Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

It's with a heavy heart that I rise today to join my colleagues on reflecting on the life and service to our nation of Senator Jim Molan. Rarely we speak in this chamber on days such as this of colleagues that we've served with and that each and every one of us have known. So it is with a particularly heavy heart that I rise and associate the National Party's comments with those of the Leader of the Government in the Senate and particularly with those of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Birmingham. Senator Jim Molan was a devoted husband to wife Anne, brother, father, grandfather and mate, as we heard at his funeral. On behalf of the Nats, I convey our deepest condolences to Jim's family and friends. He was a giant, a warrior taken too soon, and, as Senator Birmingham said and as others have made reference to since his passing, a true patriot.

He was also a great friend to rural and regional Australia. He understood regional issues, and he was not afraid to get out and across our regions, particularly in his beloved home state of New South Wales. Despite some tensions early in his parliamentary career, Jim was a great friend to the Nationals team and regularly attended our events and worked collegiately. As a former minister for both emergency management and agriculture, I can also attest to Jim's strong advocacy in those particular policy areas. We would often speak about the needs and interests of rural and regional Australia and the recovery from the bushfires in New South Wales.

Many have already attempted to describe Jim's passion, character and contribution to our society and this nation, but if I could use just one word that encapsulates all these it would 'patriot'. He met everybody with a really warm, open smile and an engaging and open spirit. Often when we come into the Senate we don't display that openness when we are actually tasked with representing all of the spectrum of ideas that exist across our nation, but Jim was prepared to listen, to learn, to engage deeply and then to respond respectfully. He had a profound sense of duty to his family, the Defence Force and his nation. He served his community constantly, working with charities and the rural fire service, serving in our country's parliament and in the Australian Army.

He joined the Australian Army as an officer cadet in 1968. For the political nerds amongst us, that was also the same year that Black Jack McEwen was Prime Minister for a couple of weeks. We in the National Party wished that that had been a little longer, but McMahon had other ideas. It was a time that many in this country would not remember or know, but I think it's important to reflect that Australia was engaged in the Vietnam War at that time, more than 100 Australians had already lost their lives in a conflict far away and 1968 became the deadliest year of that conflict. It was in this context that a young Jim Molan couldn't wait to sign up and serve.

A distinguished career followed over the next 40 years, including posts in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor and Iraq. He served as platoon commander in the 1st Battalion Pacific Island Regiment, adjutant in the 9th Battalion Royal Queensland Regiment, rifle company commander in the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, commanding officer of the 6th Battalion RAR, commander of the Army's mechanised 1st Brigade, commander of the 1st Division and its Joint Force Headquarters, commander of the Australian Defence College, Army attache in Jakarta between 1992 and 1994 and defence attache between 1998 and 1999, during the East Timor independence crisis.

His time in Indonesia was recognised in 1995 when he received a decoration of merit from the Indonesian Armed Forces and again in 2000 when he became an officer of the Order of Australia for service in East Timor. In 2004 his military experience and strategic expertise led him to be deployed again. He served at the Headquarters Multinational Force in Iraqi as deputy chief of staff of operations. This was at the height of operations, overseeing continuous and intense combat operations. His leadership and strategic advice were recognised in that theatre of operations and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Legion of Merit by the United States government. After returning from Iraq, Jim served as an advisor to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force on joint warfare and lessons and concepts. He finally retired at the rank of major general in 2008.

I mention these roles, services and awards because they go to the depth of knowledge and understanding he had of Australia's defence capability and strategy. When Jim spoke on defence matters, people listened. He wrote not one but three books on the subject and was a thought leader of his time.

In 2013 when the former Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government had exposed Australia to the threat of porous borders and people smuggling it was Jim who was called to help. Soon after the coalition swept to power in 2013, he was appointed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott as special envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders, co-authoring the strategy to stop the boats and create a sophisticated Defence and Border Force intervention in a complex region. His deep understanding of the Indo-Pacific, military tactics and defence strategy was key in ending human trafficking and people smuggling and ensuring Australia's northern border was secure. Despite what some may say and continue to say about Operation Sovereign Borders, not only was it a success but it continues as a bipartisan government policy to this day and is being seen internationally as a policy worth implementing.

Following this success, it came as no surprise to many when he was elected by the Liberal Party to join us in this place in 2018, boosting the coalition's expertise on defence and security. Albeit a comparatively brief time in this place, it was incredibly well spent. He didn't waste a minute here. Despite his towering physical presence, he never looked rushed at all, despite being urgent in his advocacy at every single moment. It's actually a unique gift in this place.

He was quick to employ the oversight mechanisms contained in the standing orders and served on many committees scrutinising Australia's defence readiness and forward strategy. For those who are reading this at some future date, he was part of the government whilst also scrutinising the strategy and the spending in that space, so he was very much a senator's senator in that regard. We were very fortunate to have had his knowledge, expertise and passion.

He was a vocal advocate for improving Australia's defence capability and strategic response. No-one was more ardent than he in his avocation for greater transparency in Australia's national future defence strategy. In his last opinion piece for the Australian in November he said:

A more open, frank dialogue is required between Australia's government and its people about the challenges that lie ahead.

War is now more likely than at any point in the past 80 years, but our next conflict won't involve a few thousand troops on far away shores. It will occur on our doorstep—

impacting the entire nation—

And if government is hoping that when this happens, it can rely on Australians to fight in our defence or at the very least pay the bills, now is the time to start a very candid discussion.

And the late Jim Molan was right. The invasion of Ukraine cannot be seen as an isolated act; nor can we be ignorant to the coercive powers of nations seeking to exploit others, or the growing complexity in our own region.

We've faced some serious challenges as a nation over the past three years and we've seen how quickly international settings can change. From viruses to the downfall of political regimes to regional conflict, our world has changed rapidly. It's reminded us all that, whilst the efforts of the peaceful continue to outweigh the efforts of the malevolent few, conflict in this world is inevitable, and as a nation we must meet the task of constant vigilance. There is much we can do to delay conflict, but we must always be prepared to meet it and we must always be stronger in that moment than we were before for the decisions we have all made in this place. Senator Jim Molan knew this and, like a young Churchill, warned of the dangers of being ill-prepared. He sought to ensure Australia was ready for whatever came next. His contributions to this debate, I hope, will be heeded, and they will be sorely missed over time. But I'm confident his legacy will live on.

Jim met his last battle with typical, resolute determination and an incredibly positive spirit, and he's an example to us all when we face adversity. Sympathy and condolences to Anne and his four children, his grandchildren and wider family and friends. Vale Jim Molan.