News / State Politics
Read to call it a day at next election
MP will retire in November to focus on cancer battle
Mark Phillips
BRUNSWICK MP Tim Read will not stand for re-election this year so he can focus on a major battle against cancer.
Read announced on Thursday that because of the ongoing medical treatment, he had decided to retire from the Victorian Parliament ahead of the state election in November.
Since the cancer was diagnosed in October, Read has reduced the number of public events he attends so he can concentrate on Parliamentary business. He will continue to serve as an MP until the election.
He announced his decision in an email to supporters and on social media ahead of Parliament sitting for the first time in 2026 next week.
“I’m feeling pretty good at the moment,” the 63-year-old said.
“The treatment appears to be working, and I’m optimistic, but with a bit less energy, especially for evening events.
“I can’t however commit to fighting an election campaign and serving another four years, so this year will be my last as the Greens state MP for Brunswick. Soon the Greens will choose another candidate for Brunswick and I look forward to supporting them.”
Read made history as the first Greens MP for Brunswick when he was narrowly elected in 2018.
He increased the margin to a commanding 13.7% in 2022, and even late last year was intending to seek a third term.
Despite his political allegiences, Read has won respect from across the spectrum for his calm and measured approach to his role. Among those expressing their apprecication on social media was former Labor MP for Brunswick Carlo Carli, who described Read as “a really active and diligent local member”.
Read publicly revealed he was dealing with an undisclosed health problem in spring when he said he would be winding down events and appearances to concentrate on his treatment and his role as Greens’ manager of parliamentary business in the Legislative Assembly.
He is currently Greens’ spokesperson for several portfolio areas, including schools, active transport and renewable energy, and has been chair of the Integrity and Oversight Committee since 2023.
Read said he first noticed his left leg was swollen in October and tests confirmed that a melanoma he had cut out of the leg six years ago had spread through his body.
He has been put on a course of immunotherapy and received four doses which have had a positive impact.
The former doctor said he would dedicate the rest of his term in Parliament to opposing the scrapping of the health promotion agency, VicHealth.
Read, who is one of three MPs on the board of VicHealth, said the decision to dissolve it was shortsighted and would cost more in the long-term than it would save.
He said that in his own case, skin cancer was preventable and the treatment had cost $100,000 so far.
“Health promotion aims to prevent disease; VicHealth saves us pain and money,” he said.
“The Labor and Liberal MPs who established VicHealth in 1987 showed courage and wisdom. The same cannot be said of those who would close it … Closing it is a false economy and will cost us all more in the long run.”
The Greens’ candidate for the November election will be chosen by a pre-selection process in which all party members living within the Brunswick electorate will be entitled to vote. That is expected to open next month.
No initial frontrunners have emerged but sources indicated potential candidates could include Merri-bek councillors Adam Pulford, Ella Svensson and Jay Iwasaki, and also City of Yarra councillors Sophie Wade and Edward Crossland.
Labor has yet to announce who will be their candidate for Brunswick at the state election.
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