Graham Richardson
Encyclopedia
Graham Frederick Richardson (27 September 1949), a former Australian politician, was a Senator
for New South Wales
from 1983–94 for the Australian Labor Party
, a senior minister in Hawke
and Keating
governments, and is now a political lobbyist, public speaker, and media commentator. During his time in politics, Richardson was often referred to as a right-wing
power broker. Prior to entering parliament, Richardson was a Labor Party branch organiser and held the position of General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) from 1976–1983.
. Raised as a Catholic, he was influenced as an adolescent by the factional fights that arose during the Labor split
. His early years of schooling were at Marist College Kogarah
, and in November 1965, he was seriously injured in a car accident at Dolls Point
where his father was driving, resulting in the removal of his spleen
, and a torn bowel, plus 200 stitches to his face. A Catholic priest delivered Richardson with last rites
on two occasions in hospital. He later recalled:
Nevertheless, Richardson completed his schooling at Sydney Technical High School
, where he passed his Leaving Certificate. From 1966, he was active in the Catholic Youth Organisation – a recruiting ground for the right wing of Young Labor, where he formed friendships with Joe Hasham
, Bob Scipelliti, and Brian Webb, – the latter two acting as silent business partners for Richardson later in life. Motivated by the continued factional fighting impacting on his parents' life, Richardson joined the Monterey
branch of the Labor Party in 1966, aged 17. Despite earlier dropping out of an arts degree, in 1969, following his mother's encouragement, Richardson commenced studies for a Bachelor of Laws
at Sydney University; however Peggy Richardson died suddenly, aged 42, distracting Richardson from his studies as he threw himself into union and Labor politics.
, to seek election for a role as a Labor Party branch organiser in 1971, Richardson was successful, left his university studies, and discovered the powerbrokers in the NSW Right. He apprenticed himself to learn from these men, some of the toughest in the Labor Party, and progressed to become Assistant Secretary of the New South Wales
(NSW) Labor Party in 1976 and General Secretary a little later that year, aged 26 – the youngest ever person to hold that role. John Faulkner
, of Labor's socialist left faction, was Richardson's Assistant Secretary and for eight months, so great was their mutual hatred, they did not exchange a word.
in October 1983:
) for a while, and had a baby. We moved to a new house a quarter of a mile away. It cost me heaps. I had a mortgage I couldn't possibly afford. I remember for over a year we had a gross income of $9,000 and I was paying $4,500 on the mortgage. That was hard, very hard. We were really struggling.
Richardson later told the Woodward Royal Commission
that in 1973 he met Daniel Casey
, a senior figure in Labor right-wing politics, and regarded him as a friend, drank with him at the Sackville Hotel in Rozelle, near Balmain, borrowed $2,000 from him, and paid it back by cheque in two instalments. Again, Ramsay reports Richardson as saying:
However, Evan Whitton
, a noted journalist and campaigner against organised crime, claims that in May 1977 Richardson's wife, Cheryl, went on the payroll, at approximately $130 a week, of Casey's Balmain Welding, but did not have to attend at the office. Richardson later told the Woodward Royal Commission, it was the policy of the company not to hire office staff, so they sent the typing out to Mrs Richardson. She kept the job until about May 1979, by which time she was getting about $160 a week from Balmain Welding. Richardson's links with Casey were brought to public notice through the reconvening of the Woodward Royal Commission in 1980 due to allegations that Casey had funnelled $20,000, alleged to be a product of gambling and drugs, into NSW Labor. Richardson told the Commission on 28 March 1980 that Casey had not donated $20,000 to the Party, and the Commission found no evidence against Casey.
claimed that Richardson once explained to him:
Richardson was highly effective in this position and became known as a 'king maker'; three years after Richardson became party secretary, Paul Keating became elected unopposed as President of NSW Labor, succeeding John Ducker. Keating is believed to be the youngest President in the history of NSW Labor. Richardson was also instrumental in the 1983 coup that lead to Bob Hawke succeeding Hayden as Leader of the Opposition, which ultimately led to Hawke becoming Prime Minister
.
