Jim Molan Dumped Below The Line By Liberal Party Factional Dingbats

Victor P Taffa

Liberal Senator Jim Molan has been dumped to below the line by Liberal Party Factional Dingbats for the 2019 Federal Election.

Liberal Senator for New South Wales Andrew James (Jim) Molan AO DSC is a former major general in the Australian Army and since December 2017 a Senator of the Federal Parliament.

During his military career, Jim Molan was:

• Commanding officer of the 6^th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment,
• Commander of the 1^st Brigade,
• Commander of the 1^st Division and its Deployable Joint Force Headquarters,
• Commander of the Australian Defence College.

In April 2004, Jim was deployed for a year to Iraq to serve as Chief of Operations for the new Headquarters Multinational Force in Iraq. Jim has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as the Legion of Merit by the U.S. government. Jim retired from the Army in 2008.

At the 2016 Federal Election, Jim Molan stood as a Liberal Party candidate for the Senate in New South Wales.

Jim Molan became a Senator in December 2017, when the High Court declared Fiona Nash ineligible to stand.

 

Education:

Jim Molan joined the Australian Army following completion of his schooling in Victoria.

On graduation from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1971 Jim was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

Jim graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland.

Jim is a graduate of the ADF School of Languages where he studied Indonesian. Jim maintains an interest in aviation and holds civil commercial licences and instrument ratings for fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Jim is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and is accredited as a Master Project Director (MPD).

 

Military Career

Jim Molan’s long and active military career includes:

1^st Battalion, Pacific Islands Regiment (Papua New Guinea) as a rifle platoon commander;

9^th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, as adjutant;

3^rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as rifle company second-in-command and rifle company commander;

Commanding Officer of the 6^th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment;

Commander of the Army’s mechanised 1^st Brigade;

Commander of the 1^st Division and its Deployable Joint Force Headquarters.

Jim was Commander of the Australian Defence College including:

• Australian Defence Force Academy;
• Australian Command and Staff College
• Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.

 

Postings:

Jim served as the Army Attache in Jakarta as a Colonel between 1992-94 and for this service he was awarded the Indonesian decoration Bintang Dharma Yudha Nararya in 1995.

Between 1998-99 Jim was Defence Attache in Jakarta as a Brigadier and served in East Timor. On 25 March 2000 Jim was upgraded to an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service in Indonesia and in East Timor.

In April 2004, Jim was deployed for a year to Iraq. He was despatched to serve as the Chief of Operations for the new Headquarters Multinational Force in Iraq, which was being planned.

Jim initially instead spent some time trying to find a specific role within the headquarters structure, before being allocated responsibility for energy security.

Jim was eventually made Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, and served during continuous and intense combat operations. For distinguished command and leadership in this period, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the American Legion of Merit.

After returning from Iraq he served as Defence Materiel Advocate of the Defence Materiel Organisation; and Adviser to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force on Joint Warfighting Lessons and Concepts.

Major General Jim Molan retired in July 2008.

 

Re-electing Jim Molan Is Easy:

Electors in the State of New South Wales at the 2019 Federal Election should ensure that Jim Molan is re-elected by voting below the line.

Jim Molan should be Minister for Defence in the future and certainly in place of the current and most recent Ministers for Defence.

Returning Jim Molan to the Senate in 2019 is essential so that a Liberal/National Opposition has a modicum of strength or if returned to Government that Jim is made Minister for Defence.

 

Line Across The Ballot Paper

Line across the Ballot Paper was first introduced at the 1984 Federal Election. Previously there was no line and voters could see all candidates contesting the Senate Ballot Paper in a fair and impartial manner.

Line across the Ballot Paper should be abolished and a formal vote counted when voters number 1 to 6 for a Half Senate Election or 1 to 12 for a Full Senate Election in an Original State and similar rules for a Territory Ballot Paper.

This would not stop any voter from numbering more than 6 or 12 squares if they so wished.

Federation of States

Australia became a Federation of States on 1 January 1901.

After much debate and deliberation our Federation Fathers ensured that each Original State had the same number of Senators so States with smaller populations were not outmuscled by States with larger populations.

In 2019 that argument is as relevant as it was in 1901.

Original States at time of Federation includes:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Territories Include:

• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory

 

Northern Territory Statehood:

For various reasons as outlined in articles published in The Southern Thunderer, it is The Northern Territory within existing boundaries which should become the 7^th duly constituted State of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Northern Territory Senate representation (State of Northern Australia or State of North Australia) could be for 6 Senators which is half of Original States representation of 12. Territory Senate representation is 2.

North Queensland Statehood

Some people would like to see a State of North Queensland. However, this would simply destroy Rugby League State of Origin which is a 3 match annual series between New South Wales and Queensland.

North Queensland should become a region in a restored Queensland Legislative Council.

Queensland Legislative Council

Restored Queensland Legislative Council that was abolished in 1922 would see 5 regions electing 8 members for a chamber of 40 members.

Queensland Legislative Council Regions would include:

• Central West
• Darling Downs
• North Queensland
• South East Queensland
• Sunshine Coast

Australian Capital Territory Statehood

Some people would like to see the Australian Capital Territory become a duly constituted State of the Commonwealth of Australia.

However, the Australian Capital Territory was established because New South Wales and Victoria could not agree on where Australia’s national capital should be located.

Special legislation was passed to establish a national Capital City. Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne from 1901 until 1927 and a permanent Federal Parliament House opened in 1988.

New States

Under the Commonwealth Constitution there are provisions for new states.

Chapter VI and sections 121-124 provides for New States in the Commonwealth Constitution.

• 121 New States may be admitted or established
• 122 Government of Territories
• 123 Alteration of limits of States
• 124 Formation of New States

s.121

The Parliament may admit to the Commonwealth or establish new States, and may upon such admission or establishment make or impose such terms and conditions, including the extent of representation in either House of the Parliament, as it thinks fit.

s.122

The Parliament may make laws for the government of any territory surrendered by any state to and accepted by the Commonwealth, or of any territory placed by the Queen under the authority of and accepted by the Commonwealth, or otherwise acquired by the Commonwealth, and may allow the representation of such territory in either House of the Parliament to the extent and on the terms which it thinks fit.

s.123

The Parliament of the Commonwealth may, with the consent of the Parliament of a State, and the approval of the majority of the electors of the State voting upon the question, increase, diminish, or otherwise alter the limits of the State, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed on, and may, with the like consent, make provision respecting the effect and operation of any increase or diminution or alteration of territory in relation to any State affected.

s.124

A new State may be formed by separation of territory from a State, but only with the consent of the Parliament thereof, and a new State may be formed by the union of two or more States or parts of States, but only with the consent of the Parliaments of the States affected.

 

Abbreviations:

AO                  Officer of the Order of Australia

DSC                Distinguished Service Cross

ADF                Australian Defence Force

 

Clarification:

Senator Jim Molan has not asked or hinted that Editor Victor P Taffa write this article. Editor Victor P Taffa sent Senator Jim Molan a congratulatory email when he was first elected to the Senate.