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Tim Read

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tim Read
Campaign portrait, 2022
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Brunswick
In office
24 November 2018 – 19 September 2026
Preceded byJane Garrett
Personal details
Born1962 (1962)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died (aged 64)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
PartyGreens
EducationUniversity of Melbourne
Profession
SignatureThe words "Tim Read" are shown, written in black cursive
Websitewww.timread.org.au Edit this at Wikidata

Tim Read (1962 – 19 September 2026) was an Australian politician who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the district of Brunswick from November 2018 until his death in September 2026. He was a member of the Victorian Greens and served as the party's spokesperson for Health, Justice, Integrity and Science; he was also a general practitioner and medical researcher, with a PhD on the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Early life

[edit]

Read was born in Melbourne in 1962. From 1985, he attended the University of Melbourne where he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree.[1] He worked as a general practitioner in community health.[2] He began specialist training and from 1998 was a sexual-health physician. He later became the site principal at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre.[3] He was also a sexual health physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, as part of the Victorian Infectious Diseases Service.[4]

In 2014, he completed his Doctor of Philosophy thesis titled "Studies in the epidemiology of human papillomavirus, the early detection of anal cancer and the control of human immunodeficiency virus".[5] In 2015, he awarded a four-year National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship at Monash University.[6]

State politics

[edit]

Read had previously run for the Greens at the 2013 federal election for Wills,[7] and at the 2014 Victorian election for Brunswick.[8] In the 2018 Victorian election he won in Brunswick, the first time a non-Labor-aligned MP had been elected for the seat.[9]

In Parliament, Read campaigned on the issues of climate change, the over-incarceration and deaths in custody of Aboriginal Victorians, and the promotion of active transportation and bike safety. His inaugural speech in Parliament listed Victoria's biggest public health challenges as: heatwaves and climate change, our approach to drugs and crime, and diabetes.[10]

In 2019, he called for pill-testing and the decriminalisation of public drunkenness in his first two adjournment matters, for the latter calling on the Attorney-General to 'form a working group to establish a process to care for people found to be intoxicated in public' and to 'establish appropriate facilities, instead of relying on police cells' – the path to decriminalisation ultimately announced by the Victorian government later that year.[11][12]

As a prominent drafter of private members bills, in his first term he was responsible for the Victorian Greens' bills to introduce pill-testing, reform Victoria's bail laws, raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, and to strengthen political integrity laws and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).[13][14][15][16] He also sought to amend legislation to raise Victoria's renewable energy target from 50% to 100% renewable energy by 2030.[17]

In 2020 he was credited in playing a key role in preventing a controversial change to the Judicial Proceedings Reports Act 1958 which would have potentially criminalised the families of dead victims of sexual assault naming the victim, unless they had first obtained a court order.[18]

He was part of a successful campaign to reduce restrictions on gay men donating blood, although he continued to advocate for a further easing of the remaining restrictions.[19]

From March 2023 until his passing, Read was the Chair of the Integrity and Oversight Committee. He was elected to the role following the Andrews Government's decision to have a non-government chair.[20] In August 2023, he was involved in a "spat" with Victorian Labor MP Belinda Wilson, after he supported a motion condemning her and her Labor colleagues for their questions which were perceived as "attempting to smear" the Commissioner. Wilson later apologised to Read for shouting.[21]

In January 2026, Read announced he would not contest the 2026 Victorian state election, following a metastatic cancer diagnosis.[22]

COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]