, a Labor member of the Legislative Council and a member of the socialist-left faction, was bashed by unknown assailants in his home on 16 July 1980. Baldwin had earlier initiated inquiries into 'rorts' in the Enmore and other branches. Police began investigation into the assault on Baldwin, and included matters relating to the affairs of the Labor Party Enmore branch. Five people, including Joe Meissner and Tom Domican were charged with various offences. Richardson, in a later interview, confirmed that at the time he wrote to Attorney-General Frank Walker and all other Cabinet Ministers in the Wran
Government to ask that the case be dropped on the grounds that it was a Labor Party and not a police matter. Even the Magistrate, was approached. In dismissing the Enmore charges, the Magistrate said:
It was subsequently alleged by Meissner, who was at the time secretary of the Enmore
branch of the Labor Party and one of the central figures in the controversy, that the bashing was undertaken by Domican, an underworld figure with close links to the right-wing faction of NSW Labor, acting on suggestions from Richardson. Richardson, claiming the he had been defamed
, commenced legal action that was eventually settled out of court in 2007 in Richardson's favour.
Richardson groomed his successor for General Secretary, Stephen Loosley who took over in 1993 following Richardson's successful nomination for the Senate.
following the retirement of Senator Tony Mulvihill
. As the Hawke Labor opposition defeated the Fraser
-Anthony
Liberal
-National
coalition, Labor retained its four Senate seats in New South Wales, with Richardson polling the third highest quota at the 1983 federal election
. At age 33, he was the youngest ever Senator elected and initially sat on Senate committees on electoral reform, regulations and ordinances, finance and government operations, and estimates in the first term of parliament.
Richardson was re-elected to the Senate at the 1984, 1987, and 1993 federal elections.
, a position in the outer ministry in the Third Hawke Ministry
. In January 1988, he was elevated to cabinet
and took on the additional responsibilities of Sport
, Tourism
and Territories
. As the Hawke government sought to claim the 'green agenda' against the growing influence of the Australian Greens
and the Wilderness Society
, Richardson's period as Environment Minister was notable for the Federal Government intervening in Tasmania
n state planning issues and blocking the Wesley Vale pulp mill
. As Minister for the Environment, Richardson also advocated for and was successful in inscribing the Daintree Rainforest and surrounding areas
on the UNESCO
World Heritage List
in 1988, and a protected status for Kakadu National Park
, prior to inscribing Stage 2 of Kakadu NP on the World Heritage List in 1987. Some media commentators speculated that Richardson's motives for these moves were driven, not by a concern for the environment and heritage of the lands, but by purely political motives:
As Minister for Sport, Richardson oversaw the merging of the Australian Institute of Sport
into the Australian Sports Commission
.
In 1990, a looming tight election saw Richardson tasked with responsibility to attract second-preference votes from the Australian Democrats
and other environmental parties. Richardson claimed this as a major factor in the government's narrow re-election in 1990.
a few months following announcement of the Fourth Hawke Ministry
, Richardson commented on his new portfolio, feigning interest:
Hawke's treatment of Richardson in 1990 would ultimately lead to Hawke's own downfall and Richardson's ability to manipulate numbers in favour of Keating, albeit with initial reluctance. Keating became Prime Minister in December 1991, and appointed Richardson to his coveted portfolio of Transport and Communications – earning the nickname, Minister for Channel Nine – due to his close relationship with media magnate, Kerry Packer
. Keating was content to have Richardson by his side, organising the Labor Right faction numbers; considering Richardson good in this role, but not necessarily suited to significant office.
