40 Facts About Graham Richardson

Graham Frederick Richardson was born on 27 September 1949 and is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was a Senator for New South Wales from 1983 to 1994 and served as a Cabinet Minister in both the Hawke and Keating governments.

Graham Richardson is currently a media commentator, public speaker, and political lobbyist.

Since retiring from politics, Graham Richardson has become a political commentator for Sky News Australia, and previously hosted a weekly commentary program Richo.

Graham Richardson, born in Sydney, was the only surviving child of Fred and Peggy Graham Richardson, who were respectively New South Wales State Secretary and office manager of the Amalgamated Postal and Telecommunications Union.

Nevertheless, Graham Richardson completed his schooling at Sydney Technical High School, where he passed his Leaving Certificate.

Peggy Graham Richardson died suddenly, aged 42, distracting Graham Richardson from his studies as he threw himself into union and Labor politics.

Graham 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 Graham Richardson as saying: Then in '76 I had this huge salary movement which made all these things just not a problem at all.

Graham 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 Graham Richardson.

Graham Richardson kept the job until about May 1979, by which time she was getting about $160 a week from Balmain Welding.

Graham 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.

Graham Richardson was 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.

Graham 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.

Graham Richardson, claiming that he had been defamed, commenced legal action that was eventually settled out of court in 2007 in Graham Richardson's favour.

Graham Richardson groomed his successor for General Secretary, Stephen Loosley who took over in 1983 following Graham Richardson's successful nomination for the Senate.

Graham Richardson was preselected as a candidate for election to the Australian Senate following the retirement of Senator Tony Mulvihill.

Graham Richardson was re-elected to the Senate at the 1984,1987, and 1993 federal elections.

Graham Richardson was the mastermind of the political manoeuvring of the ALP government which has made the environmental movement an increasingly ineffective force in Australian politics.

In 1990, a looming tight election saw Graham Richardson tasked with responsibility to attract second-preference votes from the Australian Democrats and other environmental parties.

Graham Richardson claimed this as a major factor in the government's narrow re-election in 1990.

Graham Richardson was shocked at what he perceived as Hawke's ingratitude in allocating him initially Defence, and then later, Social Security instead.

Graham Richardson 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.

In May 1992, Graham Richardson was forced to resign his commission as Minister following revelations that he had used his position and influence to help his cousin by marriage, Gregory Symons.

Graham Richardson sat out the remainder of this term of parliament on the backbench.

Graham Richardson could have achieved an awful lot in that portfolio, but he had to resign.

Four weeks later, on 25 March 1994, Graham Richardson resigned both positions and retired from parliament, citing ill-health.

However, at the same time, allegations were mounting that Graham Richardson was involved in acquiring prostitutes for his personal use, supplied by Robert Burgess and Nick Karlos.

Graham Richardson is primarily seen by the Australian public through election night television coverage.

Graham Richardson was a currently a political commentator for the Seven Network and broadcaster with 2GB.

Graham Richardson has authored memoirs titled Whatever it Takes, published by Bantam Books, Sydney, 1994.

In 1999, as chairman of the 2000 Sydney Olympics ticketing operations, Graham 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.

Graham Richardson 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.

Graham Richardson was being paid by Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, and spruiked for PBL-owned companies Channel 9 and Crown Casino during his radio show.

In 2006, Graham Richardson became embroiled in allegations of tax evasion involving the late Rene Rivkin.

Graham Richardson was one of the shareholders of the Offset Alpine Printing company.

Graham Richardson is a political commentator for both Channel Seven and Sky News Australia, where he is commonly referred to as 'Richo'.

On Sky News, Graham Richardson was a regular contributor to the channel's various panel programs, before being given his own weekly panel show named Richo in 2011.

From 2013, Graham Richardson was given a second program on Sky News co-hosting with Alan Jones named Richo + Jones.

Graham Richardson was diagnosed in 1999 with chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and had five major tumours removed in three operations, the latest in 2012.

Graham Richardson returned to Sky News after a two-month post-surgery recovery period, in time to cover the 2016 federal election on 2 July 2016.