Prominent in his later years spearheading Operation Sovereign Borders before joining the Senate, perhaps his greatest honour came in the Iraq invasion, where he served as chief of operations for the coalition forces.
“He was someone you sent to get the mission done ... there was a view he was the general you wanted in the glass cabinet to break in time of war,” he told Sky News.
“He was focused absolutely on Australian security, on the security of our allies, on doing what he could do in the positions he held to make sure that Australians could live safely.”
He was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross by Australia and the Legion of Merit by the US, along with an Order of Australia.
“Jim having been involved in so many complicated military operations, could see immediately this was one of the reasons that had bedevilled the former Labor government’s approach to border protection and was determined we wouldn’t make the same mistake,” he told Nine Radio.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton described his colleague as a “soldier’s soldier.”
“Whether it was on the battlefield, in the political arena or on the media stage, Jim was admired for his discernment, leadership and unfailingly courteous manner,” he said.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, taking leave from the Senate for treatment.
His family thanked people for their thoughts.
“Our loss is immeasurable, but we are comforted in our memories of a full life courageously lived, devoted to family and in service of the country he loved,” they said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent condolences to his family and friends.
His replacement in the Senate is likely to be held up by the NSW state election in March, as it requires the selection of a nominee by the Liberal party and the endorsement of a joint sitting of the state parliament.
