The Australian political world is mourning the loss of Graham Richardson, the formidable former Labor minister and master political strategist, who has died at the age of 76 after a long period of ill health. His death was announced on Saturday.
A Political Powerbroker's Complex Legacy
Branded the "minister for kneecaps" during his time as a Labor senator, Richardson was a political powerbroker who exerted substantial influence over the party's factions and its leadership. A master of factional horse-trading, his career was defined by his "whatever it takes" mantra, a philosophy that brought him both remarkable success and significant controversy.
Renowned for wrangling factions in the Hawke government, Richardson's gregarious nature and love for long lunches at Sydney's best restaurants made him one of Australia's most skilful and well-connected operators. He was a deal maker and dispenser of favours, known for his discretion and his capacity to inspire wealthy businesspeople to part with their money.
Substantial Policy Achievements Amidst Scandal
Despite being dogged by scandals, Richardson left a substantial policy legacy. As social security minister in the early 1990s, he passionately advocated for pensioners at risk of losing their incomes. His most enduring impact, however, came as environment minister.
In this role, he ensured the establishment of protections for native forests and was instrumental in achieving World Heritage status for Kakadu National Park and the Daintree rainforest. He helped build an alliance with the Greens, a strategic move that resulted in an unprecedented fourth term of office for Labor under Bob Hawke.
Reflecting on this period, Richardson once said, "When I was Minister for the Environment, I did things that I think stand the test of time as really good decisions and I'm proud of those. They don't go away. They are a constant reminder you were there."
A Career Peppered with Controversy
Richardson's career was punctuated by several scandals, though he was never found guilty of any misdemeanour. These included:
- Appearances before two royal commissions in the early 1980s related to party donations.
- The Enmore affair in the mid-1980s, where he failed to act emphatically on allegations of branch-stacking, culminating in the bashing of future MP Peter Baldwin.
- The 1991 Marshall Islands affair, where he made a phone call to the president on behalf of a jailed friend, which ultimately cost him his ministerial career.
- An alleged link to a prostitution ring in 1994.
- A settlement with the Australian Tax Office in 2008 over an undisclosed Swiss bank account.
As journalist Marian Wilkinson wrote in her biography, Richardson operated in the grey areas, believing that "if it wasn't going to put him in jail, it wasn't wrong."
From Sydney Suburbs to the Senate
Graham Frederick Richardson was born on 27 September 1949 and grew up in the Sydney suburbs of Kogarah and Allawah. A car accident at 16 nearly killed him, leaving him with significant facial scarring and subsequent depression. He began a law degree but dropped out after his mother's sudden death.
Inspired by his father's union work, Richardson developed a passion for Labor politics. He was welcomed into the party's hard-nosed Right faction in 1971. By 1983, he used his talent for counting numbers to help oust leader Bill Hayden in favour of Bob Hawke, a move that gave him a "surge of adrenaline."
After a falling out with Hawke, Richardson transferred his allegiance to Paul Keating, helping him supplant Hawke as leader in 1991. However, his ministerial career soon unravelled due to the Marshall Islands affair, leading to his resignation in May 1992. He left politics for good in March 1994.
In his post-political life, Richardson became a lobbyist, radio talkback host, writer, and political commentator. In 2020, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. He was married twice and is survived by his second wife, Amanda, and their son, as well as two children from his first marriage.
