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Trumpet of Patriots

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Trumpet of Patriots
Abbreviation
  • ToP
  • TOP
ChairpersonClive Palmer
LeaderSuellen Wrightson
PresidentGlenn O'Rourke
Vice PresidentNick Duffield
FounderCA/AFP:
  • Russell Bate
  • Fiona Hilton-Wood
  • Russell Pearson
  • Bob Richardson
ToP:
  • Nick Duffield
FoundedCA/AFP: 15 August 2005; 19 years ago (15 August 2005)
ToP: 23 August 2021; 3 years ago (23 August 2021)
RegisteredVEC: 16 August 2005; 19 years ago (16 August 2005)[1]
AEC: 26 July 2011; 13 years ago (26 July 2011)[2]
Preceded byAustralian Federation Party
Membership (2022)Increase 2,650[3]
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing to far-right
Colours  Yellow
House of Representatives
0 / 151
Senate
0 / 76
Website
trumpetofpatriots.com.au
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Trumpet of Patriots (ToP) is an Australian political party that intends to contest the 2025 federal election.[3] It is registered with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), as well as in New South Wales for local government elections and the Northern Territory for parliamentary elections.[8][9]

The party was founded in 2004 by four rural Victorians as the Country Alliance, and was renamed to the Australian Country Party (ACP) in 2015.[10][11] In 2020, the party again changed its name to the Australian Federation Party (AFP), also known as AusFeds.[12][13] A fourth rebrand occurred in 2024, when it merged with Trumpet of Patriots and changed its registered name with the AEC.[14]

In February 2025, Clive Palmer joined Trumpet of Patriots after he was unable to re-register the United Australia Party (UAP) for the 2025 election. Palmer will serve as the party's chairperson, while Suellen Wrightson will lead the party and contest the electorate of Hunter.

History

[edit]

Country Alliance (2005−2015)

[edit]

Country Alliance was founded on 15 August 2005[15] by four Victorians − Fiona Hilton-Wood, a staffer for independent MP Russell Savage; Russell Bate, a Shire of Mansfield councillor; Russell Pearson, a member of the Sporting Shooters Association; and Bob Richardson, a former union official.[16][17] Savage said he had discussions with the party about joining, but ultimately chose to continue sitting as an independent.[18][19]

At the 2006 Victorian state election, the party contested the three rural upper house regions, receiving 13,329 first preference votes and finishing in ninth place statewide.[20] In the Western Victoria Region, preferences from the Country Alliance and the Labor Party flowed to the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) through group voting tickets, resulting in DLP lead candidate Peter Kavanagh winning the region's fifth and final seat.[21]

Country Alliance nominated 37 candidates for the 2010 state election, standing in four upper house seats − Western Victoria, Eastern Victoria, Northern Victoria and Northern Metropolitan − and most of the regional seats in the lower house. The party's best lower house result was in Shepparton, where it polled 20.5% of first preferences and 39.8% of the two-candidate-preferred vote after preferences.[22] In Northern Victoria, the party was initially projected by the ABC to win the final seat after polling 6.8% of the primary vote, but it fell approximately 1,900 votes short.[23][24]

After being registered with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in 2011, the party contested the 2013 federal election in several Victorian lower house seats, as well as fielding Senate candidates in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.[25] The party received a total of 6,440 votes in the Senate, accounting for 0.05% of all votes cast nationwide.[26][27]

In February 2014, the Victorian branch of Katter's Australian Party (KAP) merged with Country Alliance, with the newly-combined party contesting the 2014 state election as the Australian Country Alliance (ACA).[28] At the election, the ACA received 1.28% of the vote in the lower house and 0.68% in the upper house statewide.[29]

Australian Country Party (2015−2020)

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In 2015, the party announced it would change its name to the Australian Country Party (ACP).[30][31] The change was approved by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) on 21 August 2015, and later approved for federal elections by the AEC on 23 October 2015.[32][33] In response, the Victorian National Party sought to change its name to the "National Country Party" (the name that the federal National Party used from 1975 until 1982), but its application was rejected by the VEC.[34][35]

In August 2018, the party applied to the AEC to change its name to the Australia Party/Give it Back, but withdrew the application before processing was completed.[36][37] In September 2018, the VEC approved a similar application and the party was registered as the Australian Country Party/Give It Back, although the party applied to revert the change in January 2019.[38][39]

Australian Federation Party (2020−2024)

[edit]

