Remembering Tim Fischer: The life and legacy of Australia’s former deputy prime minister
Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer has passed away at the age of 73.
Mr Fischer, AC, died at the Albury-Wodonga Cancer Centre, surrounded by close family members.
He suffered from acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells which he had undergone extensive treatment for over the past 10 months.
Majority of his treatment had taken place at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.
“After successfully battling three cancers since 2009, the fourth cancer, acute myeloid leukaemia eventually claimed his life although he continued to contribute to his many passions and attend functions right until the day of his final hospitalisation,” his family said in a statement.
Mr Fischer served as a platoon commander in Vietnam during the late 1960s, which is where he believed he contracted cancer after being sprayed by Agent Orange.
He served as the National’s federal member for Farrer in the NSW Riverina from 1984 to 2001, and was the leader of the Nationals from 1990 to 1999. Previously, he had been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1984.
He was deputy prime minister during John Howard’s time from 1996 to 1999.
Tim Fischer was a wonderful friend and colleague...he was magnificently ‘other person centred’ and would almost refuse to talk about himself, even when he was so ill towards the end.
I’ll miss him - but his family much more so - they deserve our thanks as well as sympathy.— John Anderson AO (@JohnAndersonAO) 23 August 2019
The passing of Tim Fischer, a man of great compassion, intellect & principle, brings into focus the stark contrast between him & the absolute rabble we currently have in government. Having men like Barnaby Joyce represent us is a national disgrace & international embarrassment.
— Grant O'Connor (@GrantOConnor1) 23 August 2019
Farewell #TimFischer Such a thoroughly decent man. Generous with his time and memories while filming ABC doco on the Nationals in 2014. Generous in every way. Will miss him. RIP pic.twitter.com/Td4Q8jamcv
— Heather Ewart (@heatherewart1) 22 August 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison released a statement saying Australia had “lost an original” and offered a state funeral “to celebrate his life and extraordinary contribution”.
“Tim Fischer was a big Australian in every sense of the word. Big in stature, big in his belief, big in his passion, big in his vision for what Australians could achieve and big in his view of Australia’s place in the world,” said Morrison.
“As a result, Tim Fischer will forever cast a big shadow on our nation.
“He walked his own path with honesty and humility and that is what Australians loved about him.”