The CPAC Australia 2026 conference exposed deep divisions within the country’s conservative movement on Saturday (10) as opposition figures clashed over election strategy. Meeting at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, party leaders acknowledged that a failure to coordinate preferences could hand the Australian right a third consecutive federal election defeat against the governing Labor Party, which currently controls 94 parliamentary seats.
Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, who heads the Liberal Party, became the first sitting formal opposition leader to address the Conservative Political Action Conference in Australia. His appearance on the opening day highlighted the growing tension between the mainstream Coalition and insurgent conservative elements represented by Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party. While conference organizers urged attendees to unite against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the proceedings quickly revealed that neither faction has agreed on practical terms for an electoral alliance.
Angus Taylor faces audience boos over Coalition record and One Nation ties
Angus Taylor delivered a direct apology to the conservative audience for policies enacted during previous Coalition governments, attempting to rebuild trust with voters who have drifted toward minor parties. Speaking from the main stage, Taylor addressed long-standing grievances regarding past commitments to net zero carbon emissions targets, high immigration levels, and extensive public expenditure during the pandemic. Taylor told attendees that their frustrations about where the Coalition let them down in the recent past were understandable and reasonable, adding that he shared those frustrations before declaring that he knew how to get Australia out of the hole Labor had put the nation into.
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The conciliatory tone failed to shield the Liberal leader from direct hostility when television host and panel moderator Karl Stefanovic pressed him on future power-sharing arrangements. Stefanovic repeatedly asked Taylor how the Coalition planned to collaborate with One Nation in a joint government if voters delivered a hung parliament. Taylor avoided answering the inquiries directly, prompting loud boos from the convention floor as audience members demanded clear commitments on cross-bench cooperation.
Pauline Hanson attacks Angus Taylor but signs cooperation pledge
Pauline Hanson, the leader of One Nation and federal senator, took the stage hours later to launch sharp personal attacks against the Liberal leadership while simultaneously pushing for a unified voting front. Hanson dismissed Taylor as a “smarmy management consultant” who was unfit to replace Anthony Albanese as prime minister, and she characterized both the Coalition and the Labor Party as an entrenched “uni-party” responsible for Australia’s current economic and social problems. Hanson reiterated that One Nation would no longer serve as a secondary player to the Coalition and placed the responsibility on Taylor to outline how their two parties would coexist.
Despite the hostile rhetoric, Hanson took the step of signing a formal pledge on stage committing to cooperate against the Labor government. The One Nation leader openly challenged both Angus Taylor and Nationals Senate leader Matt Canavan to sign the document as well. Organizers circulated official messages throughout the venue warning attendees of the mathematical realities of Australia’s preferential voting system, stating that voters who support One Nation without preferencing the Coalition, or support the Coalition without preferencing One Nation, risk reinstalling Labor in office.
CPAC Australia serves as barometer for right-wing policy shifts ahead of 2028
The Conservative Political Action Conference has previously functioned as a decisive testing ground for internal debates within Australian conservative politics. In 2022, discussions at the conference helped build the foundation for the federal opposition’s formal rejection of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. During the 2025 conference, mounting grassroots pressure over climate policy led directly to the Coalition abandoning its net zero emissions target and contributed to the leadership change that resulted in the removal of Sussan Ley. Throughout 2026, One Nation has consistently gained ground in published opinion surveys, drawing support directly from traditional Coalition heartlands and placing the Liberal Party under intense structural pressure.
With the next federal election required to take place no later than May 31, 2028, the conservative movement remains divided over voting preferences and parliamentary strategy. No formal agreement or binding preference-swapping pact between the Liberal Party and One Nation has been established to date, leaving the opposition vulnerable to vote splitting across key regional and suburban electorates.
Unconventional displays and satire mark the Brisbane gathering
Beyond the high-stakes political maneuvering, the Brisbane event featured the theatrical spectacle that has characterized conservative grassroots summits. Right-wing activist Monica Smit was seen in extended discussion with a Donald Trump impersonator, while professional opera singers performed the first verse of the Australian national anthem twice in succession. Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price later performed the anthem again alongside her folk singer husband, and television host Karl Stefanovic opened his appearance with humor, thanking the conference for rudely interrupting his unemployment.
Attendees also encountered unauthorized satirical stickers throughout the convention hall and restrooms targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Official conference registration required journalists to wear bright red media passes reading “FAKE NEWS”, continuing a long-standing tradition initiated by event organizers. Federal lawmaker and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce also delivered a lecture utilizing currency props and the silver content of historical Roman coinage to argue against modern fiscal policy.
The conference, which commenced at 08:00 AEST on Saturday, October 10, 2026, concluded its scheduled sessions at 22:00 AEST on Sunday (11) without any public commitment from Angus Taylor or Matt Canavan regarding the cooperation pledge presented by Pauline Hanson.
