Joan Kirner: Former Victorian premier dies aged 76

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Sorry, this video has expired Video: Former premier of Victoria Joan Kirner has died aged 76 (ABC News)

Victoria's first and only female premier Joan Kirner has died aged 76 after a long battle with illness.

Ms Kirner, Victoria's premier from 1990 until 1992, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer two years ago.

Ms Kirner was a school teacher and education activist before winning a seat as a Labor member in Victoria's Upper House in 1982.

She later moved to the Lower House as member for Williamstown and began a series of education reforms, including the introduction of the Victorian Certificate of Education, aimed at reducing what she saw as class-based inequity.

When John Cain resigned in 1990, Ms Kirner became Victoria's first female premier, but it was only two years before she was swept from office in a Coalition landslide.

She was lampooned by her critics for her fashion sense and left-wing politics but remained popular.

Ms Kirner remained active in public affairs after her resignation from Parliament.

She will be remembered for her tireless work promoting women's rights, conservation, and education, and her love of Essendon Football Club.

In 2012, Ms Kirner was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her work in advancing equality for women, and for her political achievements in the 1980s and 1990s.

Accepting the award she said she was very proud to have been the first female premier of Victoria.

"[Now] young women and their daughters know that they can be premiers, they can be leaders of the state, and they can be leaders of the nation," she said.

"My mother used to say to me, 'you can do anything as a girl that you want to do', and I believe that," she said.

She said as a female leader, the media judged her harshly.

"They couldn't cope with the argument and the discussion, the public and the political dialogue, so they had to cope with all they could cope with, and that was what I was wearing, what I was thinking," she said.

She listed her greatest achievements as creating the land restoration network, Landcare, helping people with special needs and paving the way for women to enter Parliament.

Ms Kirner is survived by her husband Ron, children Michael, David, and Kate and their families.

In the statement, her family thanked "the wonderful doctors and staff at Peter [MacCallum Cancer Centre] for their kindness, tireless dedication and support".

Tributes flow for politician, parent and friend

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has praised Ms Kirner's education reforms, saying her introduction of the Victorian Certificate of Education made "schools fairer".

"Joan was a teacher and over the course of her life she gave us all a lesson in the meaning of dignity," he said.

"She stood proud and firm in the face of difficulty. She smiled often and she meant it.

"Education was the bedrock of Joan's life and schools were the foundation of her career. She was an ordinary Victorian parent, but she had an extraordinary vision for the future of our children."

Mr Andrews said Ms Kirner "raised a generation of Victorian Labor women", including former prime minister Julia Gillard.

"In her last years, Joan gave us so much of her time. We're thankful for every second of it," he said.

"Her humour kept us humble and her counsel was always welcome. She was a teacher to the end.

"She fought every day for fairness. Our state is stronger for her service and our lives are greater for her friendship.

"She was our first female premier and because of her work, she won't be the last."

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Ms Kirner was a "dauntless warrior for social democracy and a leader of the march of women through the institutions of power".

He said when Ms Kirner married her husband Ron she became ineligible for a permanent teaching contract.

"It was an act of unfairness she never forgot and a marker of the inequality she dedicated her life to overturning," he said in a statement.

"Joan looked at politics and refused to accept the status quo.

"A fairer and better deal for women, for teachers, for schools and for students drove her."

He quoted Ms Kirner as saying: "If you want to change the world for yourself and your own kids, you've got to change it for and with other people, particularly women."

Career dedicated to redressing wrongs: Bracks

Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, who worked for Ms Kirner when she became premier, called her a woman of great warmth and empathy.

"[She was] also someone who took on great leadership roles and had a determination about her as she took those on," he told 774 ABC Melbourne.

"She never flinched. She was resolute in making sure she'd do the best she could as premier of the state."

Mr Bracks said Ms Kirner would be remembered for her strong sense of social justice.

"That was really the value that Joan Kirner brought to everything she did," he said.

"She hated unfairness. She was about social inclusion, social justice, and she really set about her life and her whole career to redress wrongs."

In a statement, Ms Kirner's family paid tribute to her political career, including her work promoting women in politics.

"Joan was part of a group of progressive Labor women who established Emily's List Australia in 1996 to provide financial, personal and mentoring support to progressive Labor women candidates," the family said in a statement.

"Since then, the organisation has supported more than 400 women to campaign for office, with more than 210 elected.

"Joan was unpaid coordinator for the first seven years of Emily's List's existence."

The national co-convenor for Emily's List Australia, Tanja Kovac, said Ms Kirner said was "a truly unique public advocate and politician".

"Joan made politics more human. She embodied all the elements of good leadership and good life – a belief in love, family, sharing, participation and inclusion," Ms Kovac said in a statement.

"I am grateful that I got to know her, not just as a politician, who made my school, Mullauna Secondary College, a remarkable, progressive place to learn, or as an icon of women's leadership, but as a mentor and friend.

"We shared highs and lows of political and personal achievement together – the rise and fall of Julia Gillard as prime minister; the cancer diagnosis – she was always positive, philosophical and brave.

"I will miss that generous, wellspring of wisdom."

Topics: states-and-territories, parliament, death, community-and-society, melbourne-3000

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