PRESS RELEASE: Is the Australian Electoral Commission Playing Politics?
Trumpet of Patriots
MEDIA RELEASE
28 November 2024
Is the Australian Electoral Commission Playing Politics?
Unexplained Delays in Party Name Change Spark Serious Concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Has the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) been compromised?
The Australian Federation Party, a registered political entity, applied on 27 August 2024 to change its name to Trumpet of Patriots. While the process should have been finalised weeks ago under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, unexplained delays by the AEC threaten to block the party’s new branding from appearing in the next federal election.
Why the Delay?
Despite meeting all requirements and addressing objections promptly, the AEC has yet to make a decision six weeks after the public consideration period closed on 16 October 2024. The excuses offered – “complexity of objections” and “delegate availability”—strain credibility for what should be a routine administrative process.
This delay raises serious questions:
• Is political interference influencing the AEC’s decision-making?
• Why has a straightforward name change become so protracted, particularly as Australia braces for a possible federal election?
The Objections
Two objections were filed against the name change, both identical in wording. The objections claimed that “Trumpet of Patriots” was:
1. Obscene, frivolous, or vexatious.
2. Linked to anti-democratic events in Washington on 6 January 2021.
In response, the Australian Federation Party provided a comprehensive rebuttal on 16 October 2024, noting that the AEC itself had previously ruled in 2022 that the name “Trumpet of Patriots”:
• Is not obscene, frivolous, or vexatious.
Despite this precedent and no evidence to the contrary, the AEC has failed to finalise the name change application.
History of AEC Challenges
This is not the first time the AEC has protracted an application for the name ‘Trumpet of Patriots’.
In 2022, a previous application for “Trumpet of Patriots” was delayed for over two years—not because of the name but due to significant administrative failures. These included a critical gazette error by the AEC, which ultimately forced the application to be withdrawn when it became evident that the process was being stalled indefinitely.
The attached document quotes the AEC’s