Senator Kimberley Kitching – a good friend passes away
Senator Kimberley Kitching has passed away at the of 52.
Senator Kimberley Kitching
ECAJ co-CEO, Peter Wertheim, paid an emotional tribute to the late Victorian Labor Senator. “Kimberley Kitching was one of the best friends the Jewish community has ever had in the ALP. I consider it a privilege to have worked with her from the time she entered the Senate in 2016. She combined a sharp intellect with immense personal charm, and brought a genuine depth of knowledge to Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade issues in particular. We especially revered her as a fearless defender of the State of Israel, with a passion and depth of knowledge that was unsurpassed among her colleagues.”
“Kimberley was also an Australian patriot in the most meaningful sense of the word. She once described herself, only half in jest, as ‘one of the last of the freedom fighters’. Her passing is a terrible loss not only for her family but for the whole country. We will certainly miss her. We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Andrew. May her memory be a blessing”.
AIJAC’s Mark Leibler and Dr Colin Rubenstein said Kimberley Kitching was widely respected and admired.
Senator Kitching was deputy chair of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Israel and a true and deeply valued friend to Australia’s Jewish community. Senator Kitching’s untimely passing is a great loss to our community and to Australia as a whole. We send our condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. May her memory be a blessing.
Labor MP Dr Mike Freeland told J-Wire: “Can I just say that Kimberley had achieved a lot in a short space of time and had a lot more to give. She was always friendly and inclusive and was always interested in diverse views.
She was a great advocate for human rights both in Australia and overseas and was an extremely tireless worker. I will miss her greatly.”
Federal Labor MP Josh Burns posted on Facebook: “I’m in complete shock and sadness at the tragic loss of my friend Kimberley Kitching. Kimba was charming, smart and probably the toughest person in the Parliament.
Former Labor Victorian Michael Danby said: “Kimberley Kitching ought to have been a future Australian foreign or defence minister. One of the highest compliments someone of German heritage can convey is to say she was a serious person
In but 6 years in the Senate she already had a national and international reputation.
Such Joie de vivre.
Such potential
So much still to do in these dangerous times…”
