Trumpet of Patriots Chairman Clive Palmer claims some of his party’s how-to-vote cards have been tampered with and says he has launched an investigation into the matter less than two weeks out from the federal election.
Palmer claimed some cards had been interfered with — but did not specify how — and would be immediately reprinted to reflect the party’s correct position.
”It has become apparent that a number of our how-to-vote cards have been interfered with,” he said in a statement today.
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“This incident has not happened in isolation as we have been hacked and had our communications interfered with on previous occasions.
“We will be conducting a full investigation into the matter.”
The Australian Electoral Commission is not involved in the investigation.
Trumpet of Patriots is urging voters to place Labor and Liberal candidates last on its how-to-vote cards and its own candidates first, with other candidates recommended in between.
However, the Trumpet of Patriots candidate for Flinders, Jason Smart, has withdrawn his candidacy and claimed he was “blindsided” after seeing the cards show opponent and teal independent Ben Smith recommended above some conservative candidates.
“My wife and I have been sitting here at home in utter disbelief since Friday morning”, Smart said in a social media post.
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He claimed that Palmer told him that the Greens, Teals and Labor candidates would be recommended last on the how-to-vote cards.
“I only agreed to run on that basis,” he said.
Smart told voters to “put me last” on the ballot papers.
Palmer, in his statement, said he placed Labor and Liberal candidates last on his party’s how-to-vote cards because 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,” he claimed.
Palmer’s only senator, Ralph Babet, shared a social media post this afternoon that read: “Trumpet of Patriots are not working with the Greens or Teals.”
Palmer announced his new party, Trumpet of Patriots, on February 19 after he lost his bid to re-register his previous party, United Australia Party, in the High Court.
The UAP was voluntarily deregistered on September 8, 2022, meaning that its candidates would not have been identified under the party name on the ballot papers.
Early voting is now open ahead of election day on May 3.
9news.com.au has contacted Trumpet of Patriots for comment.
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