Molan flags political ambition

Sports broadcaster Erin Molan says she considers herself a future Liberal MP but as ruled out running as a candidate at next year’s federal election.

Nine Network presenter Erin Molan and Scott Morrison at Penshurst Girls High School in Sydney. Picture: Damian Shaw

Sports broadcaster Erin Molan says she considers herself a future Liberal MP but will not run as a candidate at next year’s federal election.

Molan – daughter of NSW Liberal senator Jim Molan – confirmed she had been approached by the Liberal Party to contest the marginal seat of Eden-Monaro, where she grew up, at the next election.

She appeared alongside Scott Morrison at Penshurst Girls High School in Sydney’s southwest on Wednesday where she spoke about the government’s proposed anti-trolling legislation for which she campaigned.

Molan said she would “absolutely” run as a federal candidate “at some stage”.

“It’s a real honour to even have interest in me doing that,” she said. “I’m very passionate about making a difference.”

The 38-year-old Nine Network presenter has ruled out running at the next election, saying the timing was not right for her as a new single mother. “My biggest thing in life is I never want to look back and regret not spending the time with my daughter that she deserves,” she said.

“Down the track? Absolutely.”

At the election, the ­Coalition will be challenged by a raft of ­independent female candidates targeting incumbent Liberals.

The Prime Minister said it was “only natural” that he encouraged Molan to run at the next election, given her passion for “making Australia a stronger nation”, but he respected her decision.

“Politics is a hard business and it’s a very tough business,” he said.

“It’s very demanding and one of my golden rules is … if you’re not ready to come in, then that’s not the right time for you.”

Mr Morrison practises his netball skills. Picture: Damian Shaw

Molan spearheaded a campaign against cyber bullying last year that resulted in the federal government introducing legislation to support victims of online abuse and improve complaints avenues.

Under the proposed legislation, social media giants would be forced to expose the identity of anonymous online trolls who posted defamatory or damaging material. If the companies refused or were unable to identify who made the defamatory comments, they would be liable for defamation costs.

Molan said she had received thousands of supportive mess­ages from people after speaking out about the online abuse she ­experienced, including one letter from a teacher about the terrifying impact of social media and ­online trolling in schools.

“What really hit home to me was a letter I got from a Year 3 teacher talking about the fact the first three hours of every lesson in the morning was not geography, not English, not maths, it was dealing with the fallout from the night before of online behaviour,” she said.

“Dealing with the fallout of what these kids were subjected to online the night before.

“So this is not about me, this is about making the world a safer place for our kids.”