Ms Lindgren, a great-niece of former Liberal senator and Australia's first indigenous parliamentarian Neville Bonner, defeated Dr Glasson and seven other candidates at a Liberal National Party state council meeting on Saturday.

Dr Glasson had previously unsuccessfully run against incumbent prime minister Kevin Rudd in the 2013 federal election and against Terri Butler in the subsequent byelection, both times with the vocal support of his self-described close friend, Mr Abbott.

Speaking at a Tingalpa engineering firm in the seat of Bonner, named after Ms Lindgren's great-uncle, Mr Abbott said he was disappointed Dr Glasson had lost his bid to join his government in the upper house.

"Bill is an outstanding individual and he would be an adornment to the Parliament," he said.

"But my understanding is the Queensland LNP have picked a really impressive person and, in the end, I abide by the democratic process, our internal democratic processes, just as I abide by the external democratic process."

Ms Lindgren's appointment as a Senator was expected to be ratified by the Queensland Parliament on Thursday.

Ms Lindgren won the ballot despite Dr Glasson, a former president of the Australian Medical Association, having the support of former Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The Senate seat became vacant with the retirement of LNP Senator Brett Mason before the end of his term, which allowed the LNP to appoint a new senator without the need of a byelection.

Ms Lindgren's appointment required the approval of the Queensland Parliament.

It was through that process that Senator Barry O'Sullivan replaced Barnaby Joyce in the upper house, following the latter's decision to run for the House of Representatives seat of New England.

Mr Mason has since been appointed Australia's ambassador to the Netherlands, where he will replace incumbent Neil Mules in the coming months.