Senator Jim Molan calls for cutbacks to immigration, warns of potential US, China conflict

Senator Jim Molan has used his maiden speech to parliament to warn that Australian cities are either at, or approaching capacity.

Senator Jim Molan delivering his maiden speech in the Senate Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Retired army general Jim Molan has used his first speech to warn Australia’s cities are struggling to deal both culturally and physically with the “excess” number of legal migrants, and told colleagues he will not be beholden to a faction.

The new NSW Liberal senator, who replaced former Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash after she was caught in the dual citizenship saga, did not go as far as echoing Tony Abbott’s calls to “scale back immigration” but said the number of migrants may be too large.

“Control of our borders and immigration are important to me, as they are to most Australians,” Senator Molan told the chamber.

“We now effectively control our borders in a way that few now trust the opposition to do. However, I am concerned that the level of legal migration, now that we control our borders, is in excess of the capacity for our cities to absorb, both culturally or in terms of infrastructure. We are approaching limits on this, if we have not already exceeded them. I don’t have the answer, but I certainly have the concern.”

The co-author of Operation Sovereign Borders, a hard line policy introduced by the Abbott government to “stop the boats”, launched a staunch defence of the scheme and the “lives it saved”, while declaring the Australian Defence Force was in the best condition he had seen it since the end of the Vietnam War.

After rising to the rank of major general and serving as chief of operations for the US-led coalition forces in Iraq, Senator Molan cautioned America “may no longer stand as straight or as tall as we hope”.

He said military conflict with China was not inevitable and noted there had been war on 12 out of 16 occasions since the 1500s when a status quo power was overtaken by a rising power.

“Twelve of 16 times is not good odds and requires prudent policy,” Senator Molan said.

“We need to increase our self-reliance to manage strategic uncertainty through increased readiness, preparedness and all-round adaptability. Once before, in the decades up to 1941, Australia blindly put its security in the hands of an old friend, with a resulting situation that almost did not end well.”

The self-labelled “staunch conservative on international affairs” said behaviour of Liberal factions — be they left, centre or right — was “rarely in the interests of the party” as he positioned himself as an unaligned senator.

“I am of no faction and beholden to no individual or group, I am a NSW Liberal and that is where my loyalty lies,” Senator Molan said.

“I proudly stand beside Walter Villatora, Tony Abbott, Angus Taylor and many other NSW Libs, while still recognising the sterling qualities of many of those who opposed us.”

Senator Molan’s speech was watched in the chamber’s gallery by Kim and Kerry Duffy, whose son Bryce was killed by a rogue Afghan soldier in 2011 on a parade ground in Afghanistan. Senator Molan helped inspire Bryce to join the Army, and delivered a eulogy at his funeral.