Victorian Greens MP Tim Read Remembered as 'Mr Integrity' at State Memorial

More than 500 people gathered at Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday to celebrate the life of Victorian Greens MP Tim Read, who died on September 19 after a battle with metastatic skin cancer.

Greens leader Ellen Sandell described Read as "Mr Integrity," telling the crowd, "He was fundamentally decent and he made others want to be decent too." The service drew a broad cross-section of the Victorian political community, including Premier Ben Carroll, Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, and Nationals leader Danny O'Brien, underscoring Read's significant impact on public life.

Read, 64, had announced his cancer diagnosis in January and stated he would not seek re-election in the upcoming November state election. He had been undergoing treatment for metastatic skin cancer that had spread from a melanoma removed years prior. He spent his final weeks at home with family.

Before entering Parliament in 2018 as the first non-Labor representative for Brunswick, Read was a medical doctor, researcher, and general practitioner specializing in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections. His son, Martin, referred to him as "Brunswick's dad," and noted his father would have likely expected attendees to arrive by bike or tram.

Read's sister, Ursula, shared memories of their upbringing and his early influences, including music by Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd. She also recalled his brief stint as a cadet journalist for The Age, stating her belief that he was destined to "change the world."

Premier Carroll acknowledged Read as a man of principle, compassion, and intellect, noting that "Tim stood for what he believed in and he never sat down." Read's advocacy in Parliament was credited with strengthening Victoria's anti-corruption watchdog through his work on the Integrity and Oversight Committee. His efforts also contributed to public health reforms, including the decriminalization of public drunkenness, the abolition of solitary confinement in prisons, the ability for gay men to donate blood, and advocating for pill testing.

Read is survived by his wife, Angela, children Louisa and Martin, his mother, and two sisters. The service concluded with performances of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'."