Dr Tim Read, the Victorian Greens MP for Brunswick, has passed away aged 64 after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
Earlier this week, we were saddened to learn of the death of Victorian Greens MP Dr Tim Read at age 64 following a high-profile fight with metastatic cancer. Dr Read served as the Member for Brunswick from 2018 until his passing, bringing a rare combination of scientific rigor, medical expertise, and profound personal integrity to state parliament.
Before entering politics, Dr Read was a general practitioner, a medical researcher specialising in sexual health, and a long-time public health campaigner—from his early days spray-painting health warnings on tobacco billboards with BUGA-UP, through to his final months passionately defending public health promotion and VicHealth.
Described by colleagues on all sides of politics as a man of genuine conviction, humility, and warmth, Dr Read left a lasting legacy through legislative reforms in pill testing, public health, anti-corruption oversight, and human rights.
Let’s revisit our conversation with Dr Tim Read.
Dr Tim Read, the Victorian Greens MP for Brunswick, has passed away aged 64 after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
From Direct Action to Medical Practice
Dr Read’s passion for public health and political activism began in his early twenties. In the mid-1980s, while studying medicine, he was an active member of BUGA-UP (Billboard-Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions), taking direct action against legal tobacco billboard advertising by spray-painting health warnings across Melbourne.
He went on to earn a PhD while working at a public HIV and sexual health clinic. His research spanned HIV treatment, prevention, and strategies to treat antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted infections. As the only medical doctor serving in the Victorian Parliament during the COVID-19 pandemic, his background provided critical scientific leadership to the public debate.
Parliamentary Career & Legislative Impact
Dr Read first contested the federal seat of Wills in 2013 and stood for the state seat of Brunswick in 2014 before winning the electorate in 2018. Over his eight years in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, he served as the Greens spokesperson for Health, Justice, Integrity, and Science and chaired Parliament’s Integrity and Oversight Committee.
His legislative advocacy delivered several significant public policy reforms, including:
Final Campaign for VicHealth
After scans revealed his cancer had metastasised, Dr Read announced in January that he would not contest the upcoming election. He dedicated his final months in office to campaigning against the Victorian Government’s decision to close VicHealth, the health promotion foundation established in 1987. Reflecting on his own diagnosis, Dr Read noted that early sun-safety messaging championed by VicHealth might have reduced his own melanoma risk had it existed during his youth, warning that defunding health prevention represented a “false economy”.
Tributes across political lines reflected Dr Read’s standing as one of the state’s most respected lawmakers. Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell remembered him as “the most liked MP in state parliament,” combining “conviction, integrity, wit and genuine humility.” Premier Ben Carroll and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson echoed those sentiments, commending his sincerity, commitment to anti-corruption reform, and unwavering focus on making life better for others.
In his valedictory speech, Dr Read captured his own philosophy on public service: “Politics is hope in motion. We politicians might want our opponents to lose their seats, but we cannot help but feel some warmth towards those we work with.”
Aiv Puglielli MLC, Vic Greens, N. E. Metro, Victorian Greens Member for North-Eastern Metropolitan Region; Greens Spokesperson for LGBTQIA+ Equality, Health, and Harm Reduction.
Aiv is representing the Greens on two major health and community issues: honoring the parliamentary and clinical legacy of the late Dr Tim Read MP, and championing the newly launched Melbourne HIV Consensus Statement 2026 ahead of the November Victorian State Election.
Joining us on Joy 94.9’s Saturday Magazine is Aiv Puglielli, Victorian Greens Member for North-Eastern Metro and state spokesperson for LGBTQIA+ Equality.
Today we reflect on the passing of former Greens MP and doctor Tim Read, whose career in sexual health and public advocacy helped lay the groundwork for major health reform across Victoria.
We also look at a historic milestone: the sector-wide call for Victoria to become one of the first places in the world to virtually eliminate HIV transmission by 2030. Aiv, welcome to the show.
Aiv, before we look at the election commitments in the new HIV Consensus Statement, we’ve recently lost your Greens colleague Dr Tim Read. Can you tell us a little about what Tim meant to you?
Dr Tim Read’s Legacy & Public Health Clinical & Political Career: Dr Read worked as a sexual health doctor and HIV researcher before serving as the Member for Brunswick. His career bridged direct clinical care with political advocacy—from early BUGA-UP billboard campaigns to legislative reform on pill testing, public drunkenness, and blood donation restrictions.
VicHealth Defence: In his final year, Dr Read fought against the closure of VicHealth, emphasising that investment in health promotion and prevention prevents far greater costs down the line.
The Melbourne HIV Consensus Statement 2026
Stigma, U=U, and Workforce
Stigma in healthcare settings remains a massive deterrent to testing. How do we bring Victorian law and health practice up to speed with the science of Undetectable = Un-transmittable (U=U)?”
“Preventing an infection saves around $282,000 in lifetime costs. What is your message to the major parties who might cite budget pressures as a reason to delay funding these community services?
Metric / Issue
Current Status / Target
Policy Solution in Consensus Statement
Lifetime Cost Savings
$282,000 saved per averted infection
Full upfront investment in prevention toolkits (PrEP, PEP, condoms).
Victorian HIV Plan Targets
95% diagnosed / 98% on treatment / 98% suppressed / 95% at-risk on PrEP
Resource the plan to hit targets; release the overdue 2025–26 mid-point review.
PBS Co-Payment
Victoria is the last big state charging co-pays
Waive PBS co-payments for HIV medication, matching NSW, QLD, and SA.
Medicare Ineligibility
Temporary visa holders face high out-of-pocket costs
State-funded PrEP, PEP, and rapid treatment initiation within 2 weeks.
Public Health Principle
Nothing About Us, Without Us
Sustainable, long-term funding for community-controlled & peer-led health services.
The post Sat, 26th, Sept, 2026: On-Air Tribute & Profile: Dr Tim Read (1962–2026); : Aiv Puglielli MLC, Vic Greens, N. E. Metro appeared first on Saturday Magazine.