In 1992, Richardson was forced to resign his commission as Minister following revelations that he had used his position and influence to help his cousin, Gregory Symons, who was subsequently jailed for forging government documents relating to a migration scam. A judicial inquiry was necessary to resolve allegations of ministerial impropriety where it was alleged that Richardson attempt to help Symons avoid penalty. Richardson sat out the remainder of this term of parliament on the backbench.
as Minister for Health
. In a highly publicised tour, of the Northern Territory
and following the Mabo decision and the lodging of Wik
claim, Richardson promised to make health care the key components of a new social justice package being negotiated with Aborigines. Richardson went on national television and said that $1.3 billion was needed in new funding and he would deliver it.
A little under a year later, he assumed additional responsibilities of the Environment, Sport and Territories, following the resignation of Ros Kelly
over the sports rorts affair
– ironically over the $30m Community Cultural, Recreational and Sporting Facilities Program initiated by Richardson in 1998 when he was Minister for Sport.
Four weeks later, on 25 March 1994, Richardson resigned both positions and retired from parliament, citing ill-health. However, at the same time, allegations were mounting that Richardson was involved in acquiring prostitutes for his personal use, supplied by Robert Burgess and Nick Karlos. Karlos reportedly had been accused of having serious criminal connections; meanwhile Richardson had signed a letter of support on Ministerail letthead for Burgess which was then used to set up a meeting between Richardson and the senior executive of a US defence company, where Richardson discussed Burgess' interests. Richardson denied the allegations.
(having previously appeared on the Nine Network
) and broadcaster with 2GB
. He has also authored memoirs titled Whatever it Takes, published by Bantam Books
, Sydney, 1994. For the 2000 Sydney Olympics
he was the chairman of the Olympic ticketing operations, Mayor of the Olympic village and had a seat on the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG).
In 1999, as chairman of the 2000 Sydney Olympics ticketing operations, Richardson oversaw a deal where over 500,000 selected tickets were withheld from the public ticket lottery and reserved for high-paying package-deal customers. This resulted in considerable public criticism at the time and the tickets were eventually made available to the general public.
He has continued a role as a broker in other aspects of NSW public life, including the high profile contract dispute between the National Rugby League
player Sonny Bill Williams
and his club, the Canterbury Bulldogs
.
and Alan Jones
– were found to have been promoting certain companies while on the companies' payroll, while keeping the deal secret from listeners to make it look like the comments were genuine opinion/editorial pieces, or that they had demanded payments from companies in exchange for refraining from making negative comments. Richardson was being paid by Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), and spruiked for PBL-owned companies Channel 9
and Crown Casino during his radio show.
. On 27 September 2006, Justice James Allsop
, of the Federal Court
, released a document showing that Richardson had an undeclared Swiss bank account containing $1.4 million. He was one of the shareholders of the Offset Alpine Printing company
.
In October 2008, Richardson agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to end his ongoing A$2.3 million dispute with the Australian Taxation Office
. The Tax Office took action against Mr Richardson in 2005 after the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin
told Swiss investigators that Rivkin, businessman Trevor Kennedy
and Richardson were the secret owners of a $27 million stake in Offset Alpine. The Tax Office had sought $700,000 it claimed was owed in unpaid taxes, along with a $1.6 million interest and penalty payment.
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
from 1983–94 for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, a senior minister in Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
and Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
governments, and is now a political lobbyist, public speaker, and media commentator. During his time in politics, Richardson was often referred to as a right-wing
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
power broker. Prior to entering parliament, Richardson was a Labor Party branch organiser and held the position of General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) from 1976–1983.
Early life
Richardson, born in Sydney, was the only surviving child of Fred and Peggy Richardson, who were respectively New South Wales State Secretary and office manager of the Amalgamated Postal and Telecommunications UnionCommunications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia is a trade union in Australia. Its full name is the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia as it represents workers in all of these industries.CEPU is an...
. Raised as a Catholic, he was influenced as an adolescent by the factional fights that arose during the Labor split
Australian Labor Party split of 1955
The Australian Labor Party split of 1955 was a splintering of the Australian Labor Party along sectarian and ideological lines in the mid 1950s...
