Prime Minister Scott Morrison led the tributes to Mr Fischer, with political leaders praising his self-sacrifice, leadership and compassion on Monday afternoon.

Mr Fischer's brother Tony, son Dominic and wife Judy Brewer were in the public gallery in Parliament House to hear the condolence motion.

Mr Morrison said the house would "record its deep sadness" at the death of Mr Fischer and acknowledge his "remarkable public service" and tender its "profound sympathy to his family".

"Timothy Andrew Fischer was Australia all over, he was an Australian original: the Boy from Boree Creek," Mr Morrison said.

"He was loved, he was admired, he was respected, he was revered."

Mr Morrison said Mr Fischer rose from "humble beginnings in a very loving and hard-working family" to a "titan for regional Australia".

Riverina MP and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack recalled Mr Fischer's frequent calls to The Daily Advertiser newsroom when he was the editor.

"I remember taking a call from him, he was phoning in a story from the Collingullie phone box...just a village west of Wagga Wagga," Mr McCormack said.

"All of sudden when he tried to get out of the phone box he was bailed up by a cattle dog," Mr McCormack said.

"Undeterred he called back and that became the story of the day, not just locally but nationally; he knew how to milk a story for all it was worth."

Mr McCormack said Mr Fischer was a "giant of Australia" and of the Nationals and their predecessor the Country Party.

"Tim and I were great friends then, we were great friends until his sad end," Mr McCormack said.

"Judy has lost a wonderful husband and Dominic and Harrison have lost a magnificent father and Tony has lost a beaut brother.

"And we, as a nation, have lost one of our finest; one of our very best."

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Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese told Parliament that "there was never any danger of Tim being mistaken for just another politician".

"Tim rose beautifully above some people's early expectations," Mr Albanese said.

"What many couldn't see was behind that idiosyncratic air of quizzical geniality, was a man with a rock-solid constitution.

"He had faced guns in Vietnam, where the bleak lottery of conscription sent him off to the war that gave him the toughest, most thorough education going.

"He faced guns when he handed an armed siege in the most Tim Fischer way possible."

Mr Albanese recalled the incident where Mr Fischer intervened when a refugee, disgruntled over his family being unable to leave Thailand, took a rifle into the Albury immigration office.

"Tim ignored the warnings and walked in on his own, armed with nothing but empathy and words.

"Hours later he walked back out again, the gun in one hand and his arm around the man."