Clive Palmer launches Trumpet of the Patriots after losing bid to re-register the UAP

The Aussie mining magnate has announced his new political party, the Trumpet of Patriots, promises to “drain the Swamp in Canberra”.

Exclusive: Clive Palmer has confirmed he is the new chair and spokesman for Trumpet of Patriots, announcing the party would adopt many of the policies of US President Donald Trump.

The Aussie billionaire said the party would “drain the Swamp in Canberra” by running candidates in the House of Representatives and the Senate at the next election.

“We need common sense policies and solutions to the real problems Australians are facing,” Mr Palmer said in a statement.

“Our country is barely recognisable. In just a few short years our standard of living has plummeted thanks to poor government policies and ministers who are out of their depth.

“The Coalition are no better and are simply one half of what appears to be a uni-party with Labor. It is time to free all Australians and protect our freedom of speech and our liberty to make free choices in our lives.”

Mr Palmer set his sights on a new political party after a failed bid to re-register his old one in time to contest the looming federal election.

Billionaire Clive Palmer is making a new political move. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

It is understood the mining magnate encouraged members of his United Australia Party (UAP) to instead sign up to his new political endeavour.

In what could be Mr Palmer’s final chance to spend big on Australian politics due to strict new donation and spending caps coming into effect in 2026, it is expected Trumpet of the Patriots will run candidates in all 150 lower house and the 40 open senate seats.

“Big announcement tomorrow,” Mr Palmer teased in a post on X on Tuesday afternoon.

Trumpet of Patriots is listed on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) register of political parties with a party correspondence address in Mirboo North, Victoria.

According to the AEC, it was first registered in July 2011, but is not listed as a “parliamentary party”.

It is understood the party was originally known as the Country Alliance, before changing its name several times, including to the Australian Federation Party in 2020, and then last year to the Trumpet of Patriots.

An old website for the Australian Federation Party describes the organisation as “a credible alternative to counter the incompetence and corruption of Labor/Greens and Liberal/Nationals”.

Clive Palmer with conservative US media figure Tucker Carlson at the Australian Freedom Conference last year. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Last week Mr Palmer lost his High Court bid to re-registered the UAP in time for the federal election due by May 17 this year, meaning any candidates would not be identified with the UAP on ballot papers.

The UAP was voluntarily deregistered in late 2022 after the last federal election and under the law could not re-register within the same electoral cycle.

Mr Palmer, UAP Senator Ralph Babet and the party’s national director Neil Favager launched the case after they were blocked from re-registering last year, arguing the decision infringed on implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.

Commonwealth lawyers argued party registration came with responsibilities, such as transparency obligations around disclosing donations, and suggested a “possible explanation” for UAP deregistering in 2022 had been to avoid those requirements.

At the last election, UAP candidates received a combined total of more than 600,000 votes in the House of Representatives, and more than 520,000 votes in the Senate.

Annual donation disclosure data from 2021-22 show the UAP spent about $123 million on the campaign, which resulted in the party securing just one senate seat currently held by Mr Babet.

Earlier this month the Coalition and Labor united to pass sweeping donation and spending reforms through parliament designed to stop “big money” influencing Australian elections.

Under the changes the maximum amount a candidate will be able to receive from one source is $50,000 and their spending per seat will be capped at $800,000, while individual donors cannot give more than $1.6m nationally.

Originally published as Clive Palmer launches Trumpet of the Patriots after losing bid to re-register the UAP