Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson has died aged 76.<\/p>\n
The former politician died at 3.50am on Saturday after weeks of influenza and pneumonia, 2GB Breakfast host Ben Fordham announced after speaking to his wife and son.<\/p>\n
“Darcy and Amanda have asked me to share the news with everyone that, sadly, Richo has passed away in the early hours of this morning,” Fordham said.<\/p>\n
Politics was an integral part of Mr Richardson’s life, from the time he dived headlong into Labor’s factional brawls in the 1960s to his final days.<\/p>\n
Cutting short his university degree to learn from the party’s toughest powerbrokers, he emerged\u00a0as the youngest ever general secretary of the NSW Labor Party at the age of just 26.<\/p>\n
At Labor’s Sydney headquarters, Mr Richardson became known as the “numbers man” for the right-wing faction.<\/p>\n
By 1983, Mr Richardson’s influence reached to the top of Labor, as he delivered the numbers to dump leader Bill Hayden in favour of Bob Hawke.<\/p>\n
At 33, he negotiated his own way into parliament to become the youngest senator ever elected at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was later installed as the minister for environment and sustainability.<\/p>\n
Mr Hawke needed Mr Richardson’s deal-making skills to secure an alliance with the Australian Democrats and early Green parties to win a tight election in 1990.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Richardson at a NSW State Labor Conference in Sydney on July 30, 2017. (AAP: Daniel Munoz)<\/p>\n
In exchange, Mr Richardson blocked Tasmania’s Wesley Vale pulp mill and saved the Daintree rainforest, staring down angry timber workers at ugly demonstrations.<\/p>\n
Politics was an integral part of Mr Richardson’s life, from the time he dived headlong into Labor’s factional brawls in the 1960s to his final days.<\/p>\n
Political scandals, ill health and television career<\/p>\n
However, the relationship with Mr Hawke soured in 1990, and Mr Richardson transferred his allegiance and numbers to Paul Keating, who became prime minister in December 1991.<\/p>\n
Mr Richardson was appointed minister for transport and communications, but his close relationship with media magnate Kerry Packer earned him the nickname “the Minister for Channel Nine”.<\/p>\n
His dream job did not last long. He\u00a0was forced to resign and head to the backbench after revelations he used his position and influence to carry out a migration scam in what became known as the Marshall Islands affair.<\/p>\n
Following Mr Keating’s surprise election win in 1993, Mr Richardson returned to cabinet as minister for health.<\/p>\n
His portfolio grew to take in the environment and sport after another government scandal, but once again, his tenure was short-lived.<\/p>\n
Just four weeks later, the 45-year-old retired from parliament, citing ill health.<\/p>\n
Mr Richardson went on to capitalise on his extensive contacts and forge a career as a corporate negotiator, broadcaster and commentator.<\/p>\n
But he never appeared far from controversy, with allegations of his involvement in sex scandals, dodgy developments and secret deals.<\/p>\n
He was a familiar face on election night panels and a very unpopular choice as the mayor of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Village.<\/p>\n
Yet he kept up his busy schedule despite his deteriorating health, penning a regular newspaper column and appearing alongside Alan Jones for a weekly television program on Sky News.<\/p>\n
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