Former Liberal MP and respected doctor Katie Allen has died aged 59, her family announced on Tuesday, describing her as "beloved" and "deeply loved".
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved Katie [Mum]," the family statement posted to Instagram said.
"She spent her life caring for others as a mother, doctor, professor, MP and friend. She is deeply loved. She passed in peace, surrounded by family and lived a full, beautiful life, all the way to the end. We love you so much."
Allen revealed in May she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma.
She said at the time: "It's a stage 4 diagnosis and has already spread. I know there are difficult days ahead, but I'm facing this with clarity and determination."
The post did not reveal how Allen died.
Allen served as a member for the now-abolished seat of Higgins from 2019 to 2022.
She challenged Labor's Carina Garland in the seat of Chisholm, which incorporated part of her former seat, at the 2025 federal election, but was unsuccessful.
During her time in parliament, Allen made headlines in 2022 when she crossed the floor to side with Labor on amendments to a religious discrimination bill, earning respect across the political spectrum.
Before entering parliament, Allen was a paediatrician and director of population health at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute from 2011 to 2019.
Allen was 'passionate about making a difference', Albanese says
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Allen on Wednesday, saying he had "enormous respect" for her.
"She has passed far too soon. And I think for her colleagues in the Liberal Party, but right across the parliament, she had respect," he told reporters.
"She always conducted herself in a respectful way, both in this parliament and on the campaign trail, and my thoughts go to Dr Allen's family, to her friends, to her former colleagues and to the community that she represented.
"She was passionate about making a difference not just for that local community, but for our nation. And I join in mourning her passing."
Colleagues pay tribute
Former Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin was among the first to pay tribute to Allen on Tuesday.
"Life isn't fair for many. And for Katie — this was not fair. But the changes she made, the people she supported and the beliefs she lived, for many gave them the opportunity they may never have had. And with her support, life was more fair," he said on social media.
Liberal senator Jane Hume described Allen as "an extraordinary woman, and an inspirational friend".
Labor senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who won Higgins in 2022 before she was elected to the Senate when the seat was abolished, also shared her condolences.
"Hers was a life of service and you were all her triumph. My condolences to you all."
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