Petro Georgiou, a former Liberal MP for Kooyong and a respected advocate for human rights and multiculturalism, died peacefully at the age of 77 on Friday, April 4.
Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton MP, paid tribute to Mr Georgiou AO describing him as “a man of principle” who was “respected across the Parliament.”
Full statement:
Petro Georgiou was a proud Australian of Greek ancestry, a man of principle, and a person whose astute policy mind was respected across the Parliament.
Petro served his constituents of Kooyong with the utmost dedication for more than 15 years.
Under the Howard Government, Petro was a hard-working Liberal backbencher committed to his constituents and the Liberal Party.
Petro was also someone who uttered his beliefs with conviction, even when his views didn’t align with his party’s positions or policies.
Having migrated to Australia from Greece, Petro was a champion for migrant rights and multiculturalism during his political career and beyond – especially in his role as Director of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs for five years.
Testimony to his character and achievements in public life, Petro was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2013 for his service to Parliament and his contributions to multiculturalism and human rights.
Petro’s own success story is one which speaks to Australia’s broader migration success story. He will be dearly missed by his wide circle of friends and so many communities that benefited from his advocacy, goodwill and support.
On behalf of the Federal Coalition, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Petro’s partner, Roxanne, as well as Dino and Alexia, his beloved children.
May Petro Georgiou rest in peace.
