Liberal Senator Jim Molan (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
Liberal Senator Jim Molan (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)

Liberal Senator Jim Molan has died. The 72-year-old father of Sky News presenter Erin Molan died peacefully “in the arms of his family” on Monday night, a statement from his family read.

The former major general revealed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Molan was a federal senator for NSW from late 2017 to mid-2019, and then again from late 2019 after he filled a Senate vacancy left by Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos. He was reelected in the 2022 federal election.

Before entering politics, he served in the army for 40 years, including as chief of operations of coalition forces in Iraq for a year.

“He was many things: a soldier, a pilot, an author, a volunteer firefighter and a senator,” his family said. “Most of all, he was an adored husband, father, grandfather and brother.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Molan in a tweet, saying he was a “man of principle and a politician of conviction” who “lived his life in service of our country”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called Molan a “distinguished soldier and military commander” and “an admired politician”.

“Our nation has lost a patriot, a decent and honourable man, and above all and most importantly an incredible family man,” he said.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison said Molan was a “great patriot”.

“It’s a sad morning, most of all for all of the Molan family, for Anne and of course Erin and all the other kids and the grandkids,” he told radio station 2GB on Tuesday morning.

A Liberal party spokesperson said the party’s NSW division would “undertake a process to select a candidate to fill the casual vacancy in due course”.

Mary-Lou Jarvis, a former vice president and women’s council president of the Liberal Party’s NSW division, was the next Liberal on the Coalition ticket at the last federal election.

She declined to comment on whether she would consider filling the vacancy, but paid tribute to Molan to Crikey.

“He was a great Australian and a great representative of the Liberal Party,” said Jarvis, who is a councillor in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“As his family said, he was a soldier, a pilot, a firefighter and a senator. He will be sorely missed.”