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Australia-first sentiment is surging as the Australian Lobby Group rapidly gains members, influence, and alignment with One Nation—challenging Canberra’s assumptions about patriotism, sovereignty, and voter priorities.

Contrary to the Canberra consensus, One Nation’s remarkable polling is not an anomaly.

Australians are also rallying behind the newly formed Australian Lobby Group (ALG) and its Australia-first patriotism.

Forged into existence by two Australian Defence Force vets, ALG has over 10,000 members, and that number is rising.

Registered in December 2025 by Scott Challen, ALG already has its first lobbyist and the ear of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

Australia-First Momentum Defies the Canberra Consensus

If the response to ALG’s December launch indicates anything, it’s that a large number of Australians are on board and mission-ready.

For example, the lobby group’s website crashed as thousands and thousands rushed to sign up.

That response prompted a surprised Challen to state in an update to followers at the time that support “exceeded all of their expectations.”

Welcoming new members, the tradie and part-time political commentator – otherwise known on social media as “ShallowChal” – said the ALG team was “eternally grateful and humbled to their core.”

ALG would, Challen declared, ‘do their very best to meet the expectations in doing what needs to be done to save our great country.”

Inside the Rapid Rise of the Australian Lobby Group

While the lobby group is fresh, its literal, battle-hardened team is not new to the political arena.

Co-founder, former ADF paratrooper, and 2 Worlds Collide podcaster Sam Bamford has well over 22,500 subscribers across social media and describes himself as a well-read political observer.

Australian culture didn’t appear by accident. It was built over generations around faith, fairness, responsibility, mateship, and a common identity. Flooding the country without integration, planning, or limits treats that inheritance as disposable.

And it’s our kids who pay the… pic.twitter.com/Je7wsKYaB1

— Australian Lobby Group (@AusLobby) February 8, 2026

His reasons for ALG stem from his passion for “ truth, accountability, and putting Australia first.”

For Bamford, the goals of ALG are simple: “support, back, and advocate for politicians who prioritise Australians, Australian sovereignty, and Australian interests above all else.”

Likewise, Challen.

When interviewing Pauline Hanson this week, the father of four revealed  “he first learned about how preferential voting works after handing out how-to-vote cards for One Nation in 1998.”

Presenting ALG’s policy positions, Challen raised the issue of ending mass immigration, digital ID, hate speech laws, and the cost of living.

Included here was the abuse of Australia’s welfare and visa systems, such as the LNP’s seemingly lop-sided, 2014 disability and aged pension exchange deal with India.

Where ALG and One Nation Align — and Clash

Speaking for ALG, Challen said he was surprised by some of Hanson’s answers.

There was some clear disagreement.

First, about creating a new state in Northern Queensland, which Hanson strongly opposed, saying it would create an even bigger burdensome government.

Another point of departure between ALG and One Nation was ALG’s idea of giving the education system the job of teaching kids how to drive.

Hanson said no, stating that the taxpayer would have to carry the cost burden and that it would add to an already bloated bureaucracy.

“That’s a cost again to the taxpayer,” she said.

“It’s like we don’t buy their car. We don’t fill up their car with fuel.”

“It’s your choice if you want to have a license to drive. That’s all part of you getting your driver’s license,” asserted Hanson.

“It’s not up to the taxpayer again to pay for you.”

Two subjects the Australia-first lobby group and One Nation did agree on were repealing hate speech laws and ending mass migration.

The One Nation leader told Challen that parents had left policing how kids use technology up to the government.

Those who support the social media ban, for instance, are “slowly letting go of your responsibility over your own children,” Hanson said, expressing frustration.

They “think the government will do the job, they should be doing as parents.”

Parents would be horrified at what the government is teaching their kids in schools, she continued to assert, and yet here parents are cheering on more control.

“I wouldn’t give the government any control at all,” Hanson resolved.

“Anytime we allow the state into our house and into our lives, we lose a little bit more freedom.”

Additional points of contact between the party and the lobby group included immigration, protecting national identity from Islam, and freedom of speech.

Making Ignoring Australians Politically Expensive

ALG’s rise and the soaring polls favouring One Nation did not stop a savvy Pauline Hanson from humbly issuing this dire warning:

“If we end up with Labor-Green-Teal government again controlling both houses,” she stated, “I fear for the country. I really do.

“I think we’re getting to a point where we can’t turn it around, and you’d have to have strong radical changes to turn it around.”

Taking pains to distinguish ALG from One Nation, Challen agreed, saying One Nation needed support.

“Are we bootlicking fans for Pauline? Hard no,” he exclaimed.

“Does One Nation have problems? Hell yes.

“Do they need a lot of people to get involved and help it become something that we can use to help create a better Australia? Definitely.”

Summarising ALG’s purpose in a 1 February post on X, Challen wrote,

“ALG does not exist to feel good. It exists to make ignoring Australians politically expensive.”

Make Australia Great Again!