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Liberal VP told she’s ‘living in a bubble’ after saying Jacinda Ardern is copying Aussies

A controversial guest on ABC’s Q&A has been panned as giving the most abysmal performance of the show’s entire history.

Rohan Smith and Ben Graham
5 min read
March 26, 2019 - 1:15PM
Liberal VP doesn't "see growth of white supremacy”

The Liberal Party representative on Monday night’s Q&A was laughed at by panellists and described as a “parody account” by viewers after claims that “Milo Yiannopoulos is an entertainer” and white supremacy is “not growing” in Australia.

Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen was also told she lives “in a bubble” by author Roxanne Gay.

She also took aim at New Zealand Prime Minster, Jacinda Ardern, saying the leader — who has been seen as a fresh face of compassion by many following the Christchurch shooting — is merely “copying” the Liberal Party in Australia.

When asked about the gun-law crackdown by the New Zealand PM, Ms McQueen retorted: “We did that years ago. The Liberal Party did that years ago with John Howard.”

Some audience members could be heard falling about themselves laughing.

Teena McQueen on ABC's Q&A.
Teena McQueen on ABC's Q&A.

“You think that’s funny? John Howard did do that. Jacinda Ardern is copying exactly,” Ms McQueen responded to the roars of laughter.

She even poured cold water on Ms Arderns’s leadership, saying: “Can I also remind you, Jacinda Ardern is only there because she formed an alliance with Winston Peters (NZ’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the nationalist New Zealand First party)? I think everyone forgets that little fact.”

Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen says Jacinda Ardern is just copying John Howard. Picture: AP Photo/Nick Perry
Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen says Jacinda Ardern is just copying John Howard. Picture: AP Photo/Nick Perry

Before all this, Ms McQueen began the program by defending US President Donald Trump, but it didn’t take long for the numbers to form against her.

Discussing a new report that found no evidence Mr Trump colluded with Russia during his election campaign, Ms Gay said the President “can barely spell collusion”.

But Ms McQueen rushed to Mr Trump’s defence.

“Well, he’s been exonerated,” she said, even though he hasn’t. “There’s nothing there. I mean, it’s two years of wasted presidency, two years of the Democrats going crazy and, you know, he did nothing to interfere with the report.”

Ms McQueen noted that she was “probably the only person on the panel that’s spent time with Donald Trump” — a reference to the pair’s brief meeting when the billionaire businessman was running Miss Universe pageants.

“He was none of those things — he was not racist, not sexist, none of those things,” she said.

Ms Gay told her that “just because you didn’t have an experience with him doesn’t mean he hasn’t done these terrible things”.

Ms McQueen then defended the President’s now infamous “grab her by the p***y” remarks.

“I just made a joke about a c**k earlier on,” she said. “I don’t think there’s much difference there.”

Ms Gay begged to differ.

“A joke versus grabbing a woman (and) talking about sexual assault are two very different things. I joke about bodies constantly, it’s awesome, but I’m not going to talk about grabbing a woman’s body just because I have an attraction to her. It’s called self-control.”

‘MILO IS AN ENTERTAINER’

Ms McQueen later defended YouTube sensation turned political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos who was earlier this month banned from Australia because of hateful comments.

Discussing free speech in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, Ms McQueen said “I class him as an entertainer”.

“No-one could possibly take Milo seriously,” she said.

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi shot back: “For once, listen to what the Muslim community is saying.”

Ms Gay said “hundreds of thousands of people in the United States take Milo seriously”.

“They follow him. They pay money to go see him speak.”

Ms McQueen said the “worst hate speech I’ve heard recently is (from Greens leader) Richard Di Natale”.

She suggested Mr Di Natale had engaged in hate speech and “incited violence” against News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt, a claim Bolt himself put to Mr Di Natale on his show last week.

“The vile language used against conservatives is disgraceful,” she began before Labor MP Tony Burke interjected.

“I am going to defend Richard Di Natale in this, absolutely … To imply that somebody who is standing up against racism is guilty of the same sort of hate speech as the people who have allowed the hatred that we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks to fester and to have a base and be legitimised by so many people — it just doesn’t add up,” he said.

‘YOU ARE IN A BUBBLE’

Ms McQueen was laughed at by a questioner and by Ms Gay when the topic of racism came up. Adelaide woman Latoya Rule posed the question to the panel about white supremacy finding a home in suburban South Australia.

“As a resident of Adelaide, I’m worried about the rise of Neo-Nazism around our city,” she said.

“From swastikas, ‘It’s OK To Be White’ posters with razor blades behind them, and graffiti which stated ‘No n******, kill them,’ the terror of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism is very much alive here.”

Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen’s comments about white supremacy in Australia got a laugh from author Roxanne Gay. Picture: ABC
Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen’s comments about white supremacy in Australia got a laugh from author Roxanne Gay. Picture: ABC

But Ms McQueen said the conversation was “reaching fever pitch” and the solution was a divvy van.

“I mean, if things like that are happening in Adelaide, you call the police and you get these people dealt with and carted away,” she said.

“I’ve been to Adelaide many times, and I’m not doubting the questioner there, but if you see evidence of something like that, there’s laws to protect people from that, and you get them carted off and deal with them.

“You know, perhaps I’m in a bubble — I don’t see the growth of white supremacists that I hear constantly.”

As the studio audience let out a collective groan, Ms McQueen told them “you can laugh if you like, but I just don’t”.

Ms Gay responded: “You are in a bubble.”

Ms Faruqi told her the Liberal Party “have not dealt with it” and instead “lined up and shook hands with Pauline Hanson after she did her hateful Islamophobe speech”.

Ms McQueen shot back: “I’m not going to be lectured by Greens, let me tell you.”

BACKLASH

Audience member Angus Dalton saw it unfold firsthand and lashed her appearance.

“I was in the audience for tonight’s Q&A and watching Teena McQueen serve up the most abysmal performance of that show’s entire history first-hand was really something,” he later said on Twitter.

The social media response to Ms McQueen’s appearance on the show was also vicious.

What did you think?

Continue the conversation: rohan.smith1@news.com.au | @ro_smith

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/liberal-vp-told-shes-living-in-a-bubble-after-take-on-white-supremacists/news-story/d228e0fecc5554efb6afb9f6ea201d91