This trip to CPAC was my first time overseas and the first time I had seen up close how politics is conducted in another country.
What struck me was how full of zeal and enthusiasm the people there were.
I saw it in the speakers, and I would say even more so in the attendees.
The venue was full of MAGA hats, Trump shirts and all sorts of memorabilia reflecting topical political issues.
People would bond over debates about who the best Secretary in the Trump Administration was or who should be the 2028 Republican nominee.
There were side events on at all times, like opportunities to meet figures like Ken Paxton, who is currently challenging sitting Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn. Podcasts would be broadcasting constantly from the floor.
Having been to a number of big political gatherings in Australia, this felt like nothing at home.
Political national councils and conferences in Australia are rather congenial occasions. For some, they can feel more like a chore to attend than something people genuinely look forward to.
To be fair, the United States is where the energy is most visible, not just in politics. However, if we can inject some of the same energy and involvement into our politics, I can see our country being better for it.
We could start with primaries.
For too many Australians, the extent of their political action is dashing in and out of a voting booth.
When we have preselections of parliamentarians that can involve as few as ten people, no wonder there is no excitement in our politics. The same applies when our party leaders are picked through backroom negotiations.
But if we could open up the process and allow any Australian who supports a particular political party to vote directly on candidates, we would create buy-in and inject talent seeking to serve that we otherwise would not have with this open competition.
I can see the same for grassroots voting for party leaders. This will require leaders to engage directly with supporters, campaigning across the country, so by the time they win the leadership they already have a national profile.
The need for our politics to generate engagement and excitement was the biggest shift for me from this trip. I had never seen people this invested in politics.
Seeing that firsthand made it clear that politics shouldn’t be something people just observe.
It should be something people actively take part in.
The Global Explorers program is made possible by the generosity of our CPAC donors. Applications for 2027 will open later this year — stay tuned for details.
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