Jim Molan | |
|---|---|
| Senator for New South Wales | |
| In office 14 November 2019 – 16 January 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Sinodinos |
| Succeeded by | Maria Kovacic |
| In office 22 December 2017 – 30 June 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Fiona Nash |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Andrew James Molan 11 April 1950 East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 16 January 2023 (aged 72) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Anne Molan (m. 1972) |
| Children | 4, including Erin |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession |
|
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1968–2008 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Major General Andrew James Molan, AO, DSC (11 April 1950 – 16 January 2023) was an Australian politician and a senior officer in the Australian Army.[2] He was a senator for New South Wales from December 2017 to June 2019 and from November 2019 until his death in January 2023, representing the Liberal Party.
During his military career, Molan commanded the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, the 1st Brigade, the 1st Division and its Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, and the Australian Defence College. In April 2004, he was deployed to Iraq for a year to serve as chief of operations of the new headquarters for the Multinational Force in Iraq. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as the Legion of Merit by the United States government. He retired from the Australian Army in 2008, and later that year released his first book, Running the War in Iraq.
Following his retirement from the Australian Army, Molan was appointed by the Abbott government as a special envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders and was subsequently credited with being an architect of the coalition's Stop the Boats Australian border protection and asylum-seeker policies.[3][4] In 2016, Molan unsuccessfully stood as a Liberal Party candidate for the Senate in New South Wales at the 2016 federal election.[5][4][6] In December 2017, during the parliamentary eligibility crisis, the High Court declared him elected in place of Fiona Nash, who was ineligible to stand.[7] He was not re-elected to the Senate in the 2019 federal election.
On 10 November 2019, Molan was selected by the NSW Liberal Party to fill the casual vacancy left by the resignation of Senator Arthur Sinodinos. He was appointed by a joint sitting of the NSW Parliament on 14 November 2019.[8] At the 2022 election, he was re-elected to a six-year term that was supposed to expire 30 June 2028. He died less than a year into his new term.
- ^ "Maj Gen. (Rtd) (Jim) Andrew James Molan". Who's Who in Australia Online. ConnectWeb. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- ^ "MAJOR GENERAL (Retd) ANDREW JAMES (Jim) MOLAN, AO DSC" (PDF). Legacy. 19 July 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ Wroe, David (6 September 2013). "Abbott adviser handed new paid role as envoy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ a b Koziol, Michael (15 March 2016). "'Stop the boats' architect Jim Molan is planning a new mission – to enter Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "General Jim Molan ready to fight for Liberal Senate spot". The Australian. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Senate – New South Wales". Australia: ABC News. 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Hoerr, Karl (22 December 2017). "Jim Molan to replace Fiona Nash in Senate, High Court rules". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ Karp, Paul (10 November 2019). "Jim Molan wins Senate spot to replace Arthur Sinodinos". Retrieved 10 November 2019.