In January 2020, the party changed its name to the Australian Federation Party (AFP).[40][41] One month later on 4 March 2020, Tasmanians 4 Tasmania, a minor party that had contested the 2018 Tasmanian state election, was formally renamed to Federation Party Tasmania.[42][43]

On 30 June 2020, an application to register Federation Party Australian Capital Territory was lodged with the ACT Electoral Commission.[44] At the ACT election in October, the party had 0.26% of the overall vote.[45] The party also applied for registration with the New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC) to contest local government elections, although it did not run in the 2021 local elections.[46][47]

At the 2022 federal election, the Federation Party received 0.39% of the nationwide lower house vote and 0.22% of the upper house vote.[48]

Trumpet of Patriots

[edit]

Trumpet of Patriots (ToP) was formed on 23 August 2021,[49] with Nick Duffield serving as its president.[49][50] The party applied for registration with the AEC on 23 December 2021, but the party registration process was suspended on 11 April 2022 after the federal election writ was issued.[51]

Because it could not contest the election as a registered party, it entered into an agreement with the Federation Party, with many candidates who had intended to contest for Trumpet of Patriots instead running for the AFP.[52] Following the federal election, the AEC refused the party's request for registration as it did not have 1,500 members required for registration.[51]

On 26 August 2024, the Federation Party applied to change its name to "Trumpet of Patriots" as part of a merger between the two parties.[3] The name change was approved by the AEC on 3 December 2024.[53]

At a press conference on 19 February 2025, former federal MP Clive Palmer announced that he had joined Trumpet of Patriots, following the High Court ruling that he would be unable to register the United Australia Party (UAP) for the 2025 federal election after its voluntary de-registration in 2022.[54] Suellen Wrightson, a former UAP candidate, was announced as the party's leader and "prime ministerial candidate".[55] The only sitting UAP representative, Victorian senator Ralph Babet, chose to remain as UAP leader and did not join Trumpet of Patriots.

Elected representatives

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Former

[edit]