Read was the only medical doctor sitting in the Victorian Parliament during the pandemic,[23] and was the Victorian Greens spokesperson for health throughout the period.[24] The Victorian Greens adopted a non-partisan, health and science-backed policy to manage the pandemic, largely seeking to work collaboratively with the Victorian Labor Government during the crisis, including negotiating the controversial amendments to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.[25] However, Read also publicly spoke against the 'military' response of Victoria Police towards anti-lockdown protesters, and against the need for Victorians to be locked out of their State when the COVID-19 virus was already known to be circulating in Victoria.[26][27] Noting rising COVID-19 hospitalisations, in May 2022 he accused the government of "sleepwalking towards a health crisis", and advocated for a government to launch a pre-emptive public health campaign for winter to promote masks, indoor air-quality and government grants for HEPA filters, and vaccination.[28] Despite support from the Australian Medical Association, the Victorian Premier criticised his calls as "pure rank politics", stating, "I'm terribly sorry but I'm not taking public health advice from them (the Greens), I'm just not."[29] The Premier reiterated that stance in a response to Read in question time on 7 June, stating: "On the notion that Victorians need to be reminded about the efficacy of mask wearing, the clear public health benefits of mask wearing, together with the benefits of getting vaccinated ... I reckon that Victorians know a bit about all of that because they have lived it for 2½ years. So, with the greatest of respect to the member for Brunswick, I do not think a further TV commercial campaign or a 'campaign', as he puts it, is necessarily needed."[30]

However, when faced with over 700 Victorian COVID-19 hospitalisations, on 12 July the Premier belatedly announced the program Read had been calling for, a "Stay Well for Winter Campaign" across TV, radio, outdoor and digital channels focusing on mask wearing, ventilation and vaccination, as well as an extension of the HEPA filter government grant program.[31] In July 2022, Read called for the government to offer people free masks to people on public transport, a move subsequently announced by the Victorian government in August that year.[32][33]

Academic research

[edit]

As a medical researcher Read contributed to over 60 peer-reviewed articles in medical literature, including:

  • "Outcomes of Resistance-guided Sequential Treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium Infections: A Prospective Evaluation."[34]
  • "Provision of rapid HIV tests within a health service and frequency of HIV testing among men who have sex with men: randomised controlled trial."[35]
  • "The near disappearance of genital warts in young women 4 years after commencing a national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme."[36]
  • "Should we start screening for anal squamous intra-epithelial lesions in HIV-infected homosexual men?."[37]
  • "Oral human papillomavirus in men having sex with men: risk-factors and sampling."[38]
  • "Symptoms, Sites, and Significance of Mycoplasma genitalium in Men Who Have Sex with Men".[39]
  • "Size of anal squamous cell carcinomas at diagnosis: A retrospective case series."[40]
  • "Use of Pristinamycin for Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma genitalium Infection."[41]
  • "HIV Testing With and Without a Clinical Consultation Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial."[42]
  • "Non-consensual condom removal, reported by patients at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia."[43]
  • "Sensitivity of HIV rapid tests compared with fourth-generation enzyme immunoassays or HIV RNA tests."[44]

Death

[edit]

