Sitting Liberal senator Jim Molan dies aged 72 after cancer battle

He was recently re-elected at the 2022 federal election.

Retired Major General and sitting Liberal senator for NSW, Jim Molan, has died at the age of 72 after a battle with prostate cancer.

Molan retired from the Australian Army in 2008, before unsuccessfully running in the senate at the 2016 election.

He was elected in place of Fiona Nash during the eligibilty crisis in 2017, but not re-elected at the 2019 election.

But only later that year, he was selected by the Liberals to fill the casual vacancy left by Arthur Sinodinos' resignation, and re-elected in May 2022.

His term was set to expire on 30 June 2028.

According to the Parliament House website, "when a vacancy occurs the President of the Senate writes to the State Governor, advising that a vacancy has occurred."

"The procedure followed in New South Wales is that the Governor then writes to the presiding officers of both chambers advising them of the vacancy, and negotiations follow between the chambers regarding the date and time of a joint sitting of both chambers to decide upon the person to fill the vacancy."

"It is usual for the Legislative Assembly Leader of the party in which the vacancy has occurred to nominate the candidate the party has preselected...should there be more than one nomination an open ballot would take place."

"At the conclusion of the joint sitting the President notifies the Governor in writing of the name of the person elected, and the Governor in turn notifies the President of the Senate."

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