Susan McDonald
Susan McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Queensland | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Barry O'Sullivan |
| Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate | |
| Assumed office 21 July 2025 | |
| Leader | Bridget McKenzie |
| Preceded by | Perin Davey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Susan Eileen McDonald 7 February 1970 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Party | National (federal) LNP (state) |
| Relations | George Fisher (grandfather) Judy Gamin (aunt) |
| Occupation | Accountant Businesswoman |
Susan Eileen McDonald[1] (born 7 February 1970) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Queensland since 2019. She is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) and sits with the National Party in federal parliament. She has a background in agribusiness.
Early life
[edit]McDonald was born in Brisbane.[2] Her father Don McDonald served as state and federal president of the National Party during the 1990s.[3][4] The family company MDH Pty Ltd was established by her paternal grandfather Jim McDonald in the 1940s and runs numerous cattle stations across Queensland, spanning over 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 mi2) as of 2013.[5] Her maternal grandfather George Fisher was a prominent mining executive, while her aunt Judy Gamin was a Queensland state MP.[6]
McDonald grew up on Devoncourt Station, located in the locality of Kuridala outside of Cloncurry. She began her schooling through the School of the Air based in Mount Isa before boarding at Stuartholme School in Brisbane.[7] She later completed the degrees of Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland.[2]
Career
[edit]McDonald is a chartered accountant.[8] From 2014 to 2019 she served as managing director of Super Butcher, a subsidiary of her family business MDH which had five stores and employed 80 people as of 2016.[7] She was appointed to the board of Beef Australia in 2016.[8] She joined the council of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland in the same year.[9]
Politics
[edit]McDonald joined the National Party of Queensland at the age of 19.[7] She served a term as state secretary beginning in 2003.[3] When the party merged with the state Liberal Party in 2008, she became a founding trustee of the new Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP).[7] She served as chief of staff to Andrew Cripps, the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines from 2012 to 2015.[10]
Senate
[edit]In July 2018 McDonald won LNP preselection for the Senate.[3] She was elected to parliament at the 2019 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2019, and sits in the Nationals partyroom. She serves on several Senate committees and is the chair of the rural and regional affairs and transport legislation committee.[2]
McDonald reportedly voted for Barnaby Joyce in the 2021 Nationals leadership spill, despite having previously supported Michael McCormack.[11] She was subsequently appointed as the Morrison government's Special Envoy for Northern Australia, a non-ministerial position.[12]
In 2021, she supported a Senate inquiry into vegan food labels.[13]
Following the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 federal election, McDonald was appointed to new opposition leader Peter Dutton's shadow ministry, with responsibility for the resources and Northern Australia portfolios,[2] and was retained during Sussan Ley's shadow ministry.
In January 2026, following a recall of parliament to vote on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026, McDonald resigned from the shadow ministry after crossing the floor to vote against the bill.[14]
Political views
[edit]McDonald advocates the agricultural development of inland Australia. She has endorsed the assumptions of the Bradfield Scheme and supports the construction of the Hell's Gate Dam on the upper Burdekin River as well as the expansion of the existing Burdekin Dam.[3][15] In March 2019 The Australian described her as "avowedly pro-coal".[7]
McDonald has nominated Lawrence Springborg, Tim Fischer and Joh Bjelke-Petersen as political role models.[3]
Personal life
[edit]McDonald is a single mother to three children. She moved to Townsville after her election to parliament, having previously lived in the Brisbane suburb of Clayfield.[7]
McDonald was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020. She was only the third North Queenslander to contract the virus.[16] She described it as a "mild case" and said she was unsure how she became infected.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Senator Susan McDonald". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Super Butcher Susan McDonald headed for the Senate". Queensland Country Life. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Organisational Leaders". The Nationals. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ "Prospering in cattle country". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ McCulloch, John (1994). "Women Members of the Queensland Parliament 1929–1994" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Library. pp. 105–106. ISBN 0724258779.
- ^ a b c d e f Walker, Jamie; Peel, Charlie (15 March 2019). "Seeking to bridge the great coal divide". The Australian. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Super appointment for Beef Australia board". Queensland Country Life. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ Phelps, Mark (1 November 2016). "Susan McDonald joins Ekka council". Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "About Susan McDonald". SusanMcDonald.com.au. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ Barker, Eric (22 June 2021). "Barnaby Joyce can deliver for regional Australia, says North Queensland senator Susan McDonald". ABC News. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ Harden, Ben (28 June 2021). "North Queensland Senator Susan McDonald appointed Special Envoy for Northern Australia". North Queensland Register. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ Khadem, Nassim (21 December 2021). "Fake meat inquiry may ask vegan food producers to drop labels like 'beef' from packaging". ABC News. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Boscaini, Joshua. "Susan McDonald says Ley accepted her offer of resignation". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ Phelps, Mark (15 February 2019). "Why Australia need Bradfield, or at least its inspiration". Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ Johnston, Jessica (16 March 2020). "Senator Susan McDonald diagnosed with coronavirus". North Queensland Register. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ Withey, Andree (5 April 2020). "Queensland coronavirus patients speak about the road to recovery after testing positive". ABC News. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
- Members of the Australian Senate for Queensland
- Members of the Australian Senate
- Living people
- Women members of the Australian Senate
- Liberal National Party of Queensland politicians
- People from Cloncurry, Queensland
- 21st-century Australian women politicians
- 1970 births
- Australian businesspeople in the food industry
- University of Queensland alumni
- Australian women accountants
- Australian accountants