. His early years of schooling were at Marist College Kogarah
Marist College Kogarah
Marist College Kogarah is a systemic Catholic College for boys from Years 7 to 12, located in Bexley, New South Wales, Australia.The College was founded in 1909, and has a tradition based on the teachings of the French educator Saint Marcellin Champagnat...
, and in November 1965, he was seriously injured in a car accident at Dolls Point
Dolls Point, New South Wales
Dolls Point is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dolls Point is located 17km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Dolls Point is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale.Dolls Point takes its name...
where his father was driving, resulting in the removal of his spleen
Spleen
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock...
, and a torn bowel, plus 200 stitches to his face. A Catholic priest delivered Richardson with last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
on two occasions in hospital. He later recalled:
- "The worst moment – not just of my adolescence but of my life – was the day they took off the bandages and I saw myself in the mirror. I cried for hours." and;
- "It made me very unsettled. It really mucked me around badly, not to the point of being psychiatrically impaired but it did me a lot of harm in terms of stability and the capacity to concentrate."
Nevertheless, Richardson completed his schooling at Sydney Technical High School
Sydney Technical High School
Sydney Technical High School is an academically selective, state-funded high school for boys in Bexley, a southern suburb of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1911 as part of Sydney Technical College, the school was one of the six original New South Wales selective schools...
, where he passed his Leaving Certificate. From 1966, he was active in the Catholic Youth Organisation – a recruiting ground for the right wing of Young Labor, where he formed friendships with Joe Hasham
Joe Hasham
Joseph Christopher "Joe" Hasham OAM is a Lebanese Australian actor who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependable and decent gay lawyer Don Finlayson in soap opera Number 96.- Early life and education :Hasham graduated from the National Institute of...
, Bob Scipelliti, and Brian Webb, – the latter two acting as silent business partners for Richardson later in life. Motivated by the continued factional fighting impacting on his parents' life, Richardson joined the Monterey
Monterey, New South Wales
Monterey is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Monterey is located 15km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Monterey is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale....
branch of the Labor Party in 1966, aged 17. Despite earlier dropping out of an arts degree, in 1969, following his mother's encouragement, Richardson commenced studies for a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
at Sydney University; however Peggy Richardson died suddenly, aged 42, distracting Richardson from his studies as he threw himself into union and Labor politics.
Early political career in NSW Labor
Encouraged by a Labor right-wing factional ally, Senator Kerry SibraaKerry Sibraa
Kerry Walter Sibraa, AO was an Australian Senator who represented the Labor Party for the state of New South Wales. He served as a Senator for from 1 July 1975 to 30 June 1978, and then again from 9 August 1978 until 1 February 1994, and was President of the Senate from 17 February 1987 to 1...
, to seek election for a role as a Labor Party branch organiser in 1971, Richardson was successful, left his university studies, and discovered the powerbrokers in the NSW Right. He apprenticed himself to learn from these men, some of the toughest in the Labor Party, and progressed to become Assistant Secretary of the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW) Labor Party in 1976 and General Secretary a little later that year, aged 26 – the youngest ever person to hold that role. John Faulkner
John Faulkner
John Philip Faulkner is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. Following a period serving on various Senate Committees and as Deputy Whip, he was a Minister in the Keating Labor government 1993-96...
, of Labor's socialist left faction, was Richardson's Assistant Secretary and for eight months, so great was their mutual hatred, they did not exchange a word.
Influence of Daniel Casey
Marrying Cheryl Gardiner in 1973, Richardson described the rigours of his early married life and union work to The National Times Alan RamseyAlan Ramsey
Alan Ramsey is an Australian columnist and former writer for The Sydney Morning Herald. He first started working in journalism in 1953, for Frank Packer who then owned Sydney's Daily Telegraph...
in October 1983:
Ramsgate, New South Wales
Ramsgate is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ramsgate is located 16 km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Ramsgate is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale...
) for a while, and had a baby. We moved to a new house a quarter of a mile away. It cost me heaps. I had a mortgage I couldn't possibly afford. I remember for over a year we had a gross income of $9,000 and I was paying $4,500 on the mortgage. That was hard, very hard. We were really struggling.
