CPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening

Eliza and I with Senator Hanson in front of the One Nation ‘Please Explain’ pinball machine

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.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

CPAC went off without a hitch over the weekend, with the stand-out crowd winners being Jacinta Price and Pauline Hanson – the latter of which announced the beloved Please Explain! cartoon series will be released as a feature length movie on Australia Day.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, CPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening.

Labor ruins 125-year-old Anzac tradition

This isn’t just a budget trim, it exposes Labor for having no interest in defending the nation’s soul.

Clad in their distinctive uniforms, these Salvation Army officers, known colloquially as Sally Men, provided hot brews – tea, coffee, biscuits, and often a listening ear to soldiers far from home. It was during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 that their role truly embedded itself in the Anzac legend. Amid the mud, blood, and ceaseless artillery, the Sally Man was a beacon of humanity, reminding our troops that someone back home cared.

This tradition, stretching back to the Boer War era around 1900, has endured through two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and countless peacekeeping missions. It’s not hyperbole to say it’s woven into the fabric of Australian identity, much like the slouch hat or the rising sun badge.

Fast forward to 2025, and the Albanese government’s latest federal budget has quietly axed funding for the Salvation Army’s military support programs, including the frontline Sally Man initiatives. Buried in the fine print of defence allocations, this estimated $1.5 million annual cut will force the Salvos to scale back their presence in barracks, on exercises, and during deployments.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Labor ruins 125-year-old Anzac tradition.

A Conservative Manifesto to rescue Australia from Albo

Now’s the time for conservative Australians to shake a leg.

The once-formidable Liberal Party, now a defunct shell of its former self, is ideologically adrift and electorally diminished, and appears content to nod along with Labor’s agenda, offering little more than token resistance.

Beneath the rhetoric of unity and fairness lies a stark reality. Our nation’s conservatives are fractured, leaderless, and in desperate need of a unifying force.

It is time to rally around a bold conservative manifesto, one that repurposes the remnants of the Liberal Party as a launchpad to challenge this creeping authoritarianism and restore Australia’s economic vitality.

Alexander Marshall wrote in the Unfiltered newsletter:

Maybe the Liberal Party should take Michael de Percy’s advice and embark on a Conservative Manifesto to re-establish the beliefs and principles which will lead the party forward.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, A Conservative Manifesto to rescue Australia from Albo.

MICHAEL DE PERCY | "It is time to rally around a bold conservative manifesto, one that repurposes the remnants of the Liberal Party as a launchpad to challenge this creeping authoritarianism and restore Australia’s economic vitality."https://t.co/NqxrhmCluJ

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) September 19, 2025