Mining magnate and billionaire Clive Palmer has made a major announcement, signalling his return to the political arena with a new initiative. Drawing inspiration from international political movements, Palmer’s latest venture could shake up the country’s political landscape.
With promises of bold policies and a nationwide presence, the move is already generating strong reactions from both supporters and critics alike.
The 70-year-old former politician has announced the formation of a new political party, the Trumpet of Patriots. Drawing inspiration from US President Donald Trump, Palmer’s latest venture promises to ‘Make Australia Great Again’ and ‘drain the swamp in Canberra.’
Palmer, who has a history of making bold political moves, is positioning his new party as a force that will challenge the status quo, targeting voters from the major parties, the Greens, and the Teal independents.
At a press conference teeming with media at Parliament House in Canberra, Palmer praised Trump’s policies and outlined his vision for Australia, which includes reducing immigration, banning trans athletes from competing in women’s sports, and rescinding Kevin Rudd’s appointment as Australia’s ambassador to the US.
‘The party believes in the policies of Donald Trump, which is shown to be effective in bringing management back on track… Australia needs Trump policies. Australians want them,’ he said.
The Trumpet of Patriots is set to contest all 150 electorate seats and Senate positions in the upcoming elections, although Palmer has yet to reveal details on preferencing, stating it would be ‘up to policies.’
The party’s central policy is to ‘cut government waste,’ with Palmer citing the Elon Musk-fronted Department of Government Efficiency in the US as an example to follow.
Palmer’s financial commitment to the party is unwavering, as he has vowed to spend ‘whatever is required’ to boost its election chances. This comes after his previous political venture, the United Australia Party, saw him spend a staggering $123 million in the 2022 federal election, resulting in a single Senate seat win.
The party’s leadership will include NSW Hunter candidate Suellen Wrightson, who will challenge Labor incumbent Dan Repacholi. Wrightson has been vocal about her stance on issues such as the cost of living, advocating for fast trains to connect capital cities with regional Australia, and has echoed Palmer’s views on trans rights.
However, Palmer has remained tight-lipped about his plans to fight the incoming Commonwealth laws that will cap individual donations to $50,000 and impose election spending caps of $90 million per party. These changes, set to take effect in 2026, could significantly impact the way parties like the Trumpet of Patriots fund their campaigns.
The announcement of the Trumpet of Patriots follows the voluntary deregistration of Palmer’s United Australia Party in late 2022, which was unable to be re-registered after a failed High Court challenge.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has questioned the effectiveness of Palmer’s new political endeavour, emphasising the importance of serious policies for a serious political party.
‘A bloke who spends over $100 million to deliver one Senate seat with a bloke who sits in the corner and just engages in conspiracy theories I don’t think represents value for money,’ he remarked.
‘I’m not sure what the objective of them is, but people are entitled to put themselves forward in an election, but if you’re a serious political party, then you have to have serious policies.’
As you navigate the ever-changing political scene, it’s crucial to stay informed and critically evaluate the promises made by new and existing parties.
What are your thoughts and concerns about Clive Palmer’s new political party? Share them with the YourLifeChoices community in the comments below.
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Does he think we are as stupid as U.S, voters?
Palmer is an absolute idiot. He could be doing good with all that many he is wasting.
I agree with Rod63 that Palmer is an idiot, but I wish his new party had a fighting chance, because it is what Australia needs. We need to drain the Canberra swamp, cut waste, abolish woke policies, get back to common sense and basic morality.
And Albanese might well criticise Palmer, but he’s an even bigger idiot and the worst thing that ever happened to this nation. Palmer would make a much better PM than Elbow-sleezy.
You have a very short memory if you think Albo is the worst PM. Abbott was a shocker but even he was not as bad as Morrison.
How do you know there is waste in Canberra?
What, exactly has Albo done wrong?
Albo is running accredited, he’s the Idiot. Not too many positives re Albo, guaranteed! Palmer will shake things up & a Trump agenda is what’s required in Australia. Borders. Immigration. Economy. Public Service waste. Canberra lining pockets & robbing Taxpayers. A similar Trump/Musk clean up is badly needed asap.
Trumpeter Patriots will have Aussies talking, agreeing, voting.. Albo pack your “backpack”, you’re Gone!!!!
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We do not want a Trump agenda here.
And you may not like Albo, but if he is not PM it will be Dutton and we certainly don’t want that!!
Remember, most people will always be better off under Labor than Coalition. The latter is only better for big business and wealthy people.
History tell us that any group claiming to be patriots will be bad for the country.
The kind of idiots that support this party won’t know history.
I have always thought Australia is more intelligent than the US.
We can see now foreign propaganda has started to infiltrate here with elections, the same as how they interfere with the US.
Anyone who thinks Trump is great should read New York Times and follow the current destruction of the US democracy.
Dutton is also following Trump’s tendency of government
Please stop using immigration as the excuse, Australia has been the most stable country, don’t destroy it.
Quite remarkable how people make statements bashing public service waste based on assumptions and with little or no evidence. They would however be in there complaining if their unemployment or NSDP payments weren’t on time. Get real people, this is Australia not USA