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After more than a decade in the political arena and numerous interviews with the press, today presented Chris Picton with his most daunting conversation yet.
The South Australian health minister addressed the public for the first time regarding the tragic death of his brother, Tim Picton, who fell victim to an alleged one-punch assault in Perth last month.
“I am beyond angry about what has happened,” Chris expressed about the heartbreaking event.
“The shock we experienced on that Saturday morning when we received the call still haunts my family and me,” he continued.
Tim, only 36 years old, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after spending three weeks in a coma following the assault.
“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.”
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