Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Hansard source

nator McDONALD () (): I start by quoting one my favourite poets, Khalil Gibran:

God made the world with a heart full of love,

Then He looked down from Heaven above,

And saw that we all need a helping hand,

Someone to share with, who'll understand.

He made special people to see us through

The glad times and the sad times, too;

A person on whom we can always depend,

Someone we can call a friend.

God made friends so we'll carry a part

Of His perfect love in all our hearts.

It struck me, reading that the other day, what a perfect reflection that was of Jim. I did not have the opportunity to get to know him as well as so many people, because I more recently came into the Senate, in the gap while Jim was out. Much has been said of his extraordinary career with the Army—just an outstanding example of service. And it is a tragedy that often we get to know more about a person through attending their funeral and hearing people speak of them. It did strike me, though, what an incredibly practical person he must have been as a leader, too, ensuring that his troops could walk 80 kilometres in 24 hours with a 30-kilometre self-sufficient pack. It must have been an inspiring leadership to have men and women follow him.

I also reflected on his retirement, which was brief—just from the Army, not from his service to the community and his service in the rural fire brigade, and I can only imagine the air-firefighting service just grabbing hold of his leadership and understanding of both the aviation and the practical element of physical defence of our land.

His 'below the line' campaign was extraordinary, and I can assure you that, while North Queensland couldn't vote for New South Wales senators, they were very, very keen to. I had to explain to lots of people that, whilst they were passionate about seeing Jim Molan elected to the Senate, unfortunately from Queensland we couldn't help in that regard. But it was an extraordinary performance—extraordinary—and just a real sign of his personal leadership that he was able to attract so many people to vote for him.

I think some of the things that have marked Jim's time in the Senate were his incredible patriotism and his ability to convey to people that that was okay. At a time when we have young people not sure if it's okay to celebrate Australia Day, that the Australian flag isn't something that some people feel that they can muster around, Jim was able to let people know that patriotism is something that you can be incredibly proud of and embrace, and he lived that.

He was an inspiration in the Senate because he had this incredible capacity, as has already been commented on, to never seem rushed, to always feel considered—that he always had time to speak to you. He shared stories with me of his time in the Army that were just fantastic and a reflection of his views on the practical nature of leadership and the way the Army works, both then and now, and of course some very funny observations—but I won't share those here.

He was a man of such strong and clearly defined morals. I will always remember a day when we were preparing for the chamber, and there was a discussion about somebody, and there was a view put that this person had no choice but to follow their heart—that this was outside of their control. His comments were short and very sharp and to the point: 'Your morals and your decisions are always your own.' I thought that was a view that we do not hear enough. I was taken aback and also incredibly pleased to hear his incredibly strong moral standard.

He was a man you would go to war with, quite literally, but he epitomised a sense of respect for people—not forced, not manufactured, not around any particular values. I just think he liked people. He respected them. That sense of compassion and acknowledgement of humans, I really valued. He had an incredible sense of good humour. It's not always reflected in here. Sometimes people can be short and take their team's view very strongly, but Jim always managed to find his sense of humour and a sense of gratitude.

At the end of it all, character is what marks our lives, and Jim was a man of incredible character, a man of integrity, courage, morals and conviction. Of course, that gift of gratitude is something I have reflected on a lot since the service a couple of weeks ago. I hope I can carry that on. I thought that was a beautiful way to think about your life, a daily way. He was a man to be admired as an Australian, as a senator, but, most importantly, as a family man.

We share your loss and today we hope, in some way, to share a little of the pain, the burden, that you carry. I hope that, in time, the wonderful memories of Jim as a man will replace that sense of pain. My condolences to you, his family, to his friends and, importantly, to his staff. I say vale to a life incredibly well lived, to Jim Molan.