Richardson later told the Woodward Royal Commission
Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking
The Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking or Woodward Royal Commission was a royal commission initiated by the New South Wales Government to investigate drug trafficking in New South Wales, Australia, especially links between the Mafia and New South Wales Police and the disappearance of...
that in 1973 he met Daniel Casey
Daniel Casey
-Early life:The son of journalist and television presenter Luke Casey, he grew up in Stockton-on-Tees and attended Grey College, Durham, graduating with a BA in English Literature before pursuing a career in acting.-Career:...
, a senior figure in Labor right-wing politics, and regarded him as a friend, drank with him at the Sackville Hotel in Rozelle, near Balmain, borrowed $2,000 from him, and paid it back by cheque in two instalments. Again, Ramsay reports Richardson as saying:
However, Evan Whitton
Evan Whitton
Evan Whitton is an Australian journalist who currently is a columnist the online legal journal Justinian. He was editor of The National Times from 1978 to 1981, Chief Reporter and European Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald, Reader in Journalism at the University of Queensland, Journalist...
, a noted journalist and campaigner against organised crime, claims that in May 1977 Richardson's wife, Cheryl, went on the payroll, at approximately $130 a week, of Casey's Balmain Welding, but did not have to attend at the office. Richardson later told the Woodward Royal Commission, it was the policy of the company not to hire office staff, so they sent the typing out to Mrs Richardson. She kept the job until about May 1979, by which time she was getting about $160 a week from Balmain Welding. Richardson's links with Casey were brought to public notice through the reconvening of the Woodward Royal Commission in 1980 due to allegations that Casey had funnelled $20,000, alleged to be a product of gambling and drugs, into NSW Labor. Richardson told the Commission on 28 March 1980 that Casey had not donated $20,000 to the Party, and the Commission found no evidence against Casey.
Numbers man
In his years working at Labor's Sussex St offices, Richardson became renowned for an ability to bring in numbers; he was often referred to as a 'numbers man' for the right wing of the NSW branch of Labor. Bill HaydenBill Hayden
William George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the...
claimed that Richardson once explained to him:
- "... all decisions are democratically taken at a meeting of one; me."'
Richardson was highly effective in this position and became known as a 'king maker'; three years after Richardson became party secretary, Paul Keating became elected unopposed as President of NSW Labor, succeeding John Ducker. Keating is believed to be the youngest President in the history of NSW Labor. Richardson was also instrumental in the 1983 coup that lead to Bob Hawke succeeding Hayden as Leader of the Opposition, which ultimately led to Hawke becoming Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.
Enmore Branch and factional fights
During Richardson's time as General Secretary, there were significant battles over factional control of a number of inner city Labor branches. Peter BaldwinPeter Baldwin (Australian politician)
Peter Jeremy Baldwin is a former Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1983 to 1998....
, a Labor member of the Legislative Council and a member of the socialist-left faction, was bashed by unknown assailants in his home on 16 July 1980. Baldwin had earlier initiated inquiries into 'rorts' in the Enmore and other branches. Police began investigation into the assault on Baldwin, and included matters relating to the affairs of the Labor Party Enmore branch. Five people, including Joe Meissner and Tom Domican were charged with various offences. Richardson, in a later interview, confirmed that at the time he wrote to Attorney-General Frank Walker and all other Cabinet Ministers in the Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
Government to ask that the case be dropped on the grounds that it was a Labor Party and not a police matter. Even the Magistrate, was approached. In dismissing the Enmore charges, the Magistrate said:
- It seems that some force or forces were working improperly to undermine the strength of the prosecution. I am firmly of the opinion that this matter calls for further investigation.
It was subsequently alleged by Meissner, who was at the time secretary of the Enmore
Enmore, New South Wales
Enmore is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Enmore is located 5 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
branch of the Labor Party and one of the central figures in the controversy, that the bashing was undertaken by Domican, an underworld figure with close links to the right-wing faction of NSW Labor, acting on suggestions from Richardson. Richardson, claiming the he had been defamed
Slander and libel
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander , and libel —is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image...
