Ted O'Brien
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 May 1974, Brisbane, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 2 Jul 2016 |
| Parliaments | 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Trainee Baker | |
| Management Program | Defiance Australia |
| Master of Business Administration (International Business) Honours First Class | University of Melbourne |
| Bachelor of Arts (Politics, Economics and History) | University of Queensland |
| Master of Economics (International Political Economy) | London School of Economics and Political Science |
| Asia Pacific Fellow (Chinese Mandarin) | National Taiwan Normal University |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Country Manager | Taiwan, Defiance International (Asia Pacific) |
| Ops and Business Development Manager | Asia Pacific, Defiance International (Asia Pacific) |
| Business Development Manager | Asia, Australian Ricegrowers' Cooperative (Asia-Pacific) |
| Market Maker Lead | Greater China, Accenture (Global) |
| Director | Growth & Strategy, Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, Accenture (Global) |
| Managing Director (Qld) | Barton Deakin (Australia) |
| Managing Director | Ted O'Brien & Associates |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | current |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Dutton Shadow Ministry; Ley Shadow Ministry; Taylor Shadow Ministry | 5 Jun 2022 | current |
| Shadow Treasurer | Ley Shadow Ministry; Taylor Shadow Ministry | 28 May 2025 | 17 Feb 2026 |
| Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Reliability | Dutton Shadow Ministry | 25 Jan 2025 | 28 May 2025 |
| Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy | Dutton Shadow Ministry | 5 Jun 2022 | 28 May 2025 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treaties Joint Standing | Member | 23 Feb 2021 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Environment and Energy House of Representatives Standing | Chair from 24 Jul 2019 to 11 Apr 2022 | 4 Jul 2019 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Economics House of Representatives Standing | Member | 18 Feb 2019 | 27 Aug 2020 |
| Privileges and Members' Interests House of Representatives Standing | Member | 10 Sep 2018 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Chair, Trade Sub-Committee from 7 Feb 2018 to 11 Apr 2022 | 15 Aug 2017 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Indigenous Affairs House of Representatives Standing | Member | 14 Sep 2016 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources House of Representatives Standing | Member | 14 Sep 2016 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Infrastructure, Transport and Cities House of Representatives Standing | Member | 14 Sep 2016 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Address in Reply House of Representatives Select | Member | 30 Aug 2016 | 31 Aug 2016 |
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 | Fairfax | LNP | 37.89 | -7.02 | Elected |
| 2022 federal election | Fairfax | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 44.91 | -4.71 | Elected |
| 2019 federal election | Fairfax | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 49.62 | +1.12 | Elected |
| 2016 federal election | Fairfax | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 48.44 | +7.12 | Elected |
| 2013 federal election | Fairfax | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 41.32 | -8.13 | Not elected |
| 2007 federal election | Brisbane | Liberal | 39.40 | -0.58 | Not elected |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office Administration | $156,003 | $81,654 | $24,037 | $62,136 |
| Employee Travel | $72,778 | $57,933 | $79,648 | $63,149 |
| Office Facilities | $37,349 | $61,631 | $93,187 | $71,458 |
| Other Car Costs | $16,267 | $19,067 | $19,579 | $23,435 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $20,742 | $12,096 | $20,863 | $22,390 |
| Travel Allowance | $9,341 | $9,486 | $12,724 | $13,538 |
| International Travel | $9,713 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $3,804 | $3,232 | $571 | $0 |
| Telecommunications | $974 | $545 | $659 | $409 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 | $0 | $0 | $78 |
| Total | $326,971 | $245,645 | $251,269 | $256,592 |
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.
Bills raised
| Bill | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025 | Introduced | Act |
Sponsor marks the member's own bill; Introduced marks bills they moved, typically as the responsible minister.
Voting record 109 divisions
Photo: Commonwealth of Australia (Regional Development Australia, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.