Tributes flow for Teena McQueen after sudden death
Teena McQueen, a former senior Liberal Party figure who defected to Pauline Hanson's One Nation earlier this year, has died after a short illness. She was 63.
McQueen served as the federal vice-president of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2023 and was a frequent commentator on Sky News. She died on Wednesday, according to a statement from One Nation.
Her death prompted tributes from prominent political figures, including former prime minister Tony Abbott, who described her as a "good friend."
Abbott, Joyce lead tributes
Tony Abbott, the former Liberal prime minister and current party president, posted on social media: "Teena was a long-standing branch activist on the NSW Central Coast, a delegate to federal council and, eventually, a federal vice president of the Liberal Party. At every level she was a consistent advocate for more internal party democracy and for policy in the tradition of Menzies and Howard."
Abbott added: "She sometimes put loyalty ahead of judgment but it was typical of Teena's large and generous spirit that she would confide in others her plans and then take guidance on their merits. In recent weeks, her frustrations with the party became public but it was always the cause of better government for Australia that motivated her. I will miss her as will her many friends."
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said the news came as a "great surprise and incredible sadness." He wrote: "I spent a week with Teena merely a month or so ago and never realised she was sick. Teena dedicated herself to her nation via her passion for politics. Not as a politician but as the unpaid administration of the volunteer party structure. Conversations with Teena were often about policies, our nation and the capabilities of politicians. To the very last this was her realm. Without Teena McQueen the party would not function. I offer my deep condolences to her family and note my abiding affection to this dear friend of mine."
Political journey and controversies
McQueen announced her defection to One Nation in May 2025, saying she felt the Liberal Party's demise began when Abbott lost the prime ministership. She was a long-time supporter of US President Donald Trump and had spent time with mining magnate Gina Rinehart at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
McQueen was a divisive figure within the Liberal Party. In 2022, then-senator Simon Birmingham called her position as vice president untenable after she said it was good that "lefties" had left the party. She also reportedly told colleagues in a 2021 meeting that she would "kill to be sexually harassed," later saying it was a throwaway line because women her age didn't have to worry about sexual assault.
NSW opposition leader pays tribute
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane described McQueen as a "force of nature in Australian politics" in a tribute on X. She wrote: "I am saddened to hear of the passing of Teena McQueen. Teena was a force of nature in Australian politics — passionate, outspoken, and utterly committed to the causes and values she believed in. She dedicated many years to the Liberal Party. My sincere condolences to her family."
McQueen is survived by her family. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson expressed her condolences, saying McQueen had been a dedicated advocate for conservative values.
