Turning Point Australia is expanding its footprint across the country, with plans to establish chapters in schools and universities and influence future election outcomes, according to its leadership and public statements.
The organisation is led nationally by Joel Jammal and is linked to the US-based Turning Point movement founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Turning Point Australia says it was established with Kirk’s support and encouragement from UK political figures, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Former political staffer and influencer George Mamalis has emerged as a central figure in the organisation’s Australian presence. Once known for lifestyle and hospitality content on social media, Mamalis now produces culture-war material focused on issues such as immigration, net zero policies, transgender rights and Christian values in politics.
Turning Point Australia has outlined plans to support minor rightwing parties, beginning with South Australia’s upcoming state election, and to use those strategies as a template nationally. The group has also discussed distributing how-to-vote material to influence preference flows.
In podcast appearances and interviews, Mamalis has openly praised Liberal senator Alex Antic, describing him as a key ideological figure within the party. Antic has previously advocated reshaping the Liberal party along more explicitly conservative Christian lines.
Experts warn that groups like Turning Point Australia form part of a broader transnational ecosystem, borrowing tactics from the US and UK to mainstream once-fringe political ideas in Australia.
Researchers from Macquarie University and the University of Technology Sydney say this approach, often described as “mainstreaming” or shifting the Overton window, risks normalising extremist language without openly endorsing violence.
While Australia’s electoral system provides some protection against fringe movements gaining power, experts caution that weak party structures, social media influence and declining civic engagement leave space for organised ideological groups to exert influence, particularly among younger audiences.
