There’s a question doing the rounds again. Quietly. Persistently. Sometimes from supporters. Sometimes from critics who once scoffed but now sense the country is drifting into a place they don’t recognise.
Will I run again?
Let’s not dance around it. Under normal circumstances, no. Politics is a grinder. It chews up conviction and spits out compromise. But “unlikely” is not the same as “never” and, in politics, you never say never anyway.
Because something has shifted.
The return of Cory Bernardi, Confidential Daily’s founder and former Liberal Senator, now elected to the South Australian Upper House as Leader of One Nation SA, is proof that political comebacks are not just possible. They are sometimes necessary. When the system fails, the outsiders return. Not for ego, but because someone has to.
And right now, someone does.
If the right opportunity emerged, specifically a One Nation Senate vacancy or a number one Senate ticket, I would not treat it as a vanity exercise. I would treat it as a duty. The country is not heading in the right direction, and pretending otherwise is the last refuge of a political class that has stopped listening.
If an opportunity arose, I would not return to be quiet.
One of the great lies in politics is that moderation equals effectiveness. It does not. It equals surrender, just slowly enough that nobody notices until it is too late. You are told to pick your battles. Meanwhile, the other side fights every inch, every day, without apology. That imbalance is why we are losing ground.
So no, I would not be trimming words or softening edges. I would say what needs to be said, clearly, directly, and without the nervous glance over the shoulder to see who might be offended. Because they will be offended anyway.
If I returned to politics, the real change would be focus.
Too many politicians try to be everything to everyone and end up being nothing to anyone. Endless commentary. Endless distractions. No impact. If I returned, the fights would be fewer, but they would matter more.
Free speech would be front and centre. Lose that, and the rest collapses.
Cost of living would not be treated as a temporary inconvenience, but as the slow suffocation it is for working families while governments print excuses instead of solutions.
And sovereignty would be non-negotiable. Not the abstract kind politicians like to waffle about, but the tangible reality of who owns our land, controls our assets, and decides our future. A country that sells itself piece by piece should not be surprised when there is nothing left to defend.
That extends to Australian workers, too. Flood the labour market, suppress wages, erode conditions, then act shocked when people feel disposable. It is not an accident. It is policy. And it must be overturned.
Children would be another line in the sand.
A society that cannot protect its youngest from ideological experiments has lost its moral compass. The sexualisation of children, the rush toward irreversible “gender therapies” for minors, these are not fringe concerns. They are warning signs. Ignore them, and you do not just lose a debate. You lose a generation.
Then there is the question of life itself.
A nation that prides itself on compassion while turning a blind eye to its most vulnerable is engaged in a form of collective self-deception. Abortion has been pushed, expanded, normalised, and shielded from scrutiny. If I returned, I would not tiptoe around it. Some issues demand clarity, not cowardice.
And yes, I would say what others will not about radical Islam.
Not because it is fashionable, but because pretending a problem does not exist does not make it disappear. Australians deserve leaders willing to defend their civilisation, their values, and their security without fear of being labelled by those who mistake silence for virtue.
These are not side issues. They are the front line.
And I would fight them differently.
The old model, press releases, polite speeches, and carefully managed appearances, is obsolete. Communication today is a battlefield. Social media is not an accessory; it is a weapon. The legacy media gatekeepers are weaker. The public is hungrier for honesty. The opportunity is there for those willing to use it.
That means daily engagement. Direct connection. Mobilising people, not just informing them. Because real change does not come from Canberra talking to itself. It comes when enough Australians decide they have had enough.
Inside Parliament, the pressure to conform is relentless. Fit in. Tone it down. Be “reasonable.” But here is the truth. The labels come regardless. So you either stand firm, or you slowly become part of the very machine you once opposed.
There is no prize for blending in. If I returned, it would not be to make up the numbers. It would be to disrupt, to force uncomfortable debates, and to give voice to those who have been shut out of the conversation entirely.
The Senate is where that fight matters most. Not for prestige, but to do good. It is where legislation can be stopped. Where bad ideas can be delayed. Where backroom deals can be dragged into the light. A single determined voice there can have an oversized impact. Right now, that kind of voice is in short supply.
So, would I come back? Under ordinary conditions, no. There is life beyond politics. Family. Work. Purpose outside the circus.
But these are not ordinary times. And if a genuine One Nation Senate opportunity emerged, a vacancy or a top ticket with a real chance to win, then the question would no longer be hypothetical. It would be very real.
At some point, everyone who sees what is happening has to make a choice. Watch it unfold. Or step up and fight.
Thought for the Day
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.” – Barry Goldwater
I’m a journalist, former politician, Christian, and campaign director for CitizenGO Australia. My mission is to challenge the media lies, government overreach, and corporate censorship that threaten our freedoms.