Read died on 19 September 2026, following his diagnosis with melanoma the previous November. He was 64.[45] A statement released by the Victorian Greens commemorated his work, and wrote that he died "surrounded by family". His family requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Friends of the Earth and to the Inner North Community Foundation.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Sinnott, Alex (19 September 2026) [19 September 2026]. "Victorian state Greens MP Tim Read dies aged 64". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 September 2026. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
  2. ↑ "About - Tim Read". Tim Read. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Annual Report 2009". National Centre in HIV Epidemiology & Clinical Research. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2026 – via Yumpu.
  4. ↑ "Letters to the Editor". Australian Family Physician. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). University of Melbourne. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "2014 AMREP Research Report" (PDF). The Alfred Medical Research & Education Precinct. 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Green, Antony (7 September 2013). "Wills (Key Seat)". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  8. ↑ Green, Antony (28 November 2014). "Brunswick - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Dunstan, Joseph (1 December 2018). "Greens declare 'historic' win over Labor in Brunswick". ABC News. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Victoria, Address to Parliament Archived 17 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine, Legislative Assembly, 6 February 2019, 248.
  11. ↑ Victoria, Adjournment, Legislative Assembly, 5 March 2019, 718. 
  12. ↑ Premier of Victoria, New Health-Based Response To Public Drunkenness, 22 August 2019
  13. ↑ Victorian Legislation, Bills, Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing Pilot for Drug Harm Reduction) Bill 2019 Archived 29 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ Victorian Legislation, Bills, Bail Amendment (Reducing Pre-trial Imprisonment of Women, Aboriginal, and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2021.
  15. ↑ Victorian Legislation, Bills, Children, Youth and Families (Raise the Age) Amendment Bill 2021. Archived 29 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Victorian Legislation, Bills, Anti-corruption and Higher Parliamentary Standards (Strengthening Integrity) Bill 2022.
  17. ↑ Victoria, Second Reading, Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Bill 2019, Legislative Assembly, 2019, 2975.
  18. ↑ Kovolos, Benita; Vaughan, Roger; Goode, Callum (11 November 2020). "Vic sex assault survivors secure changes". The Canberra Times.
  19. ↑ Parkes-Hupton, Heath (31 January 2021). "New Australian blood donation rules for gay men don't go far enough, advocates say". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Integrity and Oversight Committee – Parliament of Victoria". new.parliament.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  21. ↑ "Heraldsun.com.au | Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories". www.heraldsun.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  22. ↑ "Victorian Greens MP Tim Read to retire from state politics to focus on cancer battle". www.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  23. ↑ "Tim Read, member for Brunswick in Victoria, dies after cancer battle". Nine News. 19 September 2026. Archived from the original on 21 September 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. Before being elected to parliament, he was a GP and medical researcher, and was the only qualified medical doctor sitting in Victorian parliament during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  24. ↑ "Tim Read - Parliament of Victoria". www.parliament.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Read, Tim (15 November 2021). "Why the pandemic bill is needed in Victoria". The Age. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  26. ↑ Mitchell, Neil (27 August 2021). ""Police union boss's message to anti-lockdown thugs 'intimidating' police online"". 3AW.
  27. ↑ Eddie, Rachel (7 August 2022). ""No apology, compensation for Victorians trapped in NSW during COVID border closure"". The Age.
  28. ↑ "Greens call for 'mask up' campaign as government sleepwalks towards health crisis'". The Greens Victoria. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  29. ↑ Clarke, Mitch (29 May 2022). "Victorian Greens encouraging mask wearing indoors to help hospital and ambulance system". Herald-Sun.
  30. ↑ Victoria, Questions without notice and Ministers Statements Archived 1 May 2025 at the Wayback Machine, Legislative Assembly, 7 June 2022, 2125–2127.
  31. ↑ The Hon. Daniel Andrews (12 July 2022). "COVID Advice For Victorians To Stay Well In Winter". Premier of Victoria.
  32. ↑ Squires, Mandy; Clarke, Mitch; Booth, Sarah (15 July 2022). "Seventeen Victorians died of Covid on Thursday, amid calls for free masks on public transport". Herald-Sun.
