Age, Biography and Wiki

Mal Colston was born on 5 April, 1938 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is an Australian politician. Discover Mal Colston's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 65 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Teacher · Politician
Age 65 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born 5 April 1938
Birthday 5 April
Birthplace Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Date of death 23 August, 2003
Died Place Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nationality Australia

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 5 April. He is a member of famous politician with the age 65 years old group.

Mal Colston Height, Weight & Measurements

At 65 years old, Mal Colston height not available right now. We will update Mal Colston's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
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Who Is Mal Colston's Wife?

His wife is Dawn Patricia McMullen

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Dawn Patricia McMullen
Sibling Not Available
Children 1

Mal Colston Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Mal Colston worth at the age of 65 years old? Mal Colston’s income source is mostly from being a successful politician. He is from Australia. We have estimated Mal Colston's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income politician

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Timeline

1938

Malcolm Arthur Colston (5 April 1938 – 23 August 2003) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1975 to 1999.

1975

Colston indirectly played a role in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.

On 30 June 1975, Queensland ALP Senator Bertie Milliner died suddenly.

The Labor Party nominated Colston to fill the Casual vacancy in the Senate.

The Constitution provides that a Senate Casual vacancy is filled by a person chosen by the relevant state parliament.

At the ensuing 1975 election, Colston was elected as a Labor senator.

1977

Although not a constitutional requirement until 1977, it was long a convention for the state parliament to choose a person nominated by the departing Senator's political party.

However, the Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, claimed that Colston was a "dangerous socialist" and refused to appoint him.

Officially, though, Bjelke-Petersen expressed doubts over Colston's integrity and instead appointed Albert Field, a member of the Labor Party who was staunchly opposed to the policies of the Gough Whitlam Labor government.

The ALP challenged Field's appointment in the High Court, and Field was on leave from the Senate almost from the day of his appointment.

That gave the Coalition a greater advantage and so was one of the crucial events that led to the dismissal of the Whitlam government.

1993

From 1993 to his retirement, he was a joint Father of the Senate, along with Brian Harradine.

1996

He was a member of the Labor Party until 1996, when he resigned to sit as an independent following a dispute over his candidacy for Deputy President of the Senate.

Colston was a schoolteacher before entering politics, and held a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Queensland.

Colston was born in Brisbane and joined the Labor Party at the age of 19 and held several branch positions in the party.

He was unsuccessfully nominated for selection as a Senate candidate at the age of 23.

He qualified as a teacher and taught in several primary schools while he completed a doctorate in educational psychology at the University of Queensland.

He failed on two further occasions to gain Senate selection.

He later wrote a book, The Odd One Out, about his political experiences.

He continued to serve in that capacity until 1996.

After the 1996 election, the Labor Party refused to nominate Colston to become Deputy President of the Senate, a position he had previously held from 1990 to 1993.

In a bid to win him over, the Howard Coalition government offered to support him.

Colston resigned from the Labor Party by fax message at 11:30 a.m., on 20 August, and he took his seat as an independent that afternoon.

In the evening, he was elected Deputy President, on the nomination of the Coalition.

He opposed the Coalition's industrial relations package, but he voted for the sale of a third of Telstra and some other government initiatives.

Colston then sat as a "Queensland First" senator.

1997

In 1997, Colston was charged by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions with 28 charges of defrauding the Commonwealth by allegedly misusing his parliamentary travel allowance.

He then revealed that he was suffering from cancer.

Prosecution was not pursued after medical opinion was provided that Colston was unlikely to live long enough for a trial to be completed.

In the event, he survived for a further six years.

He retired from the Senate at the end of his term.

2003

Colston died of colon cancer in 2003.

He had appointed his wife, Dawn Colston, as executor and trustee of his will, but she died eleven months later, before she could dispose of her husband's will.

She had appointed her brother, Brian McMullen, as executor of her will.

The Colstons' son, Douglas Colston, claimed that he was entitled to half the income of his parents' estates, and initiated action against McMullen.

2011

The case was ongoing, as of September 2011.

As of 2022, the outcome of this case is unknown.

Notwithstanding the controversies that he generated after his defection from Labor, Colston requested that no condolence motion be moved in the Senate after his death.

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