Victorian MPs mourn Fiona Richardson as her loss triggers by-election

LABOR supporters will be urged to “do it for Fiona” by campaigning in force to keep Northcote in the party’s hands when a by-election is held later this year.

Tributes continue to flow for Fiona Richardson. Picture: Peter Ristevski

• Editorial: Now Fiona’s work must be finished

LABOR supporters will be urged to “do it for Fiona” by campaigning in force to keep Northcote in the party’s hands when a by-election is held later this year.

Tributes continue to flow for Fiona Richardson, 50, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer.
Emotional colleagues broke down in State Parliament on Thursday, as MPs praised the work she had done as a minister to tackle family violence and improve gender equality.

Yellow flowers are placed on the seat of Victorian MP Fiona Richardson in Parliament House in Melbourne. Picture: AAP/Joe Castro

Emotional colleagues of Fiona Richardson broke down in State Parliament on Thursday. Picture: AAP/Joe Castro

Outside of Parliament, former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty described her as an advocate who began to give “victims of family violence a voice” through her work.

“I think we need to really honour that unfinished work,” she said.

Parliament was adjourned on Thursday to mourn Ms Richardson, after emotional statements from Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy.

Mr Andrews praised his colleague who “lived her values, and demanded the same of those around her”.

Mr Guy said “there are many Victorian women who will lead a happy and safe life as the result of the work she has done”.

Fiona Richardson has been praised for the work she has done as a minister to tackle family violence and improve gender equality. Picture: Angie Basdekis

FIONA RICHARDSON DIES AFTER CANCER BATTLE

FIONA RICHARDSON TO TELL OF HER OWN FAMILY VIOLENCE

Grieving MPs said it was too early to discuss the future of Northcote, a seat Ms Richardson held since 2006.
But parliamentary rules state that the death of an MP leads to a by-election, with writs to be issued within a month.

Labor is preparing to “throw the kitchen sink” at the seat in a bid to convince voters to stick with the government and its agenda.

“The best thing we can do for Fiona is to win the seat for her,” one party source said.

Greens volunteers were already campaigning in Ms Richardson’s seat ahead of her sudden death, in preparation for next year’s state election,

Greens leader Greg Barber declined to comment on the possibility of taking the seat from Labor, or whether he could run for the seat himself at a by-election.

The Liberal Party is unlikely to run a candidate, to save resources for seats it has a chance of winning.

If the seat changes hands this term, the Andrews Government still has a clear majority.

At the moment, it has 46 votes in the Legislative Assembly, while the coalition has 38. There are two Greens and two independents — including dumped Labor MP Don Nardella.

FIONA’S LEGACY WILL LIVE FOREVER

SPEAKER Colin Brooks’ voice cracked and finally broke as he said the Lord’s Prayer to open parliament — keenly aware his friend and colleague, Fiona Richardson, was not there to hear his words.

The state flag flies at half mast outside Parliament. Picture: AAP/Joe Castro

His emotion ushered in a flood of tears from MPs gathered in the Legislative Assembly. Female MPs were draped in scarfs or clothing with dashes of purple, and men wore purple ties — a nod to Ms Richardson’s battle to improve the lives of survivors and victims of family violence.

Ms Richardson’s frontbench seat was filled with flowers; yellow for cancer and purple ones too.

Placed next to them was the 2000-page Royal Commission into Family Violence report, described as her great legacy to public life.

She had fought back from cancer in 2013, and while it was known she would not recontest her Northcote seat at the next election, few thought her contribution to public life was done.

While Ms Richardson revealed her diagnosis of multiple tumours on Tuesday, friends still believed she would be able to fight this battle and win, like she had done so many times before. Sadly, her fight is now over but Premier Daniel Andrews vowed her campaign to end family violence would live on

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