A shattered Bill Shorten has paid tribute to his political colleague and friend, Kimberley Kitching, who died suddenly on Thursday.

It’s believed the Labor Senator suffered a fatal heart attack.

She was only 52.

“She’s been taken too young – you can’t sugarcoat it,” Mr Shorten told Neil Mitchell on Friday.

The former Labor leader said Senator Kitching was a “quiet achiever” and was respected by both political rivals and colleagues in a way “few” politicians are.

Mr Shorten said she had been under “unfair stress” at work but admits he wouldn’t know whether that played any role in her passing.

“I’ll tell you one thing – it’s not what those bloody fools, the anti-vaxxers, say,” Mr Shorten said in response to conspiracy theorists disgracefully linking her death to the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I knew Kimberley – she believed in the power of science.

“That wasn’t it, so let’s squash that ‘theory’ right on the head.”

Neil Mitchell agreed.

“He is right,” he said.

“Forget this anti-vax nonsense.”

Press PLAY below to hear Bill Shorten’s tribute

(Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)