world's attention. Unfortunately, Phillip was bowled out by England in 2010-11 Ashes, for which he lost his place in the national side. In the ensuing years, he was constantly in and out of the test team but he refused to give up, proving that he had both the patience and the mental fortitude to play at the highest level. Phillip bided his time, listened to advice and worked hard on aspects of his game that needed improvement. Yet, last week, just as selectors looked set to finally give Phillip another call-up for his country, his life was cut tragically short in a freak accident at the SCG.

As we struggle to come to terms with this terrible loss, I am reminded of the Prime Minister's comments that this was a young man living out his dream. He was doing what he loved until his final breath, and for that we should be truly grateful. The energy and spirit he showed both on and off the field throughout his life should be an example to us all. At just 25, Phillip had already set the cricketing world alight with his precious and daring talent. Everyone who knew him speaks of a man who would go out of his way to help others and who always had a positive attitude no matter what was a thrown at him, and he never gave up on his dream. Phillip Hughes is a lesson to us all.

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincerest condolences to Phillip's friends and family as they pay their final respects today. The Macarthur cricket community, along with the rest of the country, mourn your loss. You remain in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. I would also like to say to Sean Abbott that each and every one of us pray that you do not in any way hold yourself responsible for what happened last week. I look forward to seeing you back on the field, as Phillip would have wished. Phillip Hughes, you will always remain 63 not out. You will be sadly missed but forever remembered. May you rest in peace.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of my constituents to express our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Phillip Hughes, following his passing last Thursday after the awful accident at the SCG on Tuesday. It is an understatement to say the death of Phillip Hughes has affected many millions of Australians very deeply. We have been sincerely shocked that a young man in his prime could die as a result of playing the gentlemen's sport of cricket, a game that is integral to our national sporting culture. We shook our heads at the unexpected and freak nature of this accident. We felt for Phillip's family. We sympathised with his friends and colleagues. We scoured the press for those two days, looking for a glimmer of hope that there would be some good news. And we were so saddened by this tragedy and its impact on everyone.

Last Saturday, at cricket ovals all over the nation, tributes were paid, minutes of silence were held and remembrance was given for a wonderful sportsman. Others have reflected on his prowess at the game he loved, and his name and scores will be etched in the history books forever. Quite rightly, we have celebrated the skills that enabled him to play at elite level and represent our nation internationally. But what has really struck me, and I think has heightened our national grief, is that Phillip Hughes was not just a great sportsman. As his friends have each attested, he was genuinely a decent human being who set an example for others in the way he lived his life. If there can be any consolation for his family and his friends, it is this. Phillip's life will have an impact for generations to come. The ripple effect will be hard to qualify, but it will enrich our nation for so many years.

It can sometimes feel like there is a lack of genuine role models for our young people, but I know there are many young people—boys and young men, in particular—all around this country who have vowed to honour Phillip Hughes in deed and action. I know there are parents all around this nation who have had discussions with their children about life and the importance of the values that Phillip Hughes embodied. They have told tearful children, as they have tucked them up at night, that the best way to honour someone is to live your life in the best way possible.

As a mother of three girls, I admit I perhaps do not have a personal knowledge of how much cricket can mean to boys and young men. However, one of my staff has an 11-year-old son who plays for his local club and she assures me that the passion and fervour her son reserves for cricket are very special. I am sure there are many mums of boys around our country who know exactly what I am talking about.

Sport has an enormous role in teaching our young people values like responsibility, determination, teamwork, striving to do better, mateship and, importantly, how to deal with loss. Most of the time, it is dealing with the loss of a game. For the cricketing world last week, it was dealing with the loss of a young man who was a friend to all who knew him and a role model for many others. While it has been a difficult time for many people, including many who did not know Phillip personally but have been touched by this random accident, it is also a reminder to every one of us to be a little kinder, to hold those we love a little closer and to remember that every minute we have on this earth is precious.

I sincerely hope that the outpouring of emotion provides some consolation to the Hughes family. I hope they hold to the thought that this tragic accident has touched the hearts of many and will act as a catalyst to remind them of what is important in life and how they should conduct themselves. There are undoubtedly many who, until last week, have only admired Phillip's cricketing prowess and now, having read a little more about the type of man he was and the way he treated others, will seek to emulate the person he was, not just the skills he possessed. I sincerely hope the knowledge of this aspect of Phillip's legacy provides his parents, Greg and Virginia; his sister, Megan; and his brother, Jason, with a degree of solace at this incredibly difficult time.

Australia is richer for the life of Phillip Hughes. On behalf of the people of McPherson, I extend my condolences to his family and friends.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to join with Australians from all walks of life in recording my sadness and also, I think, to speak for the whole of the Flinders electorate at their sadness at the loss of a beautiful young man, a wonderful young life.

I remember watching Phillip Hughes's maiden test century. I was actually in Western Australia at the time. I was at home of Peter van Onselen, and we were meeting for the first time. We were talking about life and we had the cricket on in the background. We stopped and we watched this amazing left-handed genius, in his second test, approach the century and achieve it in the most glorious of fashions. Both of us thought here was somebody who was the one to continue in the tradition of Greg Chappell, passed on to Allan Border, passed down the line to Steve Waugh and then to Ricky Ponting and to Michael Clarke.

All the omens were that this young man—who, at age 20, then went on to achieve the extraordinary outcome of being the youngest person ever to have compiled two centuries in the same test match—had a glorious career ahead of him. I subsequently made the statement publicly that I thought that he would play 100 tests. Far more importantly than my view, the Australian captain, Michael Clarke, has said over recent days that he believes this young man, who was almost 26 at the time of his passing, had his best years ahead of him. He had already made some extraordinary achievements.