, commenced legal action that was eventually settled out of court in 2007 in Richardson's favour.
Richardson groomed his successor for General Secretary, Stephen Loosley who took over in 1993 following Richardson's successful nomination for the Senate.
Parliamentary career
Richardson was preselected as a candidate for election to the Australian SenateAustralian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
following the retirement of Senator Tony Mulvihill
Tony Mulvihill
James Anthony "Tony" Mulvihill was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he was educated at Catholic schools before becoming a railways employee. He was an official with the Australian Railways Union and then served as Assistant Secretary of the New South Wales Labor Party from 1957 to 1965...
. As the Hawke Labor opposition defeated the Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
-Anthony
Doug Anthony
John Douglas Anthony, AC, CH , is a former Australian politician. He was leader of the National Party from 1971 to 1984, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1983.-Early life:...
Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
-National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
coalition, Labor retained its four Senate seats in New South Wales, with Richardson polling the third highest quota at the 1983 federal election
Australian federal election, 1983
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 March 1983. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election, following a double dissolution...
. At age 33, he was the youngest ever Senator elected and initially sat on Senate committees on electoral reform, regulations and ordinances, finance and government operations, and estimates in the first term of parliament.
Richardson was re-elected to the Senate at the 1984, 1987, and 1993 federal elections.
1987 – 1990
Following the 1987 federal election, Richardson was appointed Minister for the Environment and the ArtsMinister for the Arts (Australia)
The Australian Minister for the Arts is the Hon Simon Crean MP. The portfolio is part of the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio. The only minister before Simon Crean to have the title of Minister for the Arts was Bob McMullan between 24 March 1993 and 25 March 1994...
, a position in the outer ministry in the Third Hawke Ministry
Third Hawke Ministry
The Third Hawke Ministry was the fifty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 24 July 1987 to 4 April 1990.Australian Labor Party-Cabinet:*Hon Bob Hawke, AC MP: Prime Minister...
. In January 1988, he was elevated to cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
and took on the additional responsibilities of Sport
Minister for Sport (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Sport is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election. The ministry is located within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.-List of Ministers for Sport:...
, Tourism
Minister for Tourism (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Tourism is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Tourism:...
and Territories
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
. As the Hawke government sought to claim the 'green agenda' against the growing influence of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
and the Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (Australia)
The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based, not-for-profit non-governmental environmental advocacy organisation. Its purpose is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth.It is a...
, Richardson's period as Environment Minister was notable for the Federal Government intervening in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n state planning issues and blocking the Wesley Vale pulp mill
Wesley Vale pulp mill
The Wesley Vale pulp mill was a planned kraft process pulp mill was to be built near Wesley Vale in northern Tasmania in the late 1980s. The claim that waste would have been generated by the mill and present a threat to Tasmania's World Heritage listed forests became a significant environmental and...
. As Minister for the Environment, Richardson also advocated for and was successful in inscribing the Daintree Rainforest and surrounding areas
Wet Tropics of Queensland
The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km² of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
on the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1988, and a protected status for Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
, prior to inscribing Stage 2 of Kakadu NP on the World Heritage List in 1987. Some media commentators speculated that Richardson's motives for these moves were driven, not by a concern for the environment and heritage of the lands, but by purely political motives:
- "He was the mastermind of the political manoeuvring of the ALP government which has made the environmental movement an increasingly ineffective force in Australian politics..... The real measure of his environmental contributions is not the individual act of conservation here or there but what his political manoeuvring has meant for the environmental movement and the environment..."
As Minister for Sport, Richardson oversaw the merging of the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
into the Australian Sports Commission
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
.
In 1990, a looming tight election saw Richardson tasked with responsibility to attract second-preference votes from the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
and other environmental parties. Richardson claimed this as a major factor in the government's narrow re-election in 1990.
