Jim Molan ‘a champion of family, country’

Jim Molan has been remembered as an Australian patriot, soldier, politician, writer and family man who dedicated his life to the service of his country.

Liberal senator Jim Molan has died, aged 72.

Jim Molan has been remembered as an Australian patriot, soldier, politician, writer and family man who dedicated his life to the service of his country.

He died peacefully on Monday at the age of 72 following a prostate cancer battle, and Anthony Albanese said he would be remembered for his four decades in the military and fierce advocacy for the people of NSW as a Liberal senator.

“He was a man of principle and a politician of conviction. My condolences to his loved ones, colleagues and friends,” the Prime Minister said.

Peter Dutton said Senator Molan was a “champion for our country”, a “great gentlemen” whose decency and tenacity had set the example for the next generation. “Our nation has lost a patriot, a decent an honourable man and above all and most importantly an incredible family man,” the Opposition Leader said.

Senator Molan is survived by wife Anne, his three daughters, Sarah, Erin and Felicity, and son Michael, as well as his five grandchildren, Sophie, Angus, Eliza, Grace and Andrew.

In a statement, Senator Molan’s family described him as an “adored husband, father, grandfather and brother” who had made major contributions as a soldier, pilot, author and volunteer firefighter.

“With profound sadness we share that, following a sudden and rapid decline in health after Christmas, Jim died peacefully on January 16 in the arms of his family. Our loss is immeasurable, but we are comforted in our memories of a full life courageously lived, devoted to family and in service of the country he loved,” the statement said.

Born in 1950, Senator Molan entered the army in 1968, graduating from Duntroon in 1971, and went on to serve in the military for 40 years, reaching the rank of major general. He was deployed to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Germany, the US and Iraq before his retirement in 2008.

He entered the Senate for the Liberal Party in December 2017 but was defeated at the May 2019 election after being relegated to the unwinnable fourth slot on the Senate ticket. He returned in November that year to fill the vacancy left by Arthur Sinodinos, but was forced to take leave in April 2021 because of his cancer diagnosis. He was returned at last year’s federal election.

John Howard said Senator Molan’s military career culminated in 2004 when he became the Chief of Operations for Coalition Forces in Iraq, giving him oversight of a multinational force of more than 300,000 personnel.

Mr Howard described Senator Molan as a “plain-speaking man” and “talented military leader” who had “given so much to his country”.

Former governor-general and chief of the defence force, Peter Cosgrove, recalled Senator Molan from their time at Duntroon as a “fellow who had boundless energy, goodwill and enthusiasm. He loved the military and the military loved him”.

“He was a great advocate for the people that he led,” Sir Peter told 2GB radio. “I rated him extremely highly for his leadership.”

Senator Molan’s military service was recognised in the awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross by the Australian government and the Legion of Merit by the US. In 2009, he published an insider’s account of his time as Chief of Operations in Iraq and last year authored another book, Danger on our Doorstop, detailing Australia’s options in confronting a rising and more aggressive China.

Tony Abbott said that in Iraq, Senator Molan “probably had more personnel under his operational command than any Australian general since World War II”. “Subsequently, as a writer and then a senator, he did his best to alert Australians to the dangers of strategic complacency,” he said.

Mr Abbott said Senator Molan possessed a “clear-eyed view of the Beijing regime’s pursuit of global dominance” and the “catastrophic consequences of war in East Asia, and Australia’s military and psychological unreadiness for such challenges”.

After retiring from the army, Senator Molan became the architect of Operation Sovereign Borders, which underpinned the Coalition’s border protection policy when Scott Morrison was immigration minister and Mr Abbott prime minister.

On 2GB radio, Mr Morrison said Senator Molan “was a very big man” with “big ideas”.

On Facebook, Mr Morrison said: “We were privileged that Jim chose to serve as a Liberal senator in the federal parliament, but his dedication to his country and the values he believed in went way beyond politics.”