Clive Palmer trumpets election spending power as he unveils new political party

Billionaire Clive Palmer has fashioned himself as a kingmaker, believing he can bankroll his new Trumpet of Patriots candidates into parliament and influence the election through preferences.

Billionaire Clive Palmer has fashioned himself as a prime minister kingmaker believing he can bankroll his new Trumpet of Patriots candidates into parliament and influence the election through preferences.

Mr Palmer on Wednesday confirmed his position as chair and spokesman of the Trumpet of Patriots, a new political party inspired by the MAGA movement lead by US President Donald Trump, as the mining magnate vowed to “make Australia great again”.

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

The party, which Mr Palmer has redirected resources to after his United Australia Party (UAP) failed to get re-registered ahead of the looming federal election, will aim to run candidates in every lower house and senate seat with no expense spared.

“I’m more than happy to spend my funds on something … defending the right of free speech, and whatever is required to be spent, it will be spent,” he said.

The UAP spent about $123 million during the 2022 election, and secured just one senate seat in Victoria, held by Ralph Babet.

But the party also received about 600,000 votes in the House of Representatives, which if replicated by the Trumpets would have a substantial impact in some key seats depending on where preferences flowed.

Mr Palmer said it was “very hard to tell” what the Trumpets position would be on preferences as the party was fresh “news” to Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.

“So we’ll have to have discussions with them,” Mr Palmer said.

Having previously indicated he planned to challenge proposed laws to restrict election spending and donations, which are due to come into effect in 2026, Mr Palmer said he was waiting to see what happened at the 2025 poll.

“Let’s see. The election may give an answer,” he said.

Mr Palmer said the Trumpets’ centrepiece policy would be to “cut government waste,” citing the Elon Musk-fronted Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

Clive Palmer and Hunter candidate Suellen Wrightson in Canberra. Trumpet of Patriots will run candidates in every seat. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Standing alongside candidate Suellen Wrightson, who will contest in the NSW seat of Hunter, He identified trans women in sport, support for families “going without food” and imposing a cap on home loans as key priorities for the party.

Mr Palmer rejected the idea he was deluded for describing Ms Wrightson as “the next prime minister of Australia” given that would require the Trumpets win at majority of lower house seats.

Ms Wrightson said the party was “in this election to win” and invited the 82,000 members of the UAP and all political parties to “join us”.

She said the world was “changing” and in the US “government waste and corruption is finally being exposed”.

“The simple reason that the cost of living is so high is because Australians are actually being ripped off by the political system and the lobbyists that support them,” she said.

Originally published as Clive Palmer trumpets election spending power as he unveils new political party