A bit Richo! When Australia honours the ‘minister for kneecaps’, what does that say about us? |
A bit Richo! When Australia honours the ‘minister for kneecaps’, what does that say about us?
May 23, 2026 — 5:00am
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Of course there had to be an unpaid restaurant bill. Among the late Graham Richardson’s liabilities, published by this masthead on Thursday, was an $18,536.75 debt to Golden Century for “Wake expenses”. Plus $1932 for “Funeral expense” and half of a $1645 “Pension overpayment”.
Far be it from The Sydney Morning Herald to question the late fixer’s affairs and his commingling of public moneys with private business, but … wait, what? Golden Century, having gone into voluntary administration in 2021, reopened a few months before Richardson’s death in 2025. After a (fittingly) pricey wake from his favourite Chinese, Richo then did a posthumous runner, leaving the payment to be duked out between his widow, Amanda, and his daughter, Kate Ausden.
The main expense for the funeral itself, at St James’ Church in King Street, was borne by you and me, via a request for a Commonwealth state service granted by the prime minister. Richardson was raised Catholic but lapsed, and the funeral was shifted to the Anglican St James’ after reported “differences” between Richardson’s family and the Catholic St Mary’s Cathedral. Ah well, whatever it takes.
The range of speakers and guests was certainly catholic in its breadth. Anthony Albanese and Tony Abbott spoke at the pulpit. Tanya Plibersek and Tony Burke shared the pews with Alan Jones, Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan. In death, Richo brought the great and good together in the kind of power-clubbiness that made you think politics is just a show, and the real game is the one conducted by what Slate founding editor Jacob Weisberg recently called “history’s dark connectors”.
“Every society........