1990 – 1993
Richardson felt that the importance of his contribution to Labor's victory would automatically entitle him to the ministerial portfolio of his choiceTransport and Communications. He was shocked, however, at what he perceived as Hawke's ingratitude in allocating him initially Defence, and then later, Social Security instead. He vowedin a telephone conversation with Peter Barron, a former Hawke political stafferto do 'whatever it takes' to 'get' Hawke. He immediately transferred his allegiance to Keating and subsequently claimed credit for playing a vital role in Keating's campaign for the leadership as a numbers man. Interviewed by John LawsJohn Laws
Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
a few months following announcement of the Fourth Hawke Ministry
Fourth Hawke Ministry
The Fourth Hawke Ministry was the fifty-eighth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 4 April 1990 to 20 December 1991.Australian Labor Party-Cabinet:*Hon Bob Hawke, AC MP: Prime Minister...
, Richardson commented on his new portfolio, feigning interest:
- "When I got it, I was pretty shocked – I must say it's not something I'd ever expected – and so you have to sit down and wonder what the hell you're going to do. But as I've been getting into it in the last few months, then you realise that it's just not the case that you spend lots of money – about one in four of the government dollars – but the issues are just so wide ranging. Yesterday, I was in Alice Springs, talking to people about the difficulties that they're having with Aboriginal alcoholism and violence – the kind of problems that it's bringing – and then you're back into discussions on – race back to Cabinet for discussions on migration and what kind of social security benefits people might get, and then you're talking about age pensions, this morning, on another program about some people's concerns. It's just so big. I'll get interested, don't worry."
Hawke's treatment of Richardson in 1990 would ultimately lead to Hawke's own downfall and Richardson's ability to manipulate numbers in favour of Keating, albeit with initial reluctance. Keating became Prime Minister in December 1991, and appointed Richardson to his coveted portfolio of Transport and Communications – earning the nickname, Minister for Channel Nine – due to his close relationship with media magnate, Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
. Keating was content to have Richardson by his side, organising the Labor Right faction numbers; considering Richardson good in this role, but not necessarily suited to significant office.
In 1992, Richardson was forced to resign his commission as Minister following revelations that he had used his position and influence to help his cousin, Gregory Symons, who was subsequently jailed for forging government documents relating to a migration scam. A judicial inquiry was necessary to resolve allegations of ministerial impropriety where it was alleged that Richardson attempt to help Symons avoid penalty. Richardson sat out the remainder of this term of parliament on the backbench.
1993 – 1994
Following the 1993 election, Richardson was returned to cabinet in the second Keating MinistrySecond Keating Ministry
The Second Keating Ministry was the sixtieth Australian Commonwealth ministry. It was led by Paul Keating of the Australian Labor Party, and held office from 24 March 1993 to 11 March 1996...
as Minister for Health
Minister for Health and Ageing (Australia)
The Minister for Health and Ageing is a portfolio in the Government of Australia with the responsibility for national health policy. The current Minister for Health and Ageing is Nicola Roxon...
. In a highly publicised tour, of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and following the Mabo decision and the lodging of Wik
Wik Peoples v Queensland
Wik Peoples v The State of Queensland is a decision of the High Court of Australia delivered on 23 December 1996 on whether statutory leases extinguish native title rights. The court found that the statutory pastoral leases under consideration by the court did not bestow rights of exclusive...
claim, Richardson promised to make health care the key components of a new social justice package being negotiated with Aborigines. Richardson went on national television and said that $1.3 billion was needed in new funding and he would deliver it.
A little under a year later, he assumed additional responsibilities of the Environment, Sport and Territories, following the resignation of Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly AO was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Canberra from 18 October 1980 to 30 January 1995. She was a minister in the governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating....
over the sports rorts affair
Sports rorts affair
The "sports rorts" affair was the name by which Australian media and political commentators came to refer to events during the second Keating ministry in late 1993 and early 1994, where the then Sports Minister, Ros Kelly, was unable to appropriately explain the distribution of federal sporting...
