{{Short description|Australian conservative organisation}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox organization | name = Turning Point Australia | formation = {{start date and age|2023|01|20| df=y}}{{efn|This was when the ABN for ''Turning Point Australia Pty Ltd'' was registered. The website says the organisation was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.}} | abbreviation = TPAUS | purpose = Conservative activism | headquarters = Sydney, New South Wales | origins = COVID-19 pandemic | region_served = Australia | leader_title = Leader | leader_name = Joel Jammal | website = {{url|tpaust.com.au/}} }} '''Turning Point Australia''' ('''TPAUS''') is a conservative lobby group based in Australia, affiliated with Turning Point USA but independent of it. Founded by Joel Jammal and first registered in 2023, the group has become active in trying to influence the outcome of the 2026 South Australian state election in March 2026.
==Background and history== ===Joel Jammal=== Joel Jammal is an Australian of Syrian and Lebanese heritage. He describes himself as "a Christian journalist and conservative political commentator", and stated in 2020 that he lectured at the Sydney Institute for Christian Studies. In 2019, he first appeared in the media when he supported 18-year-old Samraat Joshua Grewal's unsuccessful attempt to topple Fred Nile as the leader of the Christian Democratic Party.<ref name=crikey2023/>
Jammal was an active participant in anti-lockdown rallies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and posted long interviews with extreme conspiracy theorist Riccardo Bosi, who promoted, among other things, vaccine skepticism and 5G misinformation. Jammal agrees with Bosi's views on the COVID-19 vaccine, and says that he had also wondered whether the Port Arthur massacre had really happened.<ref name=crikey2023/> Jammal was charged with encouraging criminal behaviour and breaching public health orders in July 2021.<ref name=crikey2023/>
He then started working with conservative figures such as Craig Kelly and Dougal Cameron (son of former Liberal MP Ross Cameron), and worked in a voluntary capacity for the Conservative Political Action Conference Australia, run by Andrew Cooper,<ref name=crikey2023/> co-founder and national director of CPAC Australia.<ref name="q205">{{cite web |title=CPAC Team |website=CPAC Australia |date=5 February 2026 |url=https://www.cpac.network/cpac-team/andrew_cooper |access-date=8 February 2026}}</ref>
{{as of|February 2026}}, Jammal's bio on the TPAUS website states that he is the founding host of a political news podcast for young Australians called ''The ARK'', and owner-publisher of ''The Light Australia''.<ref name=about/>
===Foundation=== Turning Point Australia is an offshoot of the organisation formed by American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.<ref name=kelsall>{{cite web |last=Kelsall |first=Thomas |title=Turning Point Australia moves into SA, but Opposition Leader says 'votes are won in the centre of politics' |website=ABC News |date=6 October 2025 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-06/turning-point-australia-sa-move/105857144 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251210192150/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-06/turning-point-australia-sa-move/105857144 |archive-date=10 December 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref> It was set up on the recommendation of Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and approved by Kirk.<ref name=shepherd>{{cite web |last=Shepherd |first=Tory |title=From cute dogs to Turning Point: the journey of an influencer aiming to breathe rightwing Christian values into Australian politics |website=The Guardian |date=1 February 2026 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/02/turning-point-australia-rightwing-christian-politics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260202042429/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/02/turning-point-australia-rightwing-christian-politics |archive-date=2 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref><ref name=kelsall/> Jammal, along with Damien Costas, organised a tour of Australia by Farage in 2022.<ref name=crikey2023>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Cam |title=How an anti-vaccine Port Arthur sceptic came to rub shoulders with federal MPs |website=Crikey |date=8 February 2023 |url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/02/08/joel-jammal-anti-vaccine-federal-mps-turning-point-australia/ |access-date=7 February 2026|url-access=subscription |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230209054212/https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/02/08/joel-jammal-anti-vaccine-federal-mps-turning-point-australia/| archive-date = 9 Feb 2023}}</ref> Along with Andrew Cooper, who ran Conservative Political Action Conference Australia, and former Liberal Party staffer Barclay McGain, Jammal launched Turning Point Australia.<ref name=crikey2023/> It was first registered as a limited company, as "Turning Point Australia Pty Ltd", on the Australian Business Register on 20 January 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Current details for ABN 56 664 782 003 |website=ABN Lookup |url=https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?id=56664782003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260207011021/https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?id=56664782003 |archive-date=7 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref>
