Kimberley Kitching funeral: Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally, Katy Gallagher to attend

The family of Kimberley Kitching have allowed Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher to attend the late senator’s funeral, it has been revealed.

The late Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching will be farewelled in Melbourne at St Patrick’s Cathedral today as her husband Andrew Landeryou and former Labor leader Bill Shorten prepare to speak at her funeral.

Mr Landeryou and former Labor leader Bill Shorten will both deliver speeches at the funeral at St Patrick’s Cathedral where hundreds of mourners are expected to gather.

The Victorian senator died on March 10 from a suspected heart attack after a battle with an underlying thyroid condition. She had complained of being ostracised and unfairly treated by the Senate leadership team – claims that have been denied.

The late Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching will be farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne today. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas.

As pressure continues on Labor leader Anthony Albanese to establish an inquiry into bullying claims and “culture” issues, a who’s who of Australian political leaders are expected to attend the funeral.

They include Labor leader Anthony Albanese, deputy leader Richard Marles, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, Labor frontbenchers Tanya Plibersek, Don Farrell, Mark Dreyfus, Tony Burke, Brendan O’Connor and Kim Carr, Joel Fitzgibbon, Anthony Chisholm, Raff Ciccone and Murray Watt.

Senior Liberal figures who are attending include Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, Senate leader Simon Birmingham, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews and Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy.

Senate leader Penny Wong, deputy Senate leader Kristina Keneally and Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher, who Ms Kitching had reportedly referred to as “mean girls” will also attend after an agreement was sought with the family via an intermediary.

Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong will attend the funeral of Kimberley Kitching. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Mooy.

In the wake of allegations of a frosty relationship between the Labor leadership team and Senator Kitching, some of her friends and colleagues are calling for an independent inquiry or a culture review.

However, Labor leader Anthony Albanese has rejected the allegations raised by the late Senator, including in a written letter outlining her complaints that she was ambushed with false allegations and kicked off Labor’s tactics committee.

Senator Wong has denied bullying Senator Kitching.

“No, I did not,” Senator Wong told the Nine Network.

She admitted in one discussion with Senator Kitching she had said her words to the effect of: “Well if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency”.

“They are not precisely the words that I said,’’ Senator Wong said.

“My motivation was to express the distress that many children feel about climate change.

“But what I said was insensitive. I regret it. I apologised, as I should, when I became aware of how she felt about it.”

A friend of Senator Kitching and former Labor leader Bill Shorten is expected to deliver a speech at her funeral. Picture: Supplied.

Before her death, Senator Kitching wrote a seven-page letter, first revealed in the Weekend Australian, that provides a detailed rebuttal of claims she was disloyal to the Labor Party and had been leaking information to the Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

“Standards in workplaces have changed and we should all think about the application of those standards to ensure a safe workplace for everyone here,” she wrote.

In the letter, she wrote that there was “obviously, generally, a fine line between the entirely normal contest of political rivals or rival ideas and what could be reasonably characterised as a campaign of bullying.

“That’s something I think all senators should reflect on, within our caucus and beyond it.

“Standards in workplaces have changed and we should all think about the application of those standards to ensure a safe workplace for everyone here.”

Senator Kitching called for a “fair, transparent process” for dealing with matters like hers and says it should be a matter of discussion at the Labor caucus.

“While Senator Reynolds’ claims are easily dispensed with, as I have demonstrated, that might not always be the case in these situations, so a fair, transparent process for dealing with these matters is probably welcome and prudent,” she wrote.

“Outlining how you think this might work going forward might be usefully discussed at a Senate caucus meeting.”

Prior to her death, Senator Kitching called for a “fair, transparent process” on investigations around workplace bullying. Picture: Facebook. Melbourne.

Senator Don Farrell, a close friend of Senator Kitching who will also speak at her funeral, told Sky News on Sunday that he believed her preselection would have been resolved.

“We’ve got Kimberly’s funeral tomorrow. I want to honour her memory. I don’t want to add to any of the discussion or speculation about all of those issues,” he said on Sunday. “I don’t want to add to [her family’s] grief during this period. We’ll get through the funeral tomorrow and we’ll move on from there.”

“Politics is challenging, it’s pretty willing at times. I’ve no doubt at times we say and do things, all of us … without thinking about the impact on others. And we should reflect on that.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Labor of living in “a crystal cathedral” and being “pretty quick to throw stones” over accusations of misbehaviour.

“These are very serious issues, and they’re serious issues that Anthony Albanese has to deal with,” he said.

“This is on his watch. This only happened weeks ago, weeks ago, and he can’t duck and run on this.”