CPAC NatCon 2026 Speakers

The Hon. Angus Taylor MP is the federal Member for Hume and the Leader of the Opposition. A Rhodes Scholar with degrees in economics and law, he built a successful career in business and management consulting before entering Parliament in 2013. He has held senior Cabinet roles including Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, and is a strong advocate for national security, energy reliability, and a defence policy that puts Australia’s interests first.

Senator Pauline Hanson is the founder and leader of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and has served as a Senator for Queensland since 2016. A small business owner and primary producer before entering politics, she first came to national prominence after winning the federal seat of Oxley in 1996 as an independent, before launching One Nation in 1997. Known for her “Australia first” stance, she has been a prominent voice on issues including immigration reform, agricultural rights, national sovereignty, and climate policy, making her one of Australia’s most recognisable and influential political figures.

Senator Matthew Canavan is an Australian politician and member of the National Party who has served as a Senator for Queensland since 2014. Known for his strong advocacy for the coal industry and regional development, Canavan has held significant roles including Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. With a background in economics, he has been a vocal supporter of traditional energy sources and infrastructure projects, positioning himself as a key figure in Australia's resource sector and rural advocacy.

Barnaby Joyce is the Federal Member for New England, twice Deputy Prime Minister and twice leader of the Nationals. First elected to the Senate for Queensland in 2004, he won New England in 2013 and held senior portfolios including Agriculture and Water Resources, Resources and Northern Australia, and Infrastructure and Transport. He now sits as a One Nation MP and will lead the party's NSW Senate ticket at the next federal election, fighting for regional Australia, affordable energy and the family farm.

Bridget McKenzie is a seasoned Nationals Senator for Victoria and the first woman to lead the party in the Senate. Elected in 2011, she served in key ministerial roles, including as Australia’s first female Agriculture Minister, and held portfolios across Sport, Rural Health, Regional Services, Emergency Management and Agriculture. Currently, she is the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, advocating fiercely for thriving regional communities, stronger local economies, and practical solutions for rural Australia.

Leo Kearse is one of Britain's boldest comedians, a writer and broadcaster who has built a career taking on the topics most comics now avoid. A former criminal intelligence analyst and national security consultant, he brings an analytical edge to a sharp, fearless brand of stand-up that defends free speech and skewers identity politics and cultural conformity. He has won Scottish Comedian of the Year and the UK Pun Championship, and is a familiar voice on GB News. Unapologetically right of centre, he proves that humour remains one of the most powerful tools against censorship and groupthink.

Warren Mundine is the Chairman of CPAC Australia and one of the nation's most respected businessmen, strategists and advocates. A proud Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man, he was the first Indigenous national president of a major Australian political party before leaving Labor and becoming a leading conservative voice. He led the successful No campaign at the 2023 Voice referendum, championing equal citizenship over division. Across nearly four decades he has argued that real progress comes through enterprise, education and personal responsibility, not welfare dependency. He remains a fearless defender of Australian values and Western civilisation.

Rita Panahi is one of Australia's most popular and fearless conservative commentators. A columnist for the Herald Sun, she hosts The Rita Panahi Show and the hugely successful Lefties Losing It on Sky News, the latter now among the most-watched commentary programs of its kind worldwide. Born in Iran and raised in Melbourne, she brings a migrant's gratitude and a fighter's instinct to her defence of free speech, common sense and Western values. Quick, witty and unafraid of a fight, she has built a global audience by saying plainly what others will not.

Senator Alex Antic is a dedicated representative for South Australia in the Australian Senate, elected in 2019 as a member of the Liberal Party. With a background in law, he holds a degree from the University of Adelaide and practiced as a solicitor before transitioning to politics. His career began in local government as a member of the Adelaide City Council. Known for his conservative views, Senator Antic focuses on issues such as immigration, freedom of speech, climate policy, and digital rights. He is committed to addressing government overreach and ensuring stringent immigration controls. 

Jarrod Bleijie is the Deputy Premier of Queensland and Member for Kawana, first elected to the state parliament in 2009 at just 27. A former commercial lawyer, he served as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in the Newman Government, where he drove major reform to the justice system. After leading the LNP's opposition business through years in the wilderness, he returned to government with David Crisafulli in 2024 and now holds the infrastructure, planning and industrial relations portfolios. He is one of the Coalition's most experienced and combative conservative operators.

