Susan McDonald
Counted against the divisions held while they sat, not the whole parliament. Absence from a division is not abstention: pairing arrangements, leave and parliamentary duties are not distinguished in the official record. How these figures are computed.
Background
| Born | 7 Feb 1970, Brisbane, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Parliaments | 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Economics | University of Queensland |
| Bachelor of Commerce | University of Queensland |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Business Manager | 2014 – 2019 | |
| Chief of Staff | Queensland Government | 2012 – 2014 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Minister for Resources | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | current |
| Shadow Minister for Northern Australia | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | current |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | current |
| Shadow Minister for Resources | Dutton Shadow Ministry; Ley Shadow Ministry | 5 Jun 2022 | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Shadow Minister for Northern Australia | Dutton Shadow Ministry; Ley Shadow Ministry | 5 Jun 2022 | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Dutton Shadow Ministry; Ley Shadow Ministry | 5 Jun 2022 | 21 Jan 2026 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Australia Joint Select | Member | 4 Aug 2022 | current |
| Parliamentary Standards Joint Select | Member | 29 Mar 2022 | current |
| Economics: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 2 Jul 2019 | current |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Chair from 4 Jul 2019 | 2 Jul 2019 | current |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Deputy Chair from 4 Jul 2019 | 2 Jul 2019 | current |
| Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre (formerly Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology) Senate Select | Member | 11 Sep 2019 | 20 Oct 2021 |
| Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas Senate Select | Member | 1 Aug 2019 | 4 Dec 2019 |
| Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda Senate Select | Deputy Chair from 25 Jul 2019 to 28 Apr 2021 | 24 Jul 2019 | 28 Apr 2021 |
| Public Works Joint Statutory | Member | 2 Jul 2019 | 13 May 2021 |
Memberships as the Parliamentary Handbook records them; current means no end date is recorded.
Election history
| Election | Electorate | Party | First pref % | Swing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Senate, Queensland | LNP | 30.93 | Elected 3rd of 6 | |
| 2019 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 38.90 | Elected 3rd of 6 |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state. A Senate row gives the whole group's share of the state's formal vote, since most Senate votes are cast for a group above the line.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Travel | $83,530 | $42,370 | $47,506 | $51,130 |
| Office Facilities | $45,592 | $49,369 | $34,737 | $41,737 |
| Office Administration | $38,394 | $23,374 | $21,751 | $84,299 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $52,339 | $14,445 | $26,107 | $30,655 |
| Other Car Costs | $15,206 | $15,277 | $17,921 | $18,642 |
| Travel Allowance | $13,696 | $7,412 | $13,401 | $9,741 |
| Telecommunications | $595 | $617 | $564 | $587 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $930 | $395 | $628 | -$501 |
| Total | $250,281 | $153,259 | $162,616 | $236,290 |
Expenditure as the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority publishes it each quarter, in its own categories, rounded to the dollar. Travel distances, office locations and roles differ, so totals do not compare between members. IPEA's reports and notes.
Funding disclosures
| Election | Electorate | Donations | Donors | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Nil return | ||
| 2019 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Nil return | ||
Returns as lodged with the AEC: a candidate's return covers the gifts received and electoral expenditure for that election, a member's annual return the gifts received in the financial year. A nil return records no gifts or spending of the candidate's own. A party-endorsed candidate lodges one when the party or its campaign committee handled the campaign's money, and the party discloses it in its own returns. AEC Transparency Register.
Voting record 374 divisions
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), AEC disclosures (CC BY 4.0), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.