– ironically over the $30m Community Cultural, Recreational and Sporting Facilities Program initiated by Richardson in 1998 when he was Minister for Sport.
Four weeks later, on 25 March 1994, Richardson resigned both positions and retired from parliament, citing ill-health. However, at the same time, allegations were mounting that Richardson was involved in acquiring prostitutes for his personal use, supplied by Robert Burgess and Nick Karlos. Karlos reportedly had been accused of having serious criminal connections; meanwhile Richardson had signed a letter of support on Ministerail letthead for Burgess which was then used to set up a meeting between Richardson and the senior executive of a US defence company, where Richardson discussed Burgess' interests. Richardson denied the allegations.
Post-parliament career
Richardson is now primarily seen by the Australian public through election night television coverage. He is a currently a political commentator for the Seven NetworkSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
(having previously appeared on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
) and broadcaster with 2GB
2GB
2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
. He has also authored memoirs titled Whatever it Takes, published by Bantam Books
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
, Sydney, 1994. For the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
he was the chairman of the Olympic ticketing operations, Mayor of the Olympic village and had a seat on the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG).
In 1999, as chairman of the 2000 Sydney Olympics ticketing operations, Richardson oversaw a deal where over 500,000 selected tickets were withheld from the public ticket lottery and reserved for high-paying package-deal customers. This resulted in considerable public criticism at the time and the tickets were eventually made available to the general public.
He has continued a role as a broker in other aspects of NSW public life, including the high profile contract dispute between the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
player Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny William 'Sonny Bill' Williams is a New Zealand rugby union player and former rugby league player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league. In rugby union he usually plays as a centre...
and his club, the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
.
Cash for comment
Richardson was implicated in the Cash for comment scandal in Australian radio broadcasting, where prominent radio personalities – such as John LawsJohn Laws
Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
and Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
– were found to have been promoting certain companies while on the companies' payroll, while keeping the deal secret from listeners to make it look like the comments were genuine opinion/editorial pieces, or that they had demanded payments from companies in exchange for refraining from making negative comments. Richardson was being paid by Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), and spruiked for PBL-owned companies Channel 9
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and Crown Casino during his radio show.
Tax evasion
In 2006, Richardson became embroiled in allegations of tax evasion involving the late Rene RivkinRene Rivkin
Rene Rivkin was an Australian entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker. He was a well-known stockbroker in Australia for many years until his death in 2005.-Early life:...
. On 27 September 2006, Justice James Allsop
James Allsop
James Leslie Bain Allsop is the President of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the highest court in the State of New South Wales, Australia, which forms part of the Australian court hierarchy.-Education:...
, of the Federal Court
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
, released a document showing that Richardson had an undeclared Swiss bank account containing $1.4 million. He was one of the shareholders of the Offset Alpine Printing company
Offset Alpine fire
The Offset Alpine fire was a 1993 fire that destroyed a Sydney printing plant owned by the company Offset Alpine Printing Ltd. Investigations of the incident by the police and by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission spanned over ten years, amid suspicions that the printing plant was...
.
In October 2008, Richardson agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to end his ongoing A$2.3 million dispute with the Australian Taxation Office
Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...
. The Tax Office took action against Mr Richardson in 2005 after the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin
Rene Rivkin
Rene Rivkin was an Australian entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker. He was a well-known stockbroker in Australia for many years until his death in 2005.-Early life:...
told Swiss investigators that Rivkin, businessman Trevor Kennedy
Trevor Kennedy
Trevor Kennedy is a D-Leauge point guard for the LA Shots, who has served on the board of directors of many outstanding companies, including Consolidated Press Holdings and Qantas. He played basketball for the Iaeger cubs and wore number 20. He is a former journalist and right-hand man of LeBron...
and Richardson were the secret owners of a $27 million stake in Offset Alpine. The Tax Office had sought $700,000 it claimed was owed in unpaid taxes, along with a $1.6 million interest and penalty payment.