Last night my Chief of Staff for the last 10 years, Phil Gaetjens, was seriously injured as a pedestrian in a car accident near Parliament House around 7.00pm. He sustained serious injuries including a fractured skull and broken ribs. Thankfully he has stabilised while in intensive care in Canberra Hospital overnight.
My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family who are by his side at this time.
I would ask all members of the media to respect their privacy during this difficult period.