Billionaire Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots puts Teal candidates ahead of Liberal, Labor MPs

Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots is set to have a damaging effect on the Coalition, according to one pollster, with support for the minor party expected to fracture primary votes.

Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots is set to have a damaging effect on the Coalition, according to one pollster, with support for the minor party expected to fracture primary votes.

The billionaire’s new venture is preferencing incumbents last on its how-to-vote cards in most seats.

The move is expected to boost votes to independents and minor parties.

But Redbridge pollster Kos Samaras said despite the preferences against the incumbents, Trumpets of Patriots would still be more damaging to the Coalition because it was fracturing their primary vote.

“In 2022, they took the same position (of preferencing incumbents last) and at the time it hurt the Coalition more as there were more Coalition incumbents under present,” he said.

Chairman of Trumpet of Patriots, Clive Palmer holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

“This time it would hurt Labor … but the significant attrition the Coalition is experiencing, it’s doing so through minor parties like Trumpets of Patriots and One Nation.

“What’s more damaging than the how-to-vote cards is the reality that they are losing primary votes to political parties like this one.”

In Cowper, where Nationals MP Pat Conaghan is at risk of losing his seat to Teal Caz Heise, Ms Heise is ranked second on preferences while Mr Conaghan is 11.

It’s the same in Bradfield, where Teal challenger Nicolette Boele is preferenced second and Liberal Giselle Kapterian, who will replace retiring MP Paul Fletcher, is last.

Jerome Laxale MP during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

In Goldstein, Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is fourth on their how-to-vote cards, while Teal MP Zoe Daniel is seventh.

In a departure from the broader policy of putting incumbents last, Trumpet of Patriots preferenced Labor’s Jerome Laxale ahead of Liberal challenger Scott Yung – putting them as seventh and eighth on the ballot.

Teal MPs Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall, Kate Chaney, Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel & Allegra Spender. Picture: Martin Ollman

The Trumpet of Patriots do not preference the major parties on their Senate how-to-vote cards in any jurisdiction, except Tasmania.

Party Chairman Clive Palmer said he wants to end the two-party duopoly.

“Liberal and Labor are the same, 99 per cent of the time they have the same policies and Australians are fed up,” Mr Palmer said.

“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 said.

A spokesman for Labor did not directly comment on the decision from Trumpet of Patriots.

Instead they said: “We are encouraging all Australians to put a 1 next to their Labor candidate to build Australia’s future and stop Peter Dutton’s cuts.”

The Liberal Party refused to comment on the preferences.