Jacinta Price unveils conservative blueprint for Australia at CPAC Brisbane 2025

Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price laid out a sweeping conservative platform at CPAC 2025 in Brisbane, framing a path for a future Australia centered on economic pragmatism, stronger national security and renewed social cohesion. The keynote spanned energy policy, the economy, migration, culture and defence, and it has intensified talk within conservative circles about her potential to lead the party or shape its direction in the years ahead.

Price opened by acknowledging the perceived headwinds facing conservatives in today’s political climate, saying the movement must stand for “family, freedom, community and responsibility” and act with unity and courage. She positioned the speech as a call to reset what she described as a drift toward excessive government control and a focus on traditional conservative values as the foundation for policy.

In her energy section, Price pressed hard against the federal government’s net-zero emissions target, arguing that the policy risks driving up power costs and harming industry. She cited rising energy prices as a drag on households and manufacturers, noting electricity and gas costs have climbed sharply in recent years. The policy stance she advocated called for abandoning net zero, arguing that Australia’s emissions footprint is small relative to global totals and that the cost of achieving a target like net zero would be massive, potentially trillions of dollars by mid-century. She warned that the policy would extend beyond energy, effectively shaping how Australians live, what they drive, and what they eat, framing it as a threat to personal freedom. As part of a broader energy strategy, Price urged lifting Australia’s ban on nuclear power and testing its commercial viability as a way to secure affordable, reliable power while reducing exposure to volatile fossil-fuel markets.

On the economy, Price described Australia’s current moment as “a real mess,” arguing that pandemic-era responses entrenched a culture of dependency and expanded state control. She criticized record government spending, a rapidly growing public service, and a proliferation of regulations she said stifle innovation and market dynamism. The critique extended to a fear of an expanding role for Canberra and state-level governments, which she said have moved the economy away from free-market principles toward a more director-led model. Price called for substantial reductions in government spending and regulation to relieve mounting debt and to unleash the energy of the private sector.

Migration and families constituted another major pillar of the address. While acknowledging migration’s historical role in Australia, Price warned that Labor’s “mass migration agenda” risks placing unsustainable pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services. She highlighted a figure often cited in conservative debates—the record inflow of about 1.2 million people in a single term—as a pivot point for arguing the case for controlled, planned, and sustainable migration. The policy direction she proposed emphasizes prioritizing families, including measures to boost family formation and affordability: targeted family benefits to encourage larger families, more flexible childcare options, and renewed civics education to promote responsible and proud citizenship.

Price also framed culture and social cohesion as essential to national resilience. She argued that identity politics and what she called “disposable” culture policies threaten social unity, urging a shift back toward traditional values and a shared national story. She tied cohesion to economic and security outcomes, asserting that a strong culture supports a robust defence and a strong economy. The speech cited the Voice referendum as evidence that Australians prefer unity over division and called for policies that reinforce common values rather than re-writing history.

In the defence and security portion, Price warned of what she described as a significant regional danger posed by the Chinese Communist Party. She accused the current government of stifling candid debate on China and called for a frank assessment of regional tensions, including China’s military activities and its ability to project power. The proposal she endorsed included a call to raise defence spending to at least 3 percent of GDP, arguing that a stronger deterrent is needed to protect Australian sovereignty and regional peace. She urged the Liberal Party to speak more openly about these threats to ensure Australians understand the need for decisive policy responses, while distinguishing concerns about national security from hostility toward Chinese people or Australians of Chinese heritage.

Toward the end of the address, Price framed the CPAC gathering as a moment to mobilize supporters and to recruit new ones into the Liberal fold. She urged Australians—particularly young people—to participate in shaping the party, and she offered a vision of an Australia where energy is affordable and reliable, where ownership of homes increases, where children are educated but not indoctrinated, and where national pride replaces guilt. Price argued that conservatism should not resist change for its own sake, but rather resist changes perceived as bad for the nation. She concluded with a call to action for conservatives to engage, organize and shape policy so that the country can “change for the better” and, she asserted, the movement will succeed when it is smarter, sharper and true.

The CPAC speech included a comprehensive policy arc that, if echoed in party platforms, would place a premium on energy independence, a reduced migration footprint, a reassertion of cultural cohesion, and a firmer stance on national defence. It also spotlighted Price’s potential appeal to voters seeking a more assertive approach to security and sovereignty, as well as to families seeking stability in housing, childcare, and education. As Australian politics continue to recalibrate around these themes, Price’s Brisbane address is likely to be a touchstone for ongoing debates within the Liberal Party and across the wider conservative movement.