===Activities and growth=== TPAUS organised an event espousing climate change denial views with One Nation NSW MP Mark Latham, United Australia Party national director Craig Kelly, and One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts, hosted by Jammal.<ref name=crikey2023/> At the 2023 annual conference of Church and State (CAS), a conservative Christian "political education ministry" founded by David Pellowe{{efn|Candidate for Family First Party in the 2015 Queensland state election and 2016 Australian federal election.}} in 2018,<ref>{{cite web |title=About Church And State 2020 |website=Church And State |url=https://www.churchandstate.com.au/about/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260103021507/https://www.churchandstate.com.au/about/ |archive-date=3 January 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=8 February 2026}}</ref> Jammal hosted a panel discussion titled "Political reformation". Latham and Roberts were also presenters at the conference, along with George Christensen and former deputy prime minister John Anderson.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 Program |website=Church And State |date=3 March 2023 |url=https://www.churchandstate.com.au/2023-program/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525044939/https://www.churchandstate.com.au/2023-program/ |archive-date=25 May 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=8 February 2026}}</ref>
After the murder of Kirk, Turning Point Australia organised a sunset vigil in Hyde Park in Sydney on 13 September 2025, which was attended by around 300 people. Jammal said at the time that he had been planning to bring Kirk out to Australia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Blair |last2=Williamson |first2=Joanne |title=Sydney vigil for assassinated US conservative Charlie Kirk held on Friday night |website=news.com.au |date=12 September 2025 |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/huge-crowd-turns-out-in-sydney-to-honour-assassinated-us-conservative-commentator-charlie-kirk/news-story/e5c59dfc72a76519c5681c784108cc18 |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref>
In October 2025, conservative social media personality George Mamalis was appointed to the new role of state coordinator for South Australia. TPAUS focused on SA first because of the upcoming state election in March 2026.<ref name=kelsall/> George Mamalis previously worked for former state Liberal leader David Speirs, for Sarah Game when she was with One Nation SA, and later for Liberal senator Alex Antic, is a leader in South Australia.<ref name=shepherd/> His bio on the TPAUS website says that he is "an Orthodox Christian with strong libertarian values", and founded The Adelaide Set, "a grassroots media platform with over 250,000 followers".{{efn|According to an ABC News article in October 2025, "181,000 followers on Instagram and 33,000 on Facebook".<ref name=kelsall/>}}<ref name=about/> The Adelaide Set started espousing vaccine skepticism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then has been dominated by right-wing issues such as "mass migration", net zero, trans issues, and the protection of "western culture".<ref name=shepherd/> Mamalis regularly shares videos and posts about or by South Australian anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe, Sarah Game, Pauline Hanson,<ref name=shepherd/> and Adelaide City Councillor Henry Davis, who is running for Sarah Game's new party, Fair Go for Australians.<ref name=kelsall/>
By early 2026, Turning Point Australia had announced that it was opening branches nationwide, and aims to influence the outcome of elections.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Paul |title=Morning Mail: Turning Point eyes Australian politics, real estate agent data exposed, Alcaraz triumphs over Djokovic |website=The Guardian |date=1 February 2026 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/02/morning-mail-monday-ntwnfb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260203114453/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/02/morning-mail-monday-ntwnfb |archive-date=3 February 2026 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref> Its website claims that founder Jammal has, through TPA, "participat[ed] in more electoral contests over a four-year period than any other political entity; spanning local, state, federal elections, by-elections, and the national referendum".<ref name=about/> When challenged about this claim, TPAUS did not provide any specific details.<ref name=shepherd/>
TPAUS aims to establish chapters across Australia, including in high schools and universities, and Jammal wants politicians to see them as "the biggest threat in keeping voters informed".<ref name=shepherd/> Jammal and Mammalis claimed on a podcast on 7 December 2025 that TPAUS intends to lobby for minor right-wing parties at the March 2026 South Australian state election. The group has claimed that it expects to spend over {{AUD|10,000}} on their campaign, which will see them hosting events on university campuses, among other events.<ref name=kelsall/> As at 25 February 2026 (less than a month before the South Australia election), the website contains no details of any events or campaigns in connection with the election.<ref>tpaust.com.au</ref>
