How Liberal MP Ted O’Brien rose from ‘runt of the litter’ to Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Ted O’Brien has come a long way from being the “runt of the litter”.
The youngest of nine children, the new deputy leader of the Opposition says he quickly came to understand the value of working as part of a team through his upbringing.
“Mum and Dad had two girls, seven boys. And so, as the runt of the litter, I came to know, very early, the importance of the broader group — that it’s not just about you, it’s about everybody else,” Mr O’Brien said on Tuesday.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“It’s with that sense of team that I am feeling particularly humbled and honoured to serve as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party.”
Before making his entry to Parliament in 2016 — when he won the seat of Fairfax, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast — Mr O’Brien spent 20 years in business, starting on the shop floor as a trainee baker at his family’s flour company.
He helped the business break into new markets overseas, and spent a decade living and working in China and Taiwan across a range of industries, including agriculture and technology.
Mr O’Brien said he planned to bring a “commercial” and “practical approach” to his new role, describing himself as a “pragmatic sort of a person”.
“I think that, too, is going to be key for the Liberal Party as we move forward and we form policy,” he added.
Mr O’Brien is fluent in Mandarin and is among the most qualified people on the Liberal side to help the party reconnect with Chinese Australians.
He is the shadow minister for climate and energy, and energy affordability and reliability. The first portfolio saw him become the brains behind the Coalition’s nuclear power pitch, travelling to multiple countries to see how the energy scheme worked.
But those priorities could change when Sussan Ley appoints her shadow Cabinet.
Asked whether he would request the shadow treasurer role currently held by Angus Taylor, Mr O’Brien said he was yet to have the discussion with Ms Ley.
Mr O’Brien also said he was a “very experienced deputy at home” to his wife Sophia and their three children, who range in age from 12 to 20 months.
