In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, CPAC Australia was held in Brisbane over the weekend of 20-21 September.

From standing ovations to fiery speeches, it was a gathering that reaffirmed the conservative movement’s pulse in Australia. But amid the stellar lineup of speakers, one figure stood out as the undeniable highlight: Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Her presence not only electrified the room but also signalled her potential as a future Prime Minister – a bold, unifying force for a nation weary of Woke policies and economic folly.

??? Now, here is the full video of my speech from that wonderful morning yesterday in Brisbane at @CPACaustralia. ???

The energy in the room was extraordinary – a powerful reminder that Australians are ready to stand up for family, responsibility, freedom, community and… pic.twitter.com/zYrVcU0BO8

— Jacinta Nampijinpa (@JNampijinpa) September 21, 2025

The conference kicked off with a bang on Saturday morning, setting a tone of unapologetic conservatism. But instead of being about the olds and bolds, CPAC Chair Warren Mundine invited 12-year-old Wade who is keenly interested in politics, to officially open the event.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott began the first day by labelling the government’s climate change scare campaign and targets as a ‘political death warrant’. He claimed there are too many migrants who are not integrating, living in ‘Hotel Australia’ rather than joining ‘Team Australia’. Abbott blamed the ‘left establishment’ embarrassed by Australia’s Anglo-Celtic core culture and Judeo-Christian ethos, which he said made the country great. He called for reducing mass immigration.

Ted O’Brien followed, and the mood quickly turned from hope to heckling. As deputy to unpopular Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, O’Brien was brave to face the crowd and pushed on in his usual over-polished, low-substance fashion. He bore the brunt of the crowd’s dissatisfaction with Ley but reminded the crowd, correctly, that he put nuclear energy on the agenda in Australia.

Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke about the demise of the UK and the problem with the institutions of the state and unelected bureaucrats preventing elected representatives from governing. She stated that her premiership was overthrown as part of a ‘globalist coup’ and that ‘America cannot fight the battle for civilisation on its own’. Truss wants to see a CPAC UK in the near future.

Given the left’s Internationale presence, CPAC is one of the major counter-balancing global movements for conservatism and its presence in the UK can only be a good thing.

.⁦@CPAC⁩ Australia Yee Haw! pic.twitter.com/aC5rJqSCPl

— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) September 21, 2025

On cue, the leftists had a field day with the line-up. One leftist report went so far as to say that the women speaking at CPAC wouldn’t help the Liberal Party to engage with ‘modern Australian women’. Instead, the report suggested the best way for the Liberal Party to ‘engage with the nation’s youth’ was to avoid ‘the joke up north’ (referring to CPAC).

Once again, the left’s advice for the Liberal Party is to go full woke. Of course, that will only make it easier for Labor to win again.

Senator Alex Antic launched into a passionate defence of parental rights, reminding us that:

‘The government doesn’t care about your kids. The media doesn’t care about your kids. YOU care about your kids.’

He lambasted the left’s lack of chivalry and conservatives for ‘vacating the field’, a sentiment that resonated throughout the day.

Senator Bridget McKenzie followed, calling for a reduction in immigration from those who ‘hate liberal democracy’ and an end to the ‘unholy marriage’ between liberalism and conservatism. A passionate advocate for regional and rural Australia, McKenzie argued that, ‘A nation’s story doesn’t tell itself, you have to tell it or someone else will write it.’

In relation to defence and mass immigration, she lamented the lack of affordable housing and congestion in the big cities: ‘If you don’t get to own a piece of Australia why would you defend it?’

Senator Matt Canavan drew cheers and even a spontaneous call to ‘Change the Liberal leadership now!’ He eviscerated Net Zero policies as Stalinist overreach, noting that, ‘If you get dear energy, you get cheap wages.’

Canavan’s optimism was infectious. Invoking the late Charlie Kirk, he reflected:

‘I do think that courage is making a comeback.’

International flair came from Dan Wootton, who warned Australia against complacency in the face of UK-style dystopia, hailing Tommy Robinson as ‘a rare moment of hope’.

Interspersed were lighter moments, like Warren Mundine’s humorous shoutout to the Institute of Public Affairs: ‘They’re the intellectual ones and I’m the good lookin’ one.’

Corey DeAngelis poked fun at California’s wokeness, quipping that ‘even the surfers were wearing masks.’

CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp joked that he thought ‘Net-Zero was Joe Biden’s IQ’, and recounted attempts by the Australian Parliament to cancel his visa for the first CPAC Australia, jesting, ‘You’ve got some real wingnuts in there.’

“Something amazing is happening in Argentina and we need to talk about it.”

