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

On Sunday, 7 June, a good friend of mine, Ben Pistola—better known as 'Pistol'—died at the age of 36. Ben was an exceptional golfer, with a handicap as low as one. He won many events as a junior, played golf for his state and won a club championship at his beloved Grange Golf Club. He was a member of the successful Grange Simpson Cup teams in 1999 and 2000, in his early 20s.

Ben was always young at heart, a kind soul and a fierce competitor who never gave up. He operated very much by Arnold Palmer's rule that the harder he worked the luckier he got. Even a social round of golf would nearly always result in a significant side bet and always a light-hearted sledging of the failings of his opponent's game, which in my case are many. It was appropriate he finished his final round with a birdie on his final hole, the day before his death.

Of course, like many of us, Ben enjoyed the social side of the game as much as if not more than the game itself. He enjoyed a beer, a joke and the companionship of his mates. I will always enjoy the memories of nights following golf at the club or back at the Mile End bachelor pad, where Ben was our unofficial fourth flatmate, or even the occasional Adelaide nightspot—in particular, the Havelock hotel.

Ben had been battling his demons in recent months and sadly this was a battle he could not win. It is a battle lost by too many in our society, particularly young men. It is a battle that our society struggles to grapple with, costing too many good people in the prime of their lives. A sad reality of this place is that you often do not have time to keep well connected with old friends, and in this respect I will forever regret not doing so with Pistol.

On Wednesday, old friends will gather at Grange Golf Club to farewell Pistol. They will grieve with his family and spend time remembering a good man with a big heart who has gone too soon. I am very sorry that I will not be there to celebrate his life. I am also very sorry I will not be able to be there to support his great mate, John Meijer, who must be enduring the most difficult pain. Rest in peace, Pistol. You will always be with us.