{"id":82248,"date":"2025-07-22T04:26:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/82248\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T04:26:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T04:26:45","slug":"ali-france-unseated-peter-dutton-it-may-have-never-happened-without-one-quick-thinking-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/82248\/","title":{"rendered":"Ali France unseated Peter Dutton. It may have never happened without one quick-thinking doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long before Ali France ended Peter Dutton’s 24-year stranglehold on the seat of Dickson, she was defying the odds.<\/p>\n

And now, as the new Labor MP enters parliament, the surgeon who saved her life by taking her leg in 2011 is telling his story for the first time.<\/p>\n

Martin Wullschleger had to act without permission and without wasting any time as her heart was close to stopping \u2014 blood toxicity from her dying, crushed leg was going to kill her.<\/p>\n

“I realised very quickly that unfortunately her dying leg made the whole body so sick that there was no other option than putting a tourniquet on again to save her life,” Professor Wullschleger told 7.30.<\/p>\n

It was the start of something bigger for Ms France, but for others, the ordeal could have easily broken them.<\/p>\n

Accident that changed everything<\/p>\n

In 2011, Ali France was satisfied.<\/p>\n

She balanced motherhood \u2014 two boys, Zac and Henry \u2014 with a busy communications career working for a Brisbane MP, Steven Miles.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France was working for Steven Miles at the time of her accident. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

Her life-altering moment came without warning in an underground car park.<\/p>\n

She was taking her youngest son Zac \u2014 four years old at the time \u2014 to a doctor’s appointment at a Brisbane shopping centre.<\/p>\n

“We’re waiting for the lift and an out-of-control car came towards us,” she told 7.30.<\/p>\n

“I just had a split second to try to push Zac out of the way.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France with her youngest son, Zac.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

She described taking “the full brunt of the car” and becoming pinned against another vehicle.<\/p>\n

“I was awake and I was shouting, but there was so much smoke \u2014 the wheels were still turning around and around,” she recalled.<\/p>\n

“I couldn’t see what had happened with Zac, and I was just screaming for the guy to get the car off me.<\/p>\n

“And then once the car was off, I tried to take a step and there was nothing there, and I just collapsed to the floor.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

‘Life before limb’<\/p>\n

Ali France’s left leg had been crushed from her thigh down.<\/p>\n

Passers-by \u2014 two teenage boys who’d been at the gym upstairs \u2014 stemmed the bleeding with a tourniquet made of clothing before paramedics rushed her to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.<\/p>\n

She doesn’t remember the pain.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France says she was “close to death” after the accident.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“I was as close to death as somebody could be \u2026 I don’t know how to explain it,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

she said.<\/p>\n

“I do remember a light and people standing over me, but I don’t remember any pain or anything.”<\/p>\n

Trauma surgeon Martin Wullschleger has a more vivid recollection.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France with trauma surgeon Martin Wullschleger. (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

“I met her in the emergency department and I remember seeing her leg, which was badly smashed, injured, broken, with a large wound and a tourniquet on there,” he told 7.30.<\/p>\n

“Initially, I wasn’t directly involved because the vascular surgeons and the orthopaedic surgeons were looking after her, so I basically kept an eye on it.”<\/p>\n

The surgeons had stabilised the crushed leg and moved her to the intensive care unit, where her recovery began.<\/p>\n

It was there Professor Wullschleger became critically involved when he noticed her condition deteriorating.<\/p>\n

“I was in ICU to see my other patient and then a few minutes later \u2026 I saw in my periphery that they were struggling with Ali,” he told 7.30.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

It was Martin Wullschleger who made the call to amputate Ali France’s leg. (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

“I went quickly to her bedside and I saw that she was getting worse and worse and her heart was very close to stopping.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With no time to grab a medical tourniquet, Professor Wullschleger wrapped a towel around Ms France’s leg to stop the dangerous toxins re-surging through her body.<\/p>\n

That’s when they decided to amputate.<\/p>\n

“That’s why the term ‘life before limb’ is important; it’s a difficult decision,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The tricky part is you have to make your decision very quickly because otherwise it’s too late, all over.”<\/p>\n

Professor Wullschleger described the amputation as a straightforward, routine operation.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France says she feels lucky Martin Wullschleger was rostered on that day. (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

What was remarkable, he said, was Ms France’s response.<\/p>\n

“I clearly remember the way she took the message of losing her leg and then dealing with it and just moving forward. That was quite inspiring in terms of her character,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

he said.<\/p>\n

“Yes, the leg’s lost, but life’s not lost \u2014 she took it really well. I mean, she had her ups and downs for sure, but she just did amazing.”<\/p>\n

Ms France told 7.30 she felt lucky Professor Wullschleger was rostered on that day.<\/p>\n

“I was just very lucky that day that Martin took that decision and he gave me the gift of being able to be a mum to my children,” she said.<\/p>\n

‘Naive about the realities of disability’<\/p>\n

Ali France’s son Zac, now 18, doesn’t remember the accident where he escaped unscathed, but watched his mum endure multiple operations, rehabilitation, and post-traumatic stress.<\/p>\n

“The four or five years after my accident, I suffered terribly with post-traumatic stress disorder. Really terrible, not wanting to go out of the house,” Ms France said, describing the “mum-guilt” she felt while coming to terms with her disability.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France in hospital with her sons. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Ali France says she felt guilt and was worried she couldn’t protect her children.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“It was about the idea that I couldn’t protect my child from things. I couldn’t protect them.”<\/p>\n

