Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer is gravely ill in ­Albury Hospital suffering from the effects of a 10-year fight with cancer.

Mr Fischer, who attended Xavier College in Melbourne, was conscripted into the Australian Army and served in the Vietnam War as a platoon commander and transport officer with the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. He was elected as a state MP in 1971 as a 24-year-old, and held various roles in NSW parliament before resigning in 1984 to contest the western NSW federal seat of Farrer.

He served as Nationals leader between 1990 and 1999, and ­retired from politics in 2001.

Mr Fischer has faced a series of cancer battles in recent years, ­including bladder cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma and ­leukaemia.

Speaking last year of his cancer battle, Mr Fischer attributed it to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

“At least one specialist has suggested my immunity broke down a lot more quickly as a ­direct consequence,” he said.

The Royal Australian Regiment Association extends its best wishes and keeps the former member of The Regiment in our thoughts.

Read the full article in “The Australian”