==Description== The organisation is affiliated with and licensed by Turning Point USA under a branding agreement, but is an independent organisation run by Australians.<ref name=about>{{cite web |title=About |website= Turning Point Australia |date=19 August 2025 |url=https://tpaust.com.au/about/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251227140725/https://tpaust.com.au/about/ |archive-date=27 December 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref> It is headquartered in the Sydney suburb of Brighton-Le-Sands.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact|website= Turning Point Australia |url=https://tpaust.com.au/contact/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251229024835/https://tpaust.com.au/contact/ |archive-date=29 December 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref>
{{as of|February 2026}}, Turning Point Australia's national director is Joel Jammal.<ref name=shepherd/><ref name=crikey2023/> George Mamalis is South Australian state coordinator.<ref name=kelsall/><ref name=shepherd/> Saraya Beric, former marketing manager, federal secretary and Queensland secretary for One Nation, is head of operations and marketing.<ref name=about/>
==Connections and views== At the time of its launch, despite Jammal's stated intention "to do a similar thing" as Turning Point USA, it began by acting as a broader conservative group. Its website described Turning Point Australia as a "a non-profit organisation with a mission to identify, educate, train, and organise a community movement to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government".<ref name=crikey2023/> He has emphasised the group's independence from Turning Point USA, saying that the latter has no involvement in the Australian group's operations.<ref name=ark/>
{{as of|February 2026}}, its website is emblazoned with the slogan "We fight for individual freedoms against big Government and special interests". It now describes its mission as "to organise grassroots activism campaigns that educate, train, and assist citizens in fighting for freedom in Australia", and emphasises that it is "a real grassroots organisation that works for the benefit of regular Australian people".<ref name=about/> In a December podcast, Jammal describes the group as "'ambassadors' for freedom, free speech, family values, and business".<ref name=shepherd/>
There has been criticism of Turning Point Australia Fair Go from both right and left for adopting an American style of politics, which is polarising.<ref name=kelsall/>
Former Liberal Party branch president Walter Villatora was a co-owner of the company behind Turning Point Australia, Ark Harbour,<ref name=ark>{{cite web |title=Turning Point Australia Stands Firm: Independence Confirmed After Shareholder Exit – Turning Point Australia |website=web.archive.org |date=2 December 2025 |url=https://tpaust.com.au/news/turning-point-australia-stands-firm-independence-confirmed-after-shareholder-exit/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251211015118/https://tpaust.com.au/news/turning-point-australia-stands-firm-independence-confirmed-after-shareholder-exit/ |archive-date=11 December 2025 |url-status=unfit |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> before founding a new political party called Reform Australia, joined by one-time federal Liberal candidate, Ben Britton.<ref name=bogle/> Jammal had provided tech support to the party's website, but had cut business ties with Villatora, saying that TPAUS is a third party campaigner, not a political party, and maintains separation from parties.<ref name=bogle>{{cite web |last1=Bogle |first1=Ariel |last2=Canales |first2=Sarah Basford |title=Reform Australia: who is behind the new rightwing group recruiting at an anti-immigration rally? |website=The Guardian |date=3 December 2025 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/03/reform-australia-rightwing-group-walter-villatora-former-liberal-party |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251206212515/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/03/reform-australia-rightwing-group-walter-villatora-former-liberal-party |archive-date=6 December 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2026}}</ref>
In a 2026 interview on ''The West Report'', TPAUS founder Joel Jammal claimed that he had been approached at least three times by Zionist lobbying organisations to either publicly support Israel or regularly feature Jews on his program.<ref name=west>{{cite web |title=Inside Australia's Political Influencer Lobby Machine {{!}} The West Report |url=https://michaelwest.com.au/inside-australias-political-influencer-lobby-machine-the-west-report/ |last=Barnett |first=Joshua |date=28 May 2026 |website=michaelwest.com.au |publisher=Michael West Media |access-date=29 May 2026 }}</ref> He also claimed that he was offered a $300k per month sponsorship.<ref name=west/>
==Footnotes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official|https://tpaust.com.au/}}
{{Charlie Kirk}}
Category:2023 establishments in Australia Category:Turning Point USA Category:Far-right politics in Australia Category:Conservatism in Australia Category:Lobbying organisations in Australia