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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-14 Daily Xml
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Paddy's Law

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:31): In February of this year Paddy Ryan, aged 16, died of heart failure minutes after inhaling gas from a barbeque gas cylinder at a house party in his home town of Port Lincoln. Paddy was a good kid who made a stupid mistake. Since then his dad Adrian and his family have been moving heaven and earth to bring about changes, very simple changes, to save other victims and spare other families the same unspeakable pain and loss they have had to live with every day.

I was with Adrian, Paddy's dad, today at a press conference when he said that every day he wakes with the thought of what happened to his son; every night he goes to bed with the thought of what happened to his son. Every minute of every day he has to live with the silly mistake his son made that ultimately cost him his life. Adrian has been an absolute champion in terms of trying to bring about change. It is no wonder then that earlier today he was left absolutely gobsmacked, in fact in tears—a grown man left in tears—when he witnessed the behaviour of members of this parliament in the other place.

The other place had been on notice for weeks. The other place had been on notice for months that this debate was due to occur today. Instead of allowing that debate to take place, and with absolutely zero notice, they chose instead to gag the debate at the 11th hour. They chose instead to ensure that something that could potentially save the life of another young person like Paddy Ryan did not see the light of day in this place today. That is what the Liberal government did today. That is exactly what the Liberal government did today.

They went into that other chamber and they used their numbers to gag a debate on a bill that potentially could save another victim like Paddy Ryan. That is precisely what they did today, and they did so with no justification and no explanation. They did not face that family and explain to them why they did what they did today. They had all the time in the world, up until today, to contact that family and say that this is what they would be doing, but instead they gave assurances, instead they made it quite clear that today the debate would go ahead as normal.

The family travelled for four hours from Port Lincoln to be here today, other family members travelled from elsewhere in South Australia to be here today, to see what they thought would be a momentous occasion in honour of their son who died earlier this year. Instead, they got a slap in the face like they have never received before. Instead, they got to see the very worst of this parliament in full swing. They sat in the members' lounge of the other place and they watched the debate be gagged for no apparent reason.

If the government was genuine and they did not believe in the merits of this bill, then the very least they could have done for Paddy and Adrian and their family is allow that debate to take place today and provide their justifications for not supporting it on the record. But they did not do that because there is absolutely no justification for what they did today and they should all, absolutely all, hang their heads in shame.

I will not tolerate any member of this place smirking at me for the comments I am making today and placing such little value on the life of a young man who made a very innocent mistake which cost him his life. You may not agree with the merits of this bill but the very least you could do, as members of this place, is allow debates to take place. That is what you are paid for. That is what you are here for. By God, I promise you all that I will continue to raise this issue until you do just that.

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