Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share 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.

See this speech in context