  33. ↑ The Hon. Daniel Andrews (9 August 2022). "Free Masks To Keep Victorians Safe This Winter". Premier of Victoria. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  34. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Murray, Gerald L.; Jensen, Jorgen S.; Danielewski, Jennifer; Worthington, Karen; Doyle, Michelle; Mokany, Elisa; Tan, Litty; Chow, Eric P. F.; Garland, Suzanne M.; Bradshaw, Catriona S. (1 February 2019). "Outcomes of Resistance-guided Sequential Treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium Infections: A Prospective Evaluation". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 68 (4): 554–560. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy477. ISSN 1537-6591. PMC 6355821. PMID 29873691.
  35. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Hocking, Jane S.; Bradshaw, Catriona S.; Morrow, Andrea; Grulich, Andrew E.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Chen, Marcus Y. (4 September 2013). "Provision of rapid HIV tests within a health service and frequency of HIV testing among men who have sex with men: randomised controlled trial". BMJ. 347 (sep04 1) f5086. doi:10.1136/bmj.f5086. ISSN 1756-1833. PMC 3762440. PMID 24004988.
  36. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Hocking, Jane S.; Chen, Marcus Y.; Donovan, Basil; Bradshaw, Catriona S.; Fairley, Christopher K. (December 2011). "The near disappearance of genital warts in young women 4 years after commencing a national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 87 (7): 544–547. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2011-050234. ISSN 1472-3263. PMID 21970896. S2CID 971545.
  37. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Fairley, Christopher K. (June 2011). "Should we start screening for anal squamous intra-epithelial lesions in HIV-infected homosexual men?". Sexual Health. 8 (2): 140–142. doi:10.1071/SH10152. ISSN 1448-5028. PMID 21592427.
  38. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Hocking, Jane S.; Vodstrcil, Lenka A.; Tabrizi, Sepehr N.; McCullough, Michael J.; Grulich, Andrew E.; Garland, Suzanne M.; Bradshaw, Catriona S.; Chen, Marcus Y.; Fairley, Christopher K. (2012). "Oral human papillomavirus in men having sex with men: risk-factors and sampling". PLOS ONE. 7 (11) e49324. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749324R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049324. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3500282. PMID 23173054.
  39. ↑ Read, Tim R.H.; Murray, Gerald L.; Danielewski, Jennifer A.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Doyle, Michelle; Worthington, Karen; Su, Jenny; Mokany, Elisa; Tan, L.T.; Lee, David; Vodstrcil, Lenka A.; Chow, Eric P.F.; Garland, Suzanne M.; Chen, Marcus Y.; Bradshaw, Catriona S. (April 2019). "Symptoms, Sites, and Significance of Mycoplasma genitalium in Men Who Have Sex with Men". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 25 (4): 719–727. doi:10.3201/eid2504.181258. ISSN 1080-6040. PMC 6433010. PMID 30882306.
  40. ↑ Read, T. R. H.; Huson, K. L.; Millar, J. L.; Haydon, A.; Porter, I. W. T.; Grulich, A. E.; Hocking, J. S.; Chen, M. Y.; Bradshaw, C. S.; Fairley, C. K. (November 2013). "Size of anal squamous cell carcinomas at diagnosis: a retrospective case series". International Journal of STD & AIDS. 24 (11): 879–882. doi:10.1177/0956462413486776. ISSN 1758-1052. PMID 23970608. S2CID 24027518.
  41. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Jensen, Jørgen S.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Grant, Mieken; Danielewski, Jennifer A.; Su, Jenny; Murray, Gerald L.; Chow, Eric P. F.; Worthington, Karen; Garland, Suzanne M.; Tabrizi, Sepehr N.; Bradshaw, Catriona S. (February 2018). "Use of Pristinamycin for Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma genitalium Infection". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 24 (2): 328–335. doi:10.3201/eid2402.170902. ISSN 1080-6059. PMC 5782881. PMID 29350154.
  42. ↑ Read, Tim R. H.; Walker, Sandra; Chow, Eric P. F.; Ong, Jason J.; Bradshaw, Catriona S.; Medland, Nick A.; Wigan, Rebecca; Chen, Marcus Y.; Fairley, Christoper K. (1 August 2018). "HIV Testing With and Without a Clinical Consultation Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial". Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 78 (4): 406–412. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001688. ISSN 1944-7884. PMID 29608445. S2CID 4566469.
  43. ↑ Latimer, Rosie L.; Vodstrcil, Lenka A.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Cornelisse, Vincent J.; Chow, Eric P. F.; Read, Tim R. H.; Bradshaw, Catriona S. (2018). "Non-consensual condom removal, reported by patients at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia". PLOS ONE. 13 (12) e0209779. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1309779L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209779. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6306234. PMID 30586420.
  44. ↑ Tan, Wei Sheng; Chow, Eric P. F.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Chen, Marcus Y.; Bradshaw, Catriona S.; Read, Tim R. H. (31 July 2016). "Sensitivity of HIV rapid tests compared with fourth-generation enzyme immunoassays or HIV RNA tests". AIDS. 30 (12): 1951–1960. doi:10.1097/QAD.0000000000001134. ISSN 1473-5571. PMID 27124900. S2CID 205983167.
  45. ↑ Phillips, Mark (19 September 2026). "Tributes flow for Tim Read, dead at 64". Brunswick Voice. Archived from the original on 19 September 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
[edit]
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