Taylor Fronts CPAC, Gets Heckled as Hanson Sets the Terms
Angus Taylor went to CPAC in Brisbane to court conservatives. He was heckled by the crowd and attacked by Pauline Hanson.
The clash happened on the morning of Saturday, 10 October 2026, in Brisbane. Taylor, Hanson and Nationals leader Matt Canavan all spoke that morning, with Hanson speaking just after Taylor, according to The Guardian. It was the first time a sitting Liberal leader had addressed CPAC Australia, the local version of a conference for conservative activists and politicians.
Crowd members heckled Taylor during his speech. Minutes later Hanson called him a "smarmy management consultant" and said he was not fit to replace the Prime Minister, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Taylor, who was Leader of the Opposition on 10 October, used the speech to admit past errors. He said Coalition governments got net zero, immigration and pandemic public spending wrong. On climate, he said they "made the mistake of signing up to net zero", the target to balance emissions with cuts and offsets. On migration, he said they let "immigration numbers to creep up".
He paired the apology with a number. The Liberal Party's published version of the speech, titled "Keynote Address to CPAC, Brisbane", says Net Overseas Migration, arrivals minus departures, would be cut to 100,000 for the first two years of a Liberal-Nationals government, according to the Liberal Party.
Hanson combined the attack with voting instructions. She told attendees to put the Liberals or Nationals second on ballot papers, behind One Nation. She said One Nation will work with the Liberals and Nationals to remove the Labor government. She also said One Nation wants a royal commission, a powerful public inquiry, into net zero.
The guest list shows who the organisers invite. CPAC NatCon 2026 was held on 10-11 October in Brisbane, according to CPAC. The agenda lists Tony Abbott alongside Taylor, Hanson and Canavan. The official speakers page lists Hon. Angus Taylor MP, Senator Pauline Hanson and Senator Matt Canavan as speakers, and separately lists Liz Truss as a speaker. CPAC is a spin-off of conservative conferences held in the US and UK, according to the ABC.
The broader context here is preference maths colliding with pride. Hanson offers second preferences while saying Taylor is not fit for office. That is not a contradiction to her audience. It is leverage. Put One Nation first, Liberals second, and make the major party earn it.
In my view, Taylor's appearance was the more revealing gamble. A Liberal leader fronting CPAC for the first time is not routine outreach. It is a bid to neutralise a flank. The heckling suggests the room heard contrition as confirmation. You broke it, you own it. The 100,000 migration figure is designed to answer that charge with something tangible.
Looking at what this means for the non-Labor side, the transaction on offer is now explicit. Hanson will work with the Liberals and Nationals to remove Labor, but on terms set in public and in language designed to sting. Taylor has conceded ground on net zero and immigration. Hanson pocketed the concession and asked for more. That is how these negotiations work. Just usually not with a microphone on.
