Daily London
After 12 years in politics and countless media interviews, today marked Chris Picton’s toughest exchange.
The South Australian health minister spoke publicly for the first time since his brother Tim Picton died from an alleged one-punch attack in Perth last month.
“Beyond angry as to what’s happened,” Chris said of the incident.
“The shock that we had on that Saturday morning, getting that phone call, still haunts me and my family to this day.”
Tim, 36, died in hospital after a three-week-long coma following the incident.
“It was unlikely that Tim was going to come back, but we were still obviously all hoping for a miracle,” Chris said.
The 20-year-old charged over the incident has been granted bail, angering the MP.
“I cannot believe that that happened and I think that was a very significant mistake,” Chris said.
Tim, who made a name for himself in Labor’s ranks as a talented political strategist, had a bright future ahead.
“The prime minister said he very easily, at the very least, could have been on the frontbench of federal parliament, and I strongly believe that,” Chris said.
He is survived by his wife Priya and their four-year-old daughter Charlotte.
At a memorial for Tim last week, guests were asked to write their memories of Tim for Charlotte to read when she’s older.
“There’s a hole in our family that is never, ever going to be filled,” Chris said.
As for Chris, he tells 9News that despite the heartache, he’s committed to returning to state parliament should he be re-elected in March and wants to continue serving in the ministry.
“Going through some difficult personal experiences hopefully can make you a better representative, a better leader,” Chris said.
“This is not the sort of thing that you get over, it’s the sort of thing that eventually you learn to live with.”
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
