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Graham Richardson

Graham Richardson ed the Australian Labor Party in 1966 when he was seventeen, becoming New South Wales State Organiser five years later. he discovered the powerbrokers in the NSW Right and apprenticed himself to learn these men, some of the toughest in the Labor Party.

With hard work he started to "bring in numbers" and so began an extremely successful, pragmatic and colourful career that took him branch member to the Cabinet and ultimately on to become one of the Labor Party's key figures during a record term in government.

In 1996 he passed his leaving Certificate with honours and credits at Sydney Technical High School, and began studying for a Degree of Bachelor of Law at Sydney University in 1969, but left his studies in 1971 when he was elected full time organiser for the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales.

In 1983 when he was elected to Federal Parliamnet as Senator for New South Wales. In his 11 years in Federal Politics, Graham held the ministerial portfolios of Environment, Arts, Sport, Tourism, Territories, Social Security, Transport, Communications and Health. He resigned politics in March 1994.

Graham then took on the position of 'Special Commentator' for the Nine Network. His role includes political commentary for election coverage (both State and Federal) as well as reports for Sunday and A Current Affair and a regular spot on the Saturday morning Today program. In 1996 Graham ed the board of the Sydney Olympic Games Organising Committee SOCOG). Graham was also the Mayor of the Olympic Village.

Graham brings politics to life with drama and humour as he relates his own successes and mistakes and reveals the real people behind the political masks. He is also an excellent commentator on many issues facing Australians today.