My speech from the 2025 CPAC Australia conference today in Brisbane. pic.twitter.com/xckrDzqz2A

— David Limbrick MP ? (@_davidlimbrick) September 21, 2025

I caught up with legends like Professor Ian Plimer, promoting his new book Sceptical Always, and shared greetings to Spectator readers from One Nation Senators Malcolm Roberts and Tyron Whitten.

On Sunday afternoon I watched Edward Schuller of the Teachers Professional Association give a fiery oration on Christianity, the family, and Australian values. He is a fine young man and an emerging conservative leader in Queensland.

Edward Schuller National Secretary of the @TeachersTpaa @CPACaustralia pic.twitter.com/n9tvoOe1LH

— Dr Michael de Percy (@FlaneurPolitiq) September 21, 2025

“It is my opinion that Anna Cody should resign as the sex discrimination commissioner. This is not cancel culture, it’s simply that if you do not know what sex is you should not be the sex discrimination commissioner.”

My full CPAC speech: pic.twitter.com/nrf1C5mJjz

— Sall Grover (@salltweets) September 21, 2025

Yet, for all these memorable moments, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was the star. Her declaration that ‘Net Zero is communism’ cut through the noise and exposed the ideological underpinnings of policies that threaten Australia’s prosperity and sovereignty. Price’s speech blended principled conservatism and an Indigenous perspective with unyielding opposition to leftist agendas. Her authenticity, eloquence, and fearlessness commanded the room, drawing nods of agreement and bursts of cheers and applause that outshone even the long-time conservative heavyweights.

The live Outsiders broadcast with Rowan Dean and James Morrow (with Rita Panahi online from Arizona where she’ll attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial service), and guests added to the spectacle. Rowan Dean, referring to the battle of ideas, rallied the crowd with: ‘We have a bloody Aussie fight on our hands!’

Alex Antic says Andrew Hastie is making a very valid point about Australia's decline in manufacturing. Net Zero is not the answer. #CPAC #Outsiders pic.twitter.com/3vApCkIJKl

— Timjbo ?? (@Tim_jbo) September 21, 2025

Following Outsiders, Senator Pauline Hanson walked to the stage to chants of ‘Pauline, Pauline!’ She announced Please Explain: The Movie for Australia Day 2026, embraced her role as ‘the true opposition’, and vowed: ‘I don’t back down from my convictions… Make Australia Great Again!’

Don’t miss huge Outsiders on ⁦@SkyNewsAust⁩ LIVE from CPAC pic.twitter.com/0MFbqRCXSU

— Rowan Dean (@rowandean) September 20, 2025

"Gen K, the Kirk Generation…" Kids need to watch Charlie Kirk videos. @rowandean @CPACaustralia pic.twitter.com/wd38B29dSy

— Dr Michael de Percy (@FlaneurPolitiq) September 21, 2025

Eliza and I even got to pose with Senator Hanson in front of the One Nation ‘Please Explain’ pinball machine. Pauline is as passionate as they come, and she is a wonderful person. The mainstream media have much to answer for in the way they portray this hardworking Aussie legend. Any doubts of Pauline’s conviction and genuineness are dispelled whenever one speaks with her one-on-one for the first time.

I think that is one of the most important aspects of CPAC. You get to meet the people who represent you rather than rely on second-hand news reports from media outlets with their own political agendas.

I caught up with Dr Stephen Chavura and Dr Nataliya Ilyushina (Dr Pink), two of the rare remaining conservative academics. Conservatives have a habit of ignoring non-Woke academics, whose expertise the Liberal Party disregarded in the last election – much to their detriment. It was also good to catch up with the team from the IPA, another great Australian organisation that provides important policy expertise.

CPAC Australia 2025 wasn’t just a conference, it was a battle cry against Net Zero madness, cultural erosion, and political complacency.

Australia is not working like it used to. Bills are up, wages are down and things are just not working like they used to.

Things did not used to be like this.

We need a Great Australian Comeback.

We need to go Back to the Future to a time when we ran our country for the… pic.twitter.com/Aim2ogPqu3

— Senator Matt Canavan (@mattjcan) September 20, 2025

But the real highlight for me was to witness the coming of age of Jacinta Price. She has a strong yet gentle presence, and in my opinion, she is as genuine as they come. Meeting her at CPAC was one of the highlights of my working life.

Support Jacinta and we will have a champion for years to come. As I argued two years ago, she is the only conservative politician who has the stuff to become an effective Prime Minister.

Australia needs bold voices now more than ever, and in Jacinta Price, we have one ready to lead us to victory. As conservatives, we must harness the momentum CPAC has developed over the last six years and support our representatives in their quest.

And if you’ve never seen Outsiders live, do yourself a favour and get along to CPAC 2026.

Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.