Pauline Hanson emerged as the dominant figure at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Brisbane on Saturday, overshadowing Liberal opposition leader Angus Taylor as conservative parties debated how to defeat Labor. Taylor became the first sitting Coalition leader to address the annual forum, which also featured Nationals leader Matt Canavan and was held at Brisbane’s Royal International Convention Centre on October 10 and 11.
Taylor opened the political program with an account of Coalition mistakes on immigration, pandemic spending and climate policy. He said the Coalition had been wrong to support net zero and argued that a renewed Liberal-National team remained the credible alternative government. His address also attacked socialism, big government and the Albanese government’s economic record.
The audience response was markedly warmer for Hanson. About 50 people stood after Taylor finished, while hundreds rose when Hanson entered the stage. She attacked both Labor and the Coalition, blaming the Liberals for climate commitments and the creation of the eSafety Commissioner. Hanson also called for a royal commission into net-zero targets if One Nation won government and urged conservatives to question whether the Coalition could be trusted to reverse policies it had helped establish.
Despite directing sharp criticism at Taylor and the Coalition, Hanson offered to cooperate with them if that would remove Labor from office. She later clarified that One Nation would provide support needed to form a government but did not want ministerial positions or a formal coalition arrangement. She said personal grievances with the Coalition could be set aside for the sake of changing governments.
Canavan urged voters on the right to put Labor last and avoid allowing disagreements among conservative parties to return Labor to power. CPAC organisers likewise promoted cooperation and preference-sharing among the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation, while Taylor warned that ego and disputes over smaller differences could damage their prospects. The conference therefore exposed a central tension for the opposition: Hanson’s message drew the strongest enthusiasm in the room, while any electoral arrangement still depends on parties that are competing for the same conservative voters and disagree over who should lead.