Clive Palmer is chairman of the Trumpet of Patriots, and he has your mobile phone number. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots is doing its best to annoy voters, with outrage being expressed over unsolicited text messages flooding mobile phones, with no apparent way for recipients to opt out.
Since last week, millions of Australians began receiving continuous unsolicited political text messages from Clive Palmer’s new party.
They have the sender listed as Trumpet, and they conclude with an authorisation by “H Fong Trumpet of Patriots”.
The texts are accompanied by a link that, if tapped, opens up to a video message from Trumpet of Patriots leader Suellen Wrightson.
The text messages cover a range of topics Mr Palmer wants to make election issues – and they often mix the issues while paying little attention to grammar and spelling.
“Solve housing fast trains 20 min CBD cheaper land. Super for deposit 3% interest, cut immigration by 80%,” one text reads.
But Canberrans have had enough.
“I replied telling the Nazis to f*** off, only to find out you can’t reply and you can’t opt out,” one disgruntled voter posted on Facebook.
“I hate these bastards. Why can’t I get rid of these messages?” another asked.
And another: “How do they even know my number? Surely it’s illegal to not provide an opt out.”
However, it isn’t illegal.
While spam rules generally require permission and include a way for recipients to opt out, political texts are largely exempt from these requirements. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has braced itself for this very question and has posted relevant information on its website.
“The Australian Communications and Media Authority is aware that members of the public may receive political emails, text messages and calls from time to time, such as:
- During local, state and territory or federal election campaigns
- During periods of political debate, such as in the lead-up to a referendum or plebiscite.
“These messages and calls are exempt from most spam and telemarketing rules,” ACMA says.
The Australian Electoral Commission also notes that the Electoral Act does not prohibit unsolicited text messages.
“The AEC also has no role in regulating the content of electoral communications – we don’t determine what is true or false,” it states.
“The AEC does not disclose telephone numbers from the electoral roll.
“Electoral communications require authorisation, either in the message or on a linked website.”
Armed with that information, a scan of social media reactions from across the nation to the unwelcome text messages proves more than entertaining.
“I’m getting texts from Trumpet of Patriots and the grammar is horrendous. That tells me Babet is writing them himself,” one person tweeted.
Ralph Babet is Mr Palmer’s only sitting Senator, under the party’s former United Australian Party banner.
“Isn’t this harassment? Stalking? I never signed up for these,” another tweeter posted.
“I can’t reply or block, only delete. How do I stop this junk?” said another.
It is unclear how Trumpet of Patriots acquired so many personal phone numbers, but Clive Palmer has a history of bombarding voters with texts and is known for spending millions of dollars during election campaigns to spread his message far and wide.
Trumpet of Patriots is only third, behind Labor and the Coalition, on his election spend this time round, with a reported $5.6 million spent on television ads alone.
Despite his splurging, however, Mr Palmer and his various named parties have had little electoral success to date.
In the 2022 federal election, after contesting every seat with a reported combined campaign spend of more than $100 million, Senator Babet’s was the only seat won by the UAP in either House.
When Mr Palmer wasn’t allowed to re-register his United Australia Party in time for this federal election, he did the next best thing and claimed a new one.
The name Trumpet of Patriots belonged to an existing and registered political party, which Mr Palmer took over as its chairman.
Former UAP MP Craig Kelly used mass text message deliveries before the 2022 election, and the major parties used texts during the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum in 2023.
