Trumpet of Patriots ghosts One Nation with Labor second on some how-to-vote cards

The Clive Palmer-chaired party says it wants to "shake up the status".

Questions have been raised after Trumpet of Patriots (TOP) released its how-to-vote cards for the federal election, with Labor preferenced second in a handful of key lower house electorates and One Nation left completely off Senate how-to-vote cards.

In both the House of Representatives and the Senate (including both above the line and below the line), preferences are entirely voter controlled, meaning how-to-vote cards are recommendations only.

According to election analyst Dr Kevin Bonham, a majority of voters do not follow how-to-vote cards. The rate in the House of Representatives is around "45% for [major parties], usually 15% or less for anyone else," and in the Senate it's even less: "c. 25-30 for majors, 10% or so for Greens, a few percent most others".

The announcement from TOP chairman Clive Palmer on Good Friday was that "the Trumpet of Patriots will preference Labor and the Liberals last in the 2025 federal election to end the two-party duopoly and make Australia great".

Palmer announced TOP "would place Labor last in all seats it currently holds, and the same would apply for the Coalition".

"We will place Labor and the Liberals last in the seats they hold to shake up the status quo and bring common sense policies to fix this great country," Palmer said.

But it appears it's not as simple as that.

In the Queensland seat of Griffith, incumbent Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather is last, while Labor candidate Renee Coffey is 2nd. It's the same story in Ryan, where Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown is last and Rebecca Hack is 2nd.

Rob McMullan, who was the United Australia Party (UAP) candidate for Griffith in 2022 and is now running second on TOP's Senate ticket in Queensland, has urged people to "look at the bigger picture".

"The reality of [Griffith] is that it's only going to be either Labor or Green. The most disruptive thing you can do is unseat the current member, so Green member is last."

"Google the electorate and check its voting patterns before blowing your top."

In Greens-held Brisbane, Greens MP Stephen Bates is 8th (last), with LNP candidate and ex-MP Trevor Evans 7th and Labor candidate Madonna Jarrett 4th. People First's Joseph Wheeler is 5th and One Nation's Cheryl Wood is 6th. Fusion Party candidate Rachael Blackwood is 2nd and Family First's Kirsten Sands is 3rd.

TOP is not contesting the other Greens-held seat of Melbourne, which is held by party leader Adam Bandt.

In the NSW seat of Richmond – a three-way race which the Greens are heavily targeting – incumbent Labor MP Justine Elliot is 10th (last), Nationals candidate Kimberly Hone is 9th, and Greens candidate Mandy Nolan is 8th. One Nation's Ian Mye is 2nd.

TOP is preferencing "teal independent" candidates in Bradfield, Wannon and Monash above the Liberals. Incumbent teal independent MPs are below the Liberals.

The decision to preference Climate 200-supported Deb Leonard second in Monash is particularly eyebrow-raising because the seat's current MP is independent Russell Broadbent, who quit the Liberals after losing preselection in 2023 and who has generally been backed by many 'freedom movement' supporters.

The Libertarian Party announced in February that it would not stand a candidate in Monash and would provide volunteer support to Broadbent's campaign.

But TOP has preferenced Russell third, behind Leonard but ahead of Labor candidate Tully Fletcher in 8th and Mary Aldred in the 9th and last spot.

In Kennedy, TOP has preferenced longtime MP Bob Katter 8th and last, with the LNP's Annette Swaine 7th and Labor's Sharon Winn 6th.

In Mayo, Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie is last in a field of seven candidates. Labor's Marisa Bell is 4th and Liberal candidate Zane Basic is 6th.

In the marginal Sydney seat of Bennelong, Liberal candidate Scott Yung is last, behind Labor MP Jerome Laxale. It's unclear why this has happened, given Palmer said specifically that TOP "would place Labor last in all seats it currently holds", but it is possible this has occurred because Bennelong is now considered notionally Liberal following redistribution.

However, that theory may not hold up because in the Melbourne seat of Menzies – which is notionally Labor-held after redistribution – sitting Liberal MP Keith Wolahan is still last, with Labor candidate Gabriel Ng one spot ahead of him.

In the Nationals-held rural seat of Parkes, independent candidate Stuart Howe has noted that TOP is preferencing the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia 2nd, followed by the Greens' Trish Frail in 3rd, then One Nation's Mark Carter at 4th. Nationals candidate Jamie Chaffey is in the 10th and last spot.

TOP's Senate how-to-vote cards are varied across six states, but share one thing in common – One Nation isn't on any of them.

Instead, the centrist Australian Democrats appear on some cards – while in Tasmania, both the Liberals and Labor are on how-to-vote cards without any mention of One Nation or the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.

New South Wales:
- Family First 2
- Australian Christians 3
- Libertarian/HEART/People First (Australia First Alliance) 4
- Jacqui Lambie Network 5
- Australian Citizens 6

Queensland:
- Family First 2
- Australian Democrats 3
- People First/Katter's Australian 4
- Jacqui Lambie Network 5
- Australian Citizens 6

South Australia:
- Family First 2
- Libertarian 3
- People First 4
- Jacqui Lambie Network 5
- Australian Citizens 6

Tasmania:
- Jacqui Lambie Network 2
- Libertarian 3
- Liberal 4
- Labor 5
- Australian Citizens 6

Victoria:
- Family First 2
- Australian Democrats 3
- People First/HEART 4
- Libertarian 5
- Australian Citizens 6

Western Australia:
- Australian Christians 2
- Australian Democrats 3
- People First 4
- Libertarian 5
- Australian Citizens 6

Crucially, the Senate only requires voters to number 1-6 above-the-line, meaning major parties do not have to be preferenced by voters at all, unlike in the House of Representatives.

At the 2022 election, One Nation did appear on the UAP's Senate how-to-vote cards.

The only seat where One Nation appears to be getting some form of preference assistance from TOP in a contest it has a decent chance of winning is Hunter in New South Wales, where its candidate – Stuart Bonds – is 6th, ahead of Greens candidate Louise Stokes, Nationals candidate Sue Gilroy and Labor incumbent Dan Repacholi.

Hunter's TOP candidate is Suellen Wrightson, who is also the party's leader. 6 News has reached out to Wrightson multiple times over several months to organise an interview but have not received any responses to our enquiries since late February.

At least one TOP candidate has already voiced public disapproval of the how-to-vote cards, with Makin candidate Mark Aldridge writing on Facebook: "I do not support this game playing at all, promises made to me for my candidacy, did not include my support of the woke left, greens teals or Labor."

"I also do not support the silencing of candidates., he added, although it's unclear exactly what he's referring to.

In a Facebook livestream this morning, Aldridge said "I am not anti-Clive...but the party was developed to be conservative and my involvement was to be conservative...I do not want any support from me at all that goes to Labor, the Greens and the teals".

He also praised Nick Duffield, who founded TOP in 2021.

"I am not resigning [from Trumpet of Patriots] because I can't...I will uphold the policies of the party if they are reasonable, respectful and things that will make Australia great again".

Aldridge is also the leader of the United Voice Australia Party, which was recently registered at a state level in South Australia. He said he declined running as a TOP candidate twice before eventually accepting earlier this year.

Got any how-to-vote card tips? Email lpuglisi@6newsau.com