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Portrait of Ted O'Brien

Ted O'Brien

Liberal National Party of Queensland · House of Representatives · Fairfax (QLD) · incumbent

Ted O'Brien was born on 7 May 1974 in Brisbane, the youngest of nine children of Tom and Bernice O'Brien; his father's family founded the Defiance Flour Mill in Toowoomba, and his first job was as a trainee baker. He attended Nudgee College, where he was School Captain, then earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland, a Master of Business Administration (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Economics (International Political Economy) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. [source]

Trainee baker in the family flour-milling business, then business development roles in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and work as a business consultant. Shadow Treasurer 2025-2026 and deputy Liberal leader May 2025 to February 2026; now Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. [source]

Sourced positions

A verified position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

Foreign policy & aid verified

In September 2020, O'Brien called for Australia to negotiate a free-trade agreement with Taiwan, citing Australia's existing agreements with New Zealand and Singapore. He has also publicly linked the AUKUS agreement to the case for adopting nuclear technology, stating that adopting nuclear-propelled submarines under AUKUS takes Australia's engagement with nuclear technology to a new level.

Record last updated 2026-08-13.