The widow of legendary Labor powerbroker and political commentator Graham Richardson believes he would still be alive today if he had not contracted influenza from a long-term associate.
A Devastating Infection
Amanda Richardson has told friends she blames the associate for her husband contracting the flu, which developed into pneumonia and ultimately cost him his life last month at the age of 76. Sources close to the family told the Daily Mail that Ms Richardson was furious the associate came into contact with Graham while suffering from the illness.
Graham Richardson had suffered serious health problems since 1999 when he was first diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. However, his family fully expected the former senator and Sky News contributor to live for several more years, until he was struck down by the infection that killed him.
"The medical advice to Graham was that given the standard of care that he had, he was likely to live for a few more years," a person close to Richardson said. "That's what the doctors were saying. In any event, he got an infection that they couldn't arrest."
A Long and Courageous Battle
Ms Richardson had been her husband's primary carer since he underwent a monumental 17-hour surgery in April 2016. The procedure, a pelvic exenteration, involved the removal of his bladder, bowel, prostate, rectum and pubic bone. Richardson later described it to 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley by saying: "What it means is they rip your guts out".
Despite the immense challenge of managing colostomy and urinary diversion bags, Richardson remained determined. In the same interview, he expressed his desire to see his son, D'Arcy, then 18, grow into a man. "I want to see D'Arcy grow, I want to see him prosper. I want to see him a man. And so that means I've gotta live to a ripe old age and that's exactly what I intend to do," he said.
Richardson died at 3.50am on November 8 after a stint in hospital, as revealed by 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham. "In the past few weeks, he's had a bout of influenza and then pneumonia, he also had a little stint on dialysis, trying to clean up his blood a little bit," Fordham said.
Remarkably, Richardson had vowed to live long enough to see D'Arcy finish his HSC. The teenager sat his final exam just two days before his father's death. Furthermore, on the Monday of that week, Richardson had appeared on Sky News from his hospital bed to discuss politics, demonstrating his enduring engagement.
Legacy and a State Funeral
Ms Richardson, who has accepted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's offer of a state funeral, said of her husband: "I've lost the love of my life. D'Arcy's lost the greatest dad and Australia's lost one of its best. He was a man ahead of his time." The funeral will be held at St James Anglican Church in Sydney on Tuesday, December 9.
The service comes amid reported family tensions. Richardson was estranged from his two adult children from his first marriage, barrister Matthew Richardson, 51, and employment lawyer Kate Ausden, 48. It is understood Ms Ausden had asked to speak at the service, while Matthew Richardson does not wish to be mentioned.
Graham Richardson was a formidable figure in Australian politics. Elected a senator for NSW at 33, he was a key powerbroker in the NSW Right faction and served in ministries under Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. He was instrumental in Keating's successful leadership challenge against Hawke in 1991. Prime Minister Albanese mourned Richardson as "a remarkable Australian" and "a giant of the Labor Party".
