There have been some seriously deranged things written about CPAC by left-wing publications.
Conservative leaders spoke on stage in front of a handful of conservative voters? Oh my God! How could this be allowed!
The click-bait press managed to rouse Chris Bowen from his post pre-COP slumber for comment.
‘We’re going to see a whole bunch of crazy over the next few days…’ Bowen began.
No, he wasn’t talking about his decision to blow $20 million+ on a conference avoided by consequential dignitaries.
Or the Prime Minister moonlighting on a cringe-inducing skit that was so bizarre most (wrongly) assumed it to be AI.
Bowen continued, ‘…as the Liberal Party and the One Nation Party try to outdo each other on the race to the right.’
You mean, the leaders of conservative parties are gathering to compare their political identities and move toward the small-government, free-market, liberty-oriented democracy that founded Australia?
That sounds exactly like what most voters want, especially under the shadow of the ‘let’s try communist bread lines’ Greens and the ‘government should be the sole source of online truth’ Labor Party.
The crowd at CPAC over the weekend was full of passionate people who deeply care about the direction of this country.
They want change. One Nation can lead the agenda and change this country.
I will work with anyone who is focused on turfing out this terrible government.… pic.twitter.com/1aJPJhLIlx
— Pauline Hanson ?? (@PaulineHansonOz) October 11, 2026
The Queensland socialist movement probably made a mistake by rocking up to the conference only to prove there’s a couple dozen of them. Their behaviour was the perfect campaign backdrop for sensible right-wing conservatism. Any small business owners in Australia who saw the two groups side-by-side immediately knew which offered a safer future for their savings account.
It’s easy to see why Labor isn’t happy about these events. You’ve got Pauline Hanson signing Aussie-themed budgie smugglers with radical leftists shouting ‘f- you!’ in the background and giving the finger to the camera.
Labor was much quieter with their criticism than in previous years, perhaps choosing not to draw attention to something far more interesting than an annual conservative conference – the coalescence of the right.
The merging of the right into a preference-sharing voting bloc is the end of Labor.
Yes, the new migrant vote from Islamic and left-wing regimes has done a lot to bind Labor to power, but they are not at a solid majority. The nation still has more conservatives than socialists and those conservatives are starting to realise that regaining Parliament isn’t an ideal, it’s a necessity.
When you start hearing Labor’s political allies, the Greens, openly talking about state-run supermarkets and, by extension, working toward the nationalisation of the food chain, it’s time to call it quits on the left. Socialists can’t balance a budget, they can’t be trusted to protect civil rights, and they sure as heck can’t farm.
Hearing plans to forcibly acquire any business with public money is enough to mobilise the entire business community against the Labor-Greens alliance and those voters will be looking for solutions to the problems facing Australia.
Not aspirational thought bubbles. They want policy. And that has been delivered far earlier and in a more detail than usual as a result of competitive pressure.
The convergence of Angus Taylor, Pauline Hanson, and Matt Canavan could not come at a more critical time.
It is a huge step (for the Liberal Party, at least) to share a platform. To pitch to the same audience. Conservatives deserve to hear the nuance of these political parties side-by-side rather than drip-fed through social media or radicalised through publications who deliberately misrepresent the conversation.
Some have said that it was a shame only two-and-a-half parties showed up for CPAC, meaning the Liberal Moderates were nowhere to be seen. That is a challenge for Angus Taylor, whose promises and policies are always underwritten with the question mark of a leadership challenge and factional swap.
The Moderates could have done the smart thing politically and put on a united front. Why they chose not to is anyone’s guess. Perhaps they are so used to turning their nose up to conservatism that they cannot see the consequences waiting for them at the ballot box. Or maybe they think the right-rule of the broad church is little more than a marketing campaign to be weathered and discarded after its work is completed. Soggy seat-warmers will have to disabuse themselves of this arrogance.
Those who claim a desire to ‘return to the centre’ are holding broken compasses that pitch the centre flag under Labor’s right wing. This is a Labor Party sitting so far to the left that it thinks it has the authority to monitor the conversation of adults on social media. You can be a global citizen, but only under the watch of the eSafety Commissioner. A position created by the Liberals.
The frosty relationship of Matt Canavan and Pauline Hanson sat down with Karl Stefanovic and traded niceties to the approval of the crowd.
“What do you like about each other?” Pauline Hanson & Matt Canavan with Kyle Stefanovic at CPAC Australia #CPAC pic.twitter.com/0Nk5mBvBHN
— Joel Jammal (@JoelJammal) October 11, 2026
Historically, the Nationals are closer to One Nation policies than the Liberals, however the failure of the Moderate Liberals has left the Nationals more exposed to losing seats due to One Nation’s early conquest of regional areas. One Nation cops the blame for this, but the fault sits with the Coalition partner who upset voters enough to leave. It doesn’t help that Canavan is sitting on a vulnerable number two Senate ticket behind James McGrath when many believe the Leader of the Nationals should have been given the secure top spot. That decision rests with the Queensland LNP.
Judging by the clips released onto social media, this panel was reasonably lightweight with the questions, which is, in my view, a missed opportunity.
Though the biggest missed opportunity is surely failing to have all three leaders – Taylor, Hanson, and Canavan – onstage for a US-style Q&A in which they can properly showcase and contrast both themselves as leaders and their ideas as parties.
The right are always accused of importing American politics (I know, I know … hypocritical from the Greens and their Mamdani copy-paste groceries), but if you’re already accused of it, why not import the best of the American campaign trail?
Plenty of voters want to see these three leaders tested against each other. In my opinion, their proximity to each other strengthens the image of a conservative flank in Australian politics. Diversity of conservatism makes it look like a rising movement, instead of a predictable coin-flip in a two-party system.
Does anyone have the power to bring these three together?
Would they agree to it?
Well, Pauline Hanson has set the preference question in motion with the signing of a pledge to put Labor last on how-to-vote cards. There are two empty signature spots.
All we can do is wait.
I’ve signed the pledge to work together and put Labor LAST on how to vote cards.
I look forward to Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan doing the same. pic.twitter.com/eh6DNuiOOd
— Pauline Hanson ?? (@PaulineHansonOz) October 10, 2026
Alexandra Marshall is an independent writer. If you would like to support her work, shout her a coffee over at donor-box.
