Conservative voice silenced
Teena McQueen, influential conservative and former Liberal VP, dies
Key Points
McQueen's family confirmed she died after an undisclosed medical condition, with the exact illness not publicly disclosed.
Tributes came from a range of conservative figures beyond Tony Abbott, including Julian Leeser and Kellie Sloane, who highlighted her as a forceful presence in Australian politics and a defender of Liberal Party values.
AFR reports McQueen spent time with Gina Rinehart at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, illustrating her connections with prominent business figures in conservative circles.
Tony Abbott described her as a consistent advocate for more internal party democracy and for policy in the tradition of Menzies and Howard.
McQueen had publicly said she had been considering a move to One Nation for 18 months before joining the party in 2023.
Teena McQueen, former Federal Vice President of the Liberal Party and recent One Nation defector, died on June 24, 2026, in a Sydney hospital after a short but severe illness, according to 7NEWS. She was remembered across Australia's conservative movement as a "force of nature" who spent nearly four decades shaping the hard right of Australian politics.
McQueen had defected to Pauline Hanson's One Nation just weeks earlier, in May 2026, ending a 40-year membership in the Liberal Party. The exact illness was not publicly disclosed, SMH reported, with her family confirming only that the condition was brief and severe.
From Liberal Vice President to One Nation Defector
McQueen served as the Liberal Party's Federal Vice President from 2017 to 2023, making her one of the most senior figures in the party's administration. She lost that position in June 2023 after moderates and some conservatives combined to block her re-election, according to The Age. She had cited the 2015 removal of Tony Abbott as the start of the party's "demise."
After leaving the vice presidency, McQueen became a regular commentator on Sky News. In May 2026, she officially joined One Nation alongside former Senator Hollie Hughes. She told reporters she had been considering the move for 18 months, frustrated that the Liberal Party's moderate wing was blocking the party from "doing the right thing," according to WAToday.
Abbott, Sloane and Sky News Colleagues Pay Tribute
Former prime minister Tony Abbott, now Liberal Party president, called McQueen a "good friend" and a "force of nature." He said she "sometimes put loyalty ahead of judgment, but it was typical of Teena's large and generous spirit," according to The Guardian. Abbott also praised her as a consistent advocate for more internal party democracy and policies in the tradition of Menzies and Howard.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane described her as a "steadfast advocate for party democracy." Sky News commentator Rowan Dean credited McQueen with "bringing together the original Outsiders show" and praised her as the "Aussie larrikin character" of Australian conservative media, according to The Spectator Australia.
Mar-a-Lago Ties and Links to Gina Rinehart
McQueen had deep ties to Australia's business and political right. In November 2024, she attended Donald Trump's victory party at his Mar-a-Lago resort alongside mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, according to The Nightly. She also worked as a Principal Policy Advisor for Roy Hill, a mining company within Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting group.
Analysts described McQueen as a key bridge between Australia's billionaire donor class and the rising populist right. Her role at Roy Hill put her at the centre of advocacy for deregulation and traditional energy policy. Her death leaves a gap in One Nation's push to attract disaffected Liberal voters and conservative donors ahead of upcoming elections.
A Career Defined by Controversy and Conservative Battles
McQueen was never far from controversy. In 2022, she told a CPAC conference the Liberal Party should "rejoice" that moderate Liberals lost their seats at the federal election. Senator Simon Birmingham responded by saying anyone celebrating the loss of Liberal MPs "is not a Liberal," according to The Guardian. Calls for her resignation followed, but she refused to step down.
In 2021, her comment — "I would kill to be sexually harassed at the moment" — made during the fallout from the Brittany Higgins allegations, drew widespread condemnation. Despite the friction, supporters in conservative media circles saw her as a voice for the "silent majority" who spoke without filter. Her death at around age 60 ends one of the most combative careers in recent Australian conservative politics.
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