Prisons minister survives by a vote

CORRECTIVE Services Minister Mark Ryan narrowly survived a no- confidence motion last night, after the Opposition targeted him over his dealings with the Pullen family.

Mr Ryan survived by just one vote, with Speaker Peter Wellington using his casting vote to back the Government.

Labor and the two Katter’s Australian Party MPs voted against the motion, while the LNP, One Nation, and independents Rob Pyne and Billy Gordon voted for it.

Mr Ryan stood next to Leanne and Gary Pullen – whose son Tim was killed in 2012 but the body has never been found – at a press conference to celebrate the passage of the Government’s No Body No Parole legislation earlier this month.

However, Mr Ryan was aware that one of Tim’s killers – Benjamin Oakley – had been granted parole days before the legislation was passed, but claims he could not tell the family because of confidentiality provisions. Oakley will be paroled in November.

Shadow corrective services minister Tim Mander moved the motion and said Mr Ryan had “shown a complete lack of moral leadership” in his dealings with the family.

“While the Minister may have been bound by confidentiality, if he had just an ounce of decency, he would not have invited them to the press conference,” Mr Mander said. “You just don’t do that to people.”

Yesterday, Mrs Pullen said she was devastated.

“I’ve always tried to find the positive. I’ve stayed strong throughout this process but today I really feel like I could crumble,” she said.

“I feel like I could just sit down and howl. I am really blown away by this latest decision.”

Mrs Pullen said she wanted an investigation into why Oakley was granted his parole days before the laws were passed.