Clive Palmer shares policy priorities for Trumpet of Patriots

Clive Palmer has outlined the vision of his new fringe party Trumpet of Patriots, vowing to “make Australia great again”.

Clive Palmer has called for banks to cap interest rates at 3 per cent, and for Kevin Rudd to be sacked as Australia’s ambassador to the US, sharing his multi-pronged pitch to get Trumpet for Patriots candidates into parliament at this year’s election.

The mining magnate claimed the party already had more than 20,000 members of Australia, with “thousands of people” joining everyday, since he announced his backing of the fringe group on February 19.

Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Palmer described spending millions on politics, like his $100m cash splash to install a single candidate in the Senate, as “his golf”, claiming that he finds it “more exciting” than lawn bowls.

“At 70, I could join many Australians and play lawn bowls. I find this more exciting,” he said.

“I’m devoted, because I also have an investment in Australia. I’ve got four children.

“I think this is a good place, and it’s worth fighting for, and that’s just my view. You’ve got the freedom to disagree.”

Clive Palmer shared the policy platform for Trumpet of Patriots in his National Press Club address. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Mr Palmer also shared his policy push to voters included a two-prong approach to boost home ownership, proposing an interest rate cap of 3 per cent, while also allowing buyers to use their superannuation to fund up to a 30 per cent deposit.

He said this would also put more rental homes on the market.

“That means Australians can live again, that means that our rentals will be available for people at a much lower price,” he said.

“Nearly a third of our Australians are renting at the moment, and this country, to its disgrace, has 120,000 homeless people that have nowhere to live.”

Mr Palmer also called for Mr Rudd to be bought back from Washington.

“There are not too many ambassadors in Washington that have insulted the President of the United States, Kevin Rudd ranks alone in that,” Mr Palmer said.

“Australia needs an effective representative in Washington that can support our nation in its time of turmoil, in a time when our living standards are declining and when Australian people are going hungry.”

While he declined to say who he would pick for the posting, he backed the work of former ambassadors Kim Beazley and Joe Hockey.

“I think somebody that can have a rapport. They either get somebody that has got some sort of relationship,” he said, answering questions from journalists while chowing down on Tim Tams.

“There are many prominent Australians that do that with the Trump administration already, or you get someone that’s neutral.”

Mr Palmer took aim at Kevin Rudd and called for him to be dumped as Australia’s ambassador to the US. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

He also said Trumpet of Patriots would campaign for Australian superannuation funds to only invest in Australian businesses, a ban on trans athletes, and a 15 per cent licence fee on iron ore.

Trumpet of Patriots will aim to run candidates across all 150 electorates and senate seats.

However, no decisions have been made on preferencing, with Mr Palmer backing neither leader and calling both major parties “whingers”.

“One of the problems with (Anthony) Albanese and Labor and Peter Dutton and his Liberals is that they’re whingers,” he said.

“They look at what’s wrong. They don’t look at how we solve the problem.

“They don’t provide solutions and leadership to solve the serious issues facing every Australians every day of the week, whether it’s housing, whether it’s a cost of living, a whole range of things.”

The party will be led by NSW Hunter candidate Suellen Wrightson who will challenge Labor incumbent Dan Repacholi.