In 2004, Dr Ivan Molloy stood as the Australian Labor Party (ALP) Candidate for the federal electorate of Fairfax (Qld). As a political campaign it was fairly ordinary and Molloy didn't appear from an observer's perspective to have much hope in a very conservative electorate. However, there were still a number of factors which could possibly make Ivan Molloy a slight chance to win the election against a very poor under-performing Liberal Party sitting member. The Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham, was on a roll, with the public very tired of John Howard's Government. Dr Molloy had also become a very well known political figure on the Sunshine Coast due to his role as a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of the Sunshine Coast and a prominent and outspoken political commentator. Dr Molloy was also well known in his field for his research into terrorist and revolutionary and separatist Islamic movements in Asia and elsewhere. In the 1980s, Molloy spent considerable time in the field researching the Moro National Liberation Front, and the Communist New People's Army in the Philippines. Both insurgent movements were fighting against the US-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Molloy researched the question of an alliance between these normally bitterly and deadly opposed groups. During that era, Molloy also spent time in Nicaragua researching the US-backed Contra war against the Sandinista Revolutionary Government. Dr Molloy was able to incorporate such PhD research in the Philippines, Nicaragua and elsewhere into his very successful internationally selling book 'Rolling Back Revolution'. Molloy was also a very prominent academic in the Pacific and President of the Pacific Island Political Studies Association (PIPSA).
Earlier that Year (2004), Dr Ivan Molloy had finished his book titled 'Eye of the Cyclone - Issues in Pacific Security' which was launched by ALP identity Kevin Rudd, who later became an electoral confidante.
Molloy & Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd launches Ivan Molloy's book
As the election campaign continued Dr Molloy in view of his public standing and achievements began to look very competitive against his Liberal opponent. However, Molloy's election campaign was soon derailed quite dramatically by a number of crucial - even sinister, developments.
Molloy's very vocal and very public opposition to the US-led war in Iraq saw Dr Molloy and his former wife, Cate Molloy, a State MP for Queensland, publicly ridiculed by his political opposition and the Murdoch Press. Unfortunately for Molloy, his own party, the ALP, appeared to lose its nerve on this issue and did not publicly support Dr Molloy's stance despite often condemning the war in the past. Latham and his 'minders' appeared scared of alienating the Murdoch Press and provoking a debate with PM Howard on this issue.
A Terrorist Sympathiser?? Hardly??
Mark Latham and Dr Ivan Molloy
As the campaign advanced it soon became clear that Dr Molloy would speak his mind on issues and not be gagged by the Party which seemed to be in fear of Prime Minister John Howard's tactics and the Murdoch Press. As such, it also became clear that Molloy was made a target of a vicious right wing dirt campaign waged by his political opponents. His opponents, rumored to be from a Liberal Party 'dirt' team, released a copy of a photo (1983) from a Monash University publication to the media. It portrayed Ivan holding a machine gun in the company of Muslim Separatists in the Southern Philippines. A hysterical media frenzy immediately erupted with journalists and opposition politicians branding Molloy a terrorist sympathiser and demanded he be sacked as a candidate. All conveniently refused to admit or report the truth that the photo was taken when Molloy was undertaking PhD research in the Southern Philippines into the question of a possible alliance between the Islamic separatist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the communist New People's Army (NPA). Normally deadly enemies, both groups were fighting the US backed corrupt dictator, President Ferdinand Marcos. Molloy's PhD research work was later published as 'Rolling Back Revolution' by Pluto Press. The photo actually showed an armed Molloy in the company of his bodyguards and not Muslim guerrillas at all. It was purely "a photo for the kids", Molloy argued. The end result was: Dr Molloy was falsely accused, seemingly tried and found guilty in the court of a public opinion shaped by a media pack of unethical, sensationalist driven journalists apparently happy, it appeared, to pursue and promote prejudice, dishonesty, bigotry and ignorance. As a consequence Molloy paid the ultimate price politically.
Much of Molloy's political plight was also due to the fact that the ALP silenced him from speaking out in the media to defend himself over this issue. The ALP hierarchy argued that it would set the facts right for him. It never did. Latham instead chose to marginalize Molloy from the campaign. Latham appeared to run scared from Howard and therefore by making a joke of Molloy's campaign 'hung Molloy out to dry' in what was an incredible travesty of justice.
Another Ivan Milat? We Don't Think So!!
The Real Ivan Milat
To add further insult to injury, Mark Latham also labeled Ivan Molloy - 'Ivan Milat' (the brutal serial backpacker killer) in the media, but claimed it was just a slip of the tongue. It was brutal ridicule and some would say it was done on purpose to further marginalize Molloy. With his political and academic reputation in tatters, Ivan Molloy subsequently quit the Labor Party, but not until after the election wherein to the surprise of all he actually increased Labor's vote by 2% in his electorate, while Labor's vote dropped by 2% across the board.
A 'Rogues's Gallery' of journalists - perhaps?
Andrew Bolt
Derryn Hinch
Maxine McKew
In their rush to condemn Molloy, some questions need to be asked about the journalists listed here. Were they 'maybe just mistaken' about Ivan Molloy, or perhaps they just didn't do adequate competent, independent research about Ivan Molloy's work? Or, some might ask, were they simply acting like sensationalist, unethical biased opportunists - and therefore a disgrace to their profession collectively? You be the judge.
Piers Akerman
Mat Price
John Laws
This list of possibles, some above, includes John Laws, Mat Price, Andrew Bolt, Steve Lewis, Derryn Hinch, Matthew Franklin, Piers Akerman, Maxine McKew, and others - not to mention the members of Howard's 'Political Dirt Team'.