The Vice President of the federal Liberal Party and noted Trump supporter, Teena McQueen, has reportedly joked about wanting to be sexually harassed, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
At least three senior Liberal women told the Herald that they heard McQueen say the exact words, “I would kill to be sexually harassed at the moment,” at a closed-door meeting among senior female NSW Liberal Party officials last week.
McQueen, for her part, has denied those specific allegations, but did admit to making a similar remark in the meeting about women of her age not having to “worry about being sexually assaulted”.
“What I said was, at my age – and it was a joke – every woman ages and I’m no longer sexually harassed, which is a fair comment considering I’m a grandmother,” McQueen told News.com.au.
“I have apologised and I’ve said I regret the comment – clearly I will no longer make any off the cuff jokes – even though it was a comment about myself, but I will certainly not go there again.”
Two of the attendees at the meeting also told the Herald that McQueen said “let’s talk about women not getting drunk at work,” which they interpreted as a reference to Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer who alleges she was raped inside Parliament House.
However McQueen – who doesn’t drink – told the newspaper that the comment was about booze in the workplace more broadly, and there was “absolutely no reference to anyone”.
Speaking to News.com.au, McQueen then decided to make things about herself, for some reason.
“While people are complaining about my apparent insensitivity and there is great concern for women at the moment, there has been no concern about the barrage of media inquiries regarding me,” she said.
“It appears that some women can be looked after and made sure they’re okay, but other women – mainly conservative women – it’s very difficult in this environment.”
She might’ve been referencing one of her many trainwreck TV appearances, like the time she was laughed at on Q+A or her routine spots on Sky News after dark.
It’s this same reputation that’s believed to have been the target of a new gag order on Liberal Party operatives.
To that, McQueen told the Herald at the time: “Do you think anyone could gag me?”
Since then she’s continued to appear on Sky News, to wider society’s detriment.
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