She described being “at a really low point” in her mental health while struggling with the adjustment.<\/p>\n

“I think that anyone who acquires a disability later in life knows that people see you differently,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

she said.<\/p>\n

“Being in a wheelchair, I also had to just face all these ridiculous barriers in the community itself. That was a real shock to me. I was very naive about the realities of disability.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France was inspired to run for political office to advocate for people with disabilities. (AAP: Jono Searle)<\/p>\n

“And I really felt after that that I just had to throw myself into whatever I could to demonstrate to people that I was still the same person.”<\/p>\n

On a specially constructed prosthetic, she got back on her feet.<\/p>\n

Driven by the desire to walk beside her two boys again, she conquered rehabilitation, then canoeing \u2014 as a champion para-athlete \u2014 and became a fierce advocate for others living with disabilities.<\/p>\n

\"Collage<\/p>\n

Ali France completed her rehabilitation and represented Australia in para-canoeing. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“That experience after I lost my leg, it drove me into politics,” Ms France said.<\/p>\n

“I think over time, definitely building into the second campaign, I really knew that I just had to be myself, and I really leaned into just being me.<\/p>\n

“I think that’s what the community wants to see, but it took some time.”<\/p>\n

Another cruel blow<\/p>\n

Ali France’s strategy was playing the long game \u2014 making serious headway against Peter Dutton, often seeking counsel from her eldest son, Henry.<\/p>\n

“I had him in my ears every day of the campaign saying, ‘Mum, you can do this \u2014 this is your time,'” she said.<\/p>\n

“He was very optimistic about it.”<\/p>\n

Her father, Peter Lawlor \u2014 a former state MP \u2014 described Henry as “ahead of the curve”, with a finger on the pulse of politics at all levels.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France with her father, Peter Lawlor, and sons Zac and Henry. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“Henry really thought that she could win it \u2014 and he was right,” he said.<\/p>\n

“But in politics, like in life, you don’t always get what you deserve.”<\/p>\n

In the lead up to campaign number three, two cruel blows came in quick succession.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France with her son Henry.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

Henry was diagnosed with leukaemia, and while he received treatment, his father, Ms France’s ex-husband, Clive, died of cancer.<\/p>\n

She told Henry she planned to withdraw from the fight for Dickson.<\/p>\n

“I told him, ‘I am not going to want to be anywhere but here with you,’ and he was furious about that,” she said.<\/p>\n

“He said to me all along, he said, ‘Mum, you’re going to win it this time. You’ve worked so hard for this.’<\/p>\n

\"Teenage<\/p>\n

Henry encouraged his mother to continue her political campaign.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“So when he unexpectedly left us, I wanted to honour what we had discussed \u2014 so I did, and here I am.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Henry passed away in February 2024, aged 19.<\/p>\n

His bedroom is like a time capsule, his belongings untouched and unmoved.<\/p>\n

Being here brings back one of Ms France’s fondest memories with Henry, one of the last at home.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France has left her son Henry’s room untouched.\u00a0 (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

“One night he said to me, ‘Mum, can I come and sleep next to you?’ and he did. And I just watched him all night,” she recounted.<\/p>\n

“I think looking back, I think he was frightened \u2014 he still needed his mum.”<\/p>\n

Making history<\/p>\n

On May 3, 2025 \u2014 after seven years and three campaigns \u2014 Ali France, a single mum from north Brisbane, defeated Peter Dutton, becoming the first person to oust an opposition leader and the first woman with a disability to be elected to federal parliament.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Anthony Albanese with Ali France. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

“I hope that people see me and see a different type of politician, and that it is absolutely possible for somebody who’s been through a lot of trauma, who has a disability, who openly talks about mental health struggles,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I hope that people see that and think, ‘Yeah, I could do that one day, that’s what I’ve been through.’<\/p>\n

“I think we need more people in our parliament that have different experiences.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France hopes her story can inspire others to enter politics.\u00a0 (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France is the first woman with a disability to be elected to federal parliament.\u00a0 (ABC News: Tom Hartley)<\/p>\n

The surgeon who saved her life agrees.<\/p>\n

“Talking to her, she’s an optimistic, glass-half-full person, which connected with me but also taught me, inspired me,” professor Martin Wullschleger told 7.30.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s good to have people in parliament that have gone through stuff and are open about it, because we can all learn from that.”<\/p>\n

Top of Ms France’s priority list remains the people of Dickson.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ali France standing in the House of Representatives, where she will sit as the MP for Dickson. (ABC News: Richard Mockler)<\/p>\n

“I want them to feel that they can come to me with their stories and their issues, and that I am there to listen, and I want to be the person that so many people were for me in getting me to this place where I am now,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Just that simple act of kindness can just change somebody’s world and life, and it’s happened to me so many times that I think being the local representative, I’m hopeful that I can be that person, and I’m hopeful that I can deliver what I’ve said I will deliver.”<\/p>\n

Watch <\/strong>7.30<\/strong><\/a>, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on <\/strong>ABC iview<\/strong><\/a> and ABC TV<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact 7.30<\/p>\n

Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long before Ali France ended Peter Dutton’s 24-year stranglehold on the seat of Dickson, she was defying the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":82249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54390,56206,4740,4745,606,56207,56208,50,2853,54385],"class_list":{"0":"post-82248","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-ali-france","9":"tag-alp","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-canberra","12":"tag-labor","13":"tag-labor-party","14":"tag-martin-wullschleger","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-parliament","17":"tag-peter-dutton"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114894994723386801","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}