As Country Alliance, Australian Country Party or Australian Federation Party representatives:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Party registration decisions and changes". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Party registration decision: Country Alliance". Australian Electoral Commission. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "A Defining Moment for Trumpet of Patriots: Together, We Will Make Australia Great Again". Trumpet of Patriots. 25 September 2024. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  4. ^ Butler, Josh (18 May 2022). "Australian election 2022: from anti-vaxxers to revolutionaries, what do the minor parties running for the Senate stand for?". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024.
  5. ^ Ross, Isabella (18 May 2022). "From anti-vax to 'pro-life': What every single minor party actually stands for". Mamamia. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  6. ^ Sharma, Yashee (19 February 2025). "Clive Palmer launches Trump-inspired political party Trumpet of Patriots". 9News. Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  7. ^ "'Make Australia great again': Palmer returns, with Trumpist pledge". The New Daily. 19 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Local government register of political parties". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 20 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Register of political parties". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 27 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Australian Country Alliance interested in federal seat of Indi but yet to decide on running candidate". ABC News. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Rename Country Alliance". Australian Electoral Commission. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  12. ^ "NOTICE OF PARTY REGISTRATION DECISION" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 27 February 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  13. ^ Hewson, Georgie (11 May 2022). "Candidates for southern Queensland seat of Groom, ahead of federal election". ABC News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  14. ^ "How Might Minor Right Parties Win More Federal Seats?". Dr Kevin Bonham. 13 February 2025. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  15. ^ "New country party enters Victoria's political arena". The Age. 15 August 2005. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  16. ^ Knight, Ben (19 August 2005). "Victoria gets its newest political party, The Country Alliance". abc.net.au. Stateline. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Nationals approve of new political group". ABC News. 17 August 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  18. ^ "New regional party to tackle green policy". ABC News. 15 August 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Savage won't join Country Alliance". ABC News. 16 August 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  20. ^ "State Election 2006 results". Victorian Electoral Commission. 25 November 2006. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  21. ^ "Distribution Report, State Election 2006, Western Victoria Region". Victorian Electoral Commission. 14 December 2006. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  22. ^ "Coalition bolsters north-east hold". ABC News. 29 November 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  23. ^ Green, Antony (17 December 2010). "Pulling Apart the Count in Northern Victoria Region". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Victoria: Final Results, Poll Performance And 2PP Post-Election Pendulum". Dr Kevin Bonham. 25 December 2014. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  25. ^ "Federal Election Senate: South Australia". ABC News. 7 September 2013. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  26. ^ "FIRST PREFERENCES BY GROUP". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  27. ^ Farrell, Paul (25 March 2015). "Political parties' fortunes laid out in black and white – and red – by AEC". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  28. ^ Pearce, Cimara (10 February 2014). "Katter's Australian Party set to merge with Country Alliance in bid for rural seats". The Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  29. ^ "State Election 2014 - Summary". Victorian Electoral Commission. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  30. ^ Kotsios, Natalie (2 July 2015). "Alliance no more: Country party sets sight on name change". The Border Mail. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  31. ^ "Vic Country Alliance seeks name change". 9News. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  32. ^ Kotsios, Natalie (21 August 2015). "Australian Country Alliance name-change to Australian Country Party approved". The Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Notice under s.134(6A) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 – Country Alliance". Australian Electoral Commission. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Vic Nationals seek name change". 9News. 4 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  35. ^ "Victorian Nationals consider VCAT appeal against National Country Party name change snub". ABC News. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  36. ^ "Australia Party/Give It Back" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  37. ^ "Application withdrawn - Australian Country Party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 10 January 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  38. ^ "Change of Australian Country Party to Australian Country Party/Give it Back". Victorian Electoral Commission. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  39. ^ "Application to change a registered political party's name". Victorian Electoral Commission. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  40. ^ "Australian Federation Party Constitution" (PDF). New South Wales Electoral Commission. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  41. ^ Watson, Catherine (5 May 2022). "All at sea". Bass Coast Post. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  42. ^ "T4T-Tasmanians 4 Tasmania Inaugural statement and policies". Tasmanian Times. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  43. ^ "CHANGE OF PARTY NAME AND BALLOT PAPER NAME" (PDF). Tasmanian Government Gazette (21964). 23 March 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  44. ^ "Australian Federation Party Australian Capital Territory has applied to register as a political party for 2020 ACT Legislative Assembly election" (PDF). Elections ACT. ACT Electoral Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  45. ^ "Party Totals". ABC News. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  46. ^ "LOCAL GOVERNMENT REGISTER OF POLITICAL PARTIES" (PDF). New South Wales Electoral Commission. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  47. ^ "2021 NSW Local Government Elections". ABC News. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  48. ^ "First preferences by party". Australian Electoral Commission. 21 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  49. ^ a b "About us". Trumpet of Patriots. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  50. ^ "Nick Duffield". Australian Federation Party. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  51. ^ a b Reid, Joanne (10 November 2022). "Notice of Decision on Party Registration Application to Register a Non-Parliamentary Party in the Register of Political Parties Refused" (PDF). Letter to Trumpet of Patriots. Australian Electoral Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  52. ^ Bonham, Kevin (26 August 2021). "Party Registration Crackdown Tracker". Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  53. ^ "Notice under s 134(6A)(a) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 3 December 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  54. ^ Jervis-Bardy, Dan; Wind, Emily (19 February 2025). "Australia news live: Clive Palmer says he will spend 'whatever is required' to win seats for Trumpet of Patriots party". The Guardian. Palmer to launch new political mission with Trumpet of Patriots party. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  55. ^ "Suellen Wrightson named Shadow Minister for Families". United Australia Party. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  56. ^ Ellison, Tom (9 July 2014). "Liberal Cadart stands firm on his grand vision". Tasmanian Times. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  57. ^ Matheson, Mick (7 September 2012). "Firearms licence becomes legal ID". Sporting Shooter. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  58. ^ "Fears falling interest rates may impact councils". ABC News. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  59. ^ Sinnott, Alex; Woolley, Jarrod (29 September 2015). "Jim Doukas announced as Country Party candidate". The Standard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  60. ^ "Bendigo councillor Elise Chapman to run for Country Alliance in Bendigo West". ABC News. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  61. ^ Lenaghan, Peter (27 April 2016). "Bendigo anti-mosque campaigner Elise Chapman withdraws One Nation election candidacy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  62. ^ "ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL" (PDF). City of Greater Geelong. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  63. ^ "Bellarine – Victoria 2014". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  64. ^ a b c "Federation Party NT names Central Australia candidates, two Alice town councillors in the mix". NT Independent. 28 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  65. ^ Barwick, Alex; Goetze, Eliza; Mabin, Saskia (20 August 2021). "Alice Springs Election 2021: Meet the candidates running for mayor". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  66. ^ "Federation Party announces candidates: more councillors joining the fray". Alice Springs News. 25 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
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