Vale Senator Jim Molan AO DSC
The New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party pays tribute to Major General Senator Jim Molan, AO, DSC, who sadly passed away overnight.
Jim’s life was one defined by dedication to his family and nation, as a husband, father, and grandfather, and through his service first in the Australian Army, and later as a Liberal Senator for New South Wales.
Rising to the rank of Major General, Jim was deployed to Iraq where he served as Chief of Operations for the Multinational Force, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as the Legion of Merit by the United States Government.
Jim was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1992 for his service as Commanding Officer of 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He was later made an Officer in the Order of Australian (AO) in 2000 for his role as the Head of the Australian Defence Staff in Jakarta during the Indonesian and East Timor crisis.
Having retired from the Australian Army in 2008, Jim was appointed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott as a special envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders, and was the architect of the successful Operation Sovereign Borders, which successfully restored Australia’s border security.
In 2017, Jim was declared elected to the Senate, representing New South Wales, following a decision of the High Court of Australia in Re: Nash. While Jim didn’t retain his seat in the Senate at the 2019 federal election, he chose to serve our Party and the nation again, elected to fill a casual vacancy later that year, before being re-elected at the 2022 federal election.
In Parliament, Jim remained a staunch defender of Australia and took a keen interest in national security, defence, intelligence and geo-political issues, while actively fighting for and representing the interests of regional New South Wales.
Within our organisation, Jim was an active Member, who stood up for his beliefs and championed our Liberal values, representing the interests of our Membership across the State.
Jim Molan was a fine Australian who leaves a remarkable legacy of distinguished service to the country he loved.
Our thoughts are with Jim’s wife Anne, his four children, extended family and many friends at this difficult and sad time.
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