General News
20 April, 2026
Hamilton outlines his ‘Australia First’ and ‘hyper Australia’ agenda at Norwin Farmers Forum
At a Farmers Forum at Norwin last week, Groom MP Garth Hamilton laid out his vision for a ‘hyper Australia’ complete with fossil fuel drilling, selective economic protectionism and an ‘Australia First'-centred withdrawal from global events that do not directly affect the nation.
Mr Hamilton started the meeting by giving an address outlining where he stood on the issues of the day.
Fuel was the first topic on the agenda and Mr Hamilton was at pains to point out that he did not support the United States of America’s war against Iran which had caused the fuel crisis.
“It was pretty poorly thought out,” he said.
“I don’t know what the end goal is going to be.”
“The (fuel price issue) is not going to be resolved anytime soon.”
The Groom MP said it was clear the United States of America was abandoning its post-World War II role as a leader in global affairs.
“On the US - I don’t think they care, quite frankly, what happens over here,” he said.
“General Douglas Macarthur told Australia during World War II, ‘We are building a base regardless of who is here’.
“America’s not coming to save us.”
Echoing the language of American President Donald Trump, he said it was time to “put Australia First” and focus on the nation’s interests above any others.
The Groom MP said it was time to make use of Australia’s energy resources.
“We have resources - enormous oil and gas reserves,” he said.
“Our economy is built on emissions.
“We need more coal fired power stations.
“We should be drilling everything we can.”
He also advocated for removing ‘green tape’ environmental restrictions on energy projects, using the example of Scope 3 emissions, where companies are required to track the environmental impact of their activities.
“New Acland Coal (NAC) are required to document the emissions from a meat pie at Great Country Pies in Oakey,” Mr Hamilton claimed.
“Their insurer requires NAC to report Scope 3 emissions.
“I wish I was making this up.”
Mr Hamilton condemned the protests in Australia against Israel’s war on Gaza and Hezbollah.
“I can’t tell you how little that troubles me,” he said.
The Groom MP argued for a drastic reduction in immigration, saying it was one of the factors which had driven up the cost of home ownership.
“We need to be self-sufficient,” he said.
“I want to see tighter immigration controls.
“I’m on a good patch and I can’t see my kids owning a home.”
After the discussion, the floor was thrown open for questions.
The 2028 federal election is shaping up to be another tight contest in Groom, with One Nation likely to put a further dent in the Liberal National Party’s vote on current polling trends.
Pauline Hanson’s rise was a topic on everyone’s lips - the farmers asked why should they vote LNP if they were simply going to be tied down on policy by the moderates in the party.
“Garth, everyone agrees with what you said. What will your party do?” one farmer put it.
Mr Hamilton said his party needed to apologise for policies such as adopting the scientific consensus on slowing global warming by reducing net emissions to 2050.
“I’m not here to argue with Pauline,” he said.
“Every leader should be putting their own country first.
“I’ve turned my party around on Net Zero.
“I was the first Liberal MP to come out against the Voice.”
Another farmer asked how the Liberal Party could turn things around in the cities and win back power.
“One argument I’ve heard is that we need to get the young people’s vote,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Even when John Howard was in charge we never won the young people’s vote.”
A farmer at Formartin asked about PFAS, which he said had now been found in an underground bore on the Jondaryan Saint Ruth Road.
He asked whether farmers would be held liable for something which was out of their control.
Mr Hamilton said he was not up to date with the groundwater situation, but would support forming a PFAS Reference Group as in other states to monitor the situation and ensure the farmer’s voice was heard.
Talking along similar lines as his factional ally in the Liberal Party Andrew Hastie, Mr Hamilton also argued that there could be a greater role for government to play in manufacturing and energy projects.
“I often get told I’m too protectionist, but I’m advocating to promote industries which are a public good,” he said.
New Nationals Leader Matt Canavan used similar language as Mr Hamilton in his address to the National Press Club in Canberra last week, signaling a wish to turn away from free trade for no obvious national benefit.
“A microwaved Milton Friedman is not going to solve our economic woes – and it is certainly not going to calm the rightful rage of the Australian people at their political leaders’ incompetence in trashing the promise of the luckiest country in the world,” he said.
“The chief cheerleader of this economic cul-de-sac remains the Prime Minister – Captain Status Quo himself.
“He still believes that a few more subsidies for batteries and hydrogen will fix everything.
“A real Made in Australia agenda will only work when it is fuelled by all types of Australian energy.”
Farmers also discussed whether the situation would come to a point where they would need to produce their own fuel on-farm, and asked whether it was an option.
Mr Hamilton said all options needed to be on the table.
With Toowoomba and surrounds becoming more pro-environment politically there is a decent chance a ‘teal’ independent will stand, although two-time candidate Suzie Holt said after her defeat in 2025 that she will not run again.
The governing Australian Labor Party is not likely to campaign strongly in Groom, but has been active in the electorate this term, approving a 300 megawatt (MW) Solar Farm 150MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at Dunmore, north of Millmerran.