Kerrynne Liddle is a Senator for South Australia and the first Indigenous federal parliamentarian elected from her state. An Arrernte woman raised in Alice Springs, she built a senior career across tourism, energy, media, tertiary education and the arts before entering politics, and has served on numerous boards including Indigenous Business Australia and the SA Housing Trust. Elected to the Senate in 2022, she has held senior shadow portfolios including Indigenous Australians, and is a clear, principled voice for individual responsibility, accountability and the national interest.

Andrew Cooper is the Founder and National Director of CPAC Australia, which he established in 2019 as the first regional iteration of the world's largest gathering of conservatives. Under his leadership it has grown from a single Sydney conference into a national movement, with events across the country and a fast-growing member network. A frequent speaker on the international stage, including CPAC in the United States and CPAC Hungary, he has been a driving force in building conservative alliances at home and abroad. He is a tireless advocate for free speech, free enterprise and the values that built Australia.

Rowan Dean is one of Australia's sharpest and most recognisable conservative commentators. Editor-in-Chief of The Spectator Australia and host of Outsiders and The World According to Rowan Dean on Sky News, he is a satirist, author and former advertising creative who brings wit and bite to the national debate. Known for his no-holds-barred analysis and his defence of free speech, enterprise and the Australian larrikin spirit, he is a relentless critic of political correctness and institutional groupthink. Few cut through the noise with as much humour, or as little patience for the orthodoxies of the day.

James Morrow is one of the sharpest voices in Australian political commentary. National Affairs Editor at The Daily Telegraph and a co-host of the top-rating Outsiders on Sky News, he is a New Yorker turned Sydneysider who brings an outsider's clarity to the failures of the political class and the media. Whether dissecting a budget or skewering a Canberra narrative, he combines forensic analysis with a dry, irreverent humour. A relentless critic of waste, spin and institutional groupthink, he is a leading champion of free markets, free speech and accountable government.

Henry Pike is the Federal Member for Bowman in Queensland's Redlands, elected in 2022. A Shadow Assistant Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and for Mental Health, he has made the future of the NDIS a defining policy focus, arguing the scheme must serve participants and respect taxpayers rather than drift into a free-for-all. A historian by training and a strong voice for fiscal discipline and accountability, he brings a sharp, evidence-led conservatism to the questions of how government spends, who it serves, and how it stays sustainable.

Nick Goiran is the Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia's Legislative Council and a member of state parliament since 2009. A barrister and solicitor before entering politics, he is Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Child Protection, and one of the most determined conservative voices in WA Parliament. He is well known for championing the rule of law, defending the vulnerable, and standing firm on his convictions, including the protection of children and the unborn. His persistence on principle, even in the face of long odds, has made him a respected figure across the conservative movement.

Steve Baxter is one of Australia's most recognised tech entrepreneurs and investors. He built and sold PIPE Networks for $373 million and is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of TEN13, a leading startup investment platform that has backed more than ninety companies. Best known to many as a Shark on Channel 10's Shark Tank and as former Chief Entrepreneur of Queensland, he now focuses much of his energy on Beaten Zone Venture Partners, which he founded to invest in early-stage Australian sovereign defence technology. He is a forceful advocate for innovation, self-reliance and national security.

Phillip Thompson is the Federal Member for Herbert and a decorated Army veteran. He served in East Timor and Afghanistan, where in 2009 he was severely wounded by an improvised explosive device that detonated within a metre of him, sustaining lasting physical and psychological injuries. He rebuilt his life as a national advocate for veterans' welfare and suicide prevention, work recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2018. Elected to Parliament in 2019, he is a forceful voice for those who serve, for the Australian way of life, and for reward for effort.

Ian Plimer is one of Australia's most prominent geologists and a fearless contributor to the energy and climate debate. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne and a former Professor of Mining Geology at the University of Adelaide, with a distinguished academic career recognised by the Eureka Prize, the Clarke Medal and the Centenary Medal. A director of numerous mining companies, he is also a bestselling author whose books, including Heaven and Earth and Green Murder, challenge the orthodoxy on net zero. He argues for evidence, energy realism and prosperity over alarmism and ideology.

Cory Bernardi is a member of the South Australian Legislative Council and the state leader of One Nation, returning to parliament at the 2026 state election. He served as a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 2006 to 2020 and was an early, fearless voice for conservative principles when they were unfashionable in the major parties. After founding the Australian Conservatives, he spent years as a leading commentator and podcaster before re-entering frontline politics. Few have argued longer or more consistently for sovereignty, tradition and the values that built this country.