Right-wing minor party Trumpet of Patriots has announced it will preference Labor and the Coalition last during the upcoming Australian federal election.
Party Chairman Clive Palmer said on Friday he wanted to end the country’s two-arty duopoly, and promised to cut immigration by 80% and impose a licence fee on iron ore to help pay off government debt.
Mr Palmer said his party, which is led by candidate for Hunter Suellen Wrightson, would place both Labor and the Liberal-National coalition in the seats they hold.
“Liberal and Labor are the same, 99% of the time they have the same policies and Australians are fed up,” Mr Palmer said.
“I’ve seen the quality of the people that operate in the Opposition and in the Government who share picnics together on weekends and other social outings.
“They don’t really dislike each other, it’s a case of you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. That’s why we’ve had a Uni-Party for many years and that’s why we are going backwards.”
Mr Palmer then vowed to cut immigration by 80%, referring to the record 200,000 foreign students who entered Australia in February.
“Excessive, unmanaged and unplanned immigration is destroying our infrastructure, housing, schools, hospitals and communities,” he said.
The billionaire mining magnate also announced the Trumpet of Patriots would attempt to eliminate government debt with a 15% licence fee on all iron ore exports, and slammed the major parties’ obsession with renewable energy.
“It is much better that the Chinese pay off our debt than we do. We have Chinese warships off our coast and Australia wants to fight with our major ally, the US, over tariffs,” Mr Palmer said.
“The sad reality in Australia is that no one is better off than they were three years ago, and under Labor or the Liberals it will be even worse.
“The Uni-Party wants to spend $39 billion on renewables, and wants to commit a further $600 billion moving forward, which will only make Australians poorer.”
The announcement came after fury erupted on social media over Labor preferencing far-left party the Greens second.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Energy Minister Chris Bowen, and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus have all told voters to put the Greens second on their how to vote cards.
“Greens and Labor in bed all the way,” said one voter on X.
Header image: Left, Mr Palmer with US journalist Tucker Carlson. Right, party leader Suellen Wrightson (Facebook, Trumpet of Patriots).
