WorldTHE BBN INTERVIEW
CPAC Australia: spectacle, but the right can't agree on Labor
Conservatives left the Australian conference facing a possible third straight election defeat, with voting preferences the main dispute; the opera singers were not the problem.
At a glance
- First reported by The Guardian: “A Trump impersonator and opera singers: CPAC was a spectacle, but the right still can’t agree how to take down Labor”.
- Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 5:47 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Hank Ledger.
- Topics: Australia, Trump.
- BBN covered this story before: Australia Unmarked Graves Probe; Trump Iran Remarks Draw Backlash (October 6).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAustralia's CPAC had a Trump impersonator and opera singers, and the conservatives still left unable to agree on how to beat Labor.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIgnatius Vell advises on this, at four thousand dollars an hour.
Ignatius VellThanks, Hank. To be clear, a party cannot win an election if its voters and its allies do not agree on who gets their preferences.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThat is the story. The Guardian says preferences were the sticking point. You've just read me the headline.
Ignatius VellAnd to be clear, that was the first eight thousand dollars of insight, so I'd ask you to sit with it.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorEight thousand.
Ignatius VellTwo hours, Hank. I rounded down for television.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo what is your actual advice to a movement facing a third straight election defeat?
Ignatius VellTo be clear, they should win more votes than the other side.
Ignatius VellI have a flowchart. It has one arrow, pointing at the word votes.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThat's the whole chart.
Ignatius VellIt's laminated, which is a premium feature. The opera singers, by the way, were not in my scope.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBut you didn't answer the question. How do they take down Labor, if they can't agree among themselves?
Ignatius VellTo be clear, they agree on the arrow and disagree on the direction. I'd need a four-day retreat to fix that.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThat's a recommendation to hire you. Is the meter running right now?
Ignatius VellSince you said good evening, Hank. To be clear, you're at about three thousand dollars.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThen send the flowchart to the network. It's the only thing here that points somewhere.
The story so far
- Australia Unmarked Graves Probe; Trump Iran Remarks Draw Backlash · Axios
- CPAC Australia: spectacle, but the right can't agree on Labor (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Sunday, October 11, 2026 · the World archive · all months