But I think the reason that the loss of Phillip Hughes has gripped Australia so much is that, firstly, it was so public—on the pitch, in front of four current test players—with not a ripple but a tidal wave through the entire Australian team and cricketing community. Secondly, it was clear that his best years were ahead of him, despite what he had already achieved, and that he was right on the edge of potentially returning as the No. 3 batsman within the Australian cricket team. Indeed, if this innings had progressed from 63 not out to a century, I would say he was odds-on. Having said that, there is this grieving at the sense of loss. Thirdly, what has emerged is that the person behind the impish grin and the cheeky smile was one of the most fundamentally decent nationally ranked sportspeople of recent decades. There was a sense of being unaffected by the international stage and a sense of the love of the bush from which he came with his family—with Greg and Virginia, his parents, and Megan and Jason, his sister and brother respectively.

The fact that we have the classic Australian story of bush to the bright lights, but without affectation—without a loss of the sheer joy of the game, the love of the bush and the intense love of family and friends—is the most extraordinary testament to Phillip Hughes's family, his teammates and his own character. These things together—the public nature of the demise, the sense of loss for what could have been and, above all else, the respect for somebody who was just a decent human being of the highest order—seem to have captured the nation, and, I think, rightly so. Every now and then, there is a moment where tragedy strikes and it represents a collective reckoning.

This is a great game. I have lived and breathed cricket myself since I was a very young boy. My first real memory of the game is of watching Doug Walters reach his century in Perth with a six—a great reminiscence of that. In the same way, it was reflected with Phil Hughes achieving his first test century. Throughout that time it has been the national sport, but this is the most high profile and profoundly moving death of a leading Australian cricketer since Archie Jackson, back in 1930.

I would simply say this: we are deeply saddened. I think the 'put out the bat' spontaneous movement has been a very uplifting element of Australia responding to this sadness, saying, 'We just think this is a tragedy.' I have seen houses and I have seen shops and I have seen the front doors of parliament with bats and a hat out the front. That is the best of Australia coming to recognise the best of a young man.

Nothing, for Philip Hughes's family, will replace this young man, but I am certain that, as they have generously said, young Australian cricketers should feel blessed to bat on, to bowl on, to field on, to be part of the game, because it is as clear as night follows day that such an unaffected young man would not want his tragedy to impair people's love for the game. But, at the same time, I feel that this tragedy will also be remembered and will put the game in perspective, in that, at the end of the day, it is humanity and people and mateship and family which matter more than anything else. For that, I say that he should be congratulated on a life well lived. His memory should be honoured, and his family should be comforted.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable Minister for the Environment for his condolence speech. Before calling the next member, I just point out to the chamber, in relation to members' times, that we will be adjourning close to one o'clock.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Vale Phillip Hughes on behalf of the people in the Riverina, not just the cricketing community but all people in the Riverina who have shared the emotional roller-coaster that this nation has been plunged onto in recent days with the tragic death of a great young Australian. As the member for Wannon said, he was a great young country Australian.

The Phillip Hughes story was quintessentially Australian. He was a boy from Macksville who made good but who never forgot his roots, who never forgot where he came from and who never forgot his origins. When he was playing test cricket and one-day cricket for Australia he yearned so often to be back on his father's banana farm or chasing the cattle around and doing all those things that country boys love to do. He is sadly missed by all, not just those who follow sport and who follow cricket. As I say, this has put the country into a state of mourning like we have not seen previously with the death of a sportsman. Paul Taylor's wonderful 'put out your bats' social media campaign has captivated not just people in Australia but people right across the world.

We all love our sport but we should not forget that sport is dangerous. Whilst we mourn the death of Phillip Hughes at the all-too-young age of 25, we should not forget the four female jockeys—Simone Montgomerie, 26; Desiree Gill, 45; Carly-Mae Pye, 26; and Caitlin Forrest, just 19—and the female hockey player, Lizzie Watkins, 24, who have all died since 2012, playing sport. Whilst they all loved doing so, it does bring home the fragility of life. Sport does unite us in a way that nothing else can, and certainly I have seen some wonderful contributions to that effect from this parliament, generally a divided parliament. Indeed, we are all united on this occasion, as we should be.

It has been a time of sadness in the Riverina. Yesterday I attended the funeral of Mark Andrew Cornell, a great mate of mine, a good cricketer, who passed away on 26 November from pancreatic cancer. He fought the good fight against the illness for nine years. His sister-in-law, Colleen Breust, said that one of his great loves, as well as playing Australian Rules for Ungarie, was playing cricket, and his fondest moment was when he and his two brothers-in-law, Chris and Pete, played with him against West Wyalong: they won the grand final as underdogs, in the final overs. The loss of Phil Hughes was not forgotten by those at the funeral yesterday in Wagga Wagga as we celebrated the life of Mark, gone all too soon.

We mourn Phillip Hughes; we mourn the four female jockeys and the hockey player I mentioned earlier; and we mourn Mark Cornell, all of whom are gone way before their time. But they leave an indelible mark on us all. I finish with a statement by Sachin Tendulkar, who said, long before Phillip Hughes died:

I feel when somebody has been playing cricket for a long time, he creates a separate identity for himself.

While Phillip Hughes did not play cricket for a long time, he scored a century, as the member for Wannon pointed out, in just his second test, just like Sir Donald Bradman, and then backed it up with another one in the next innings—the very youngest batsman to ever do that in test cricket history. Phil Hughes did not play cricket for a long time; it was all too short. But he certainly created a separate identity for himself, not just because he has died but because of what he gave to the game and the legacy that he leaves behind.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 13:0 3