Graham Richardson - Parliamentary Career

Parliamentary Career

Richardson was preselected as a candidate for election to the Australian Senate following the retirement of Senator Tony Mulvihill. As the Hawke Labor opposition defeated the Fraser-Anthony Liberal-National coalition, Labor retained its four Senate seats in New South Wales, with Richardson polling the third highest quota at the 1983 federal election. At age 33, he was the youngest ever Senator elected and initially sat on Senate committees on electoral reform, regulations and ordinances, finance and government operations, and estimates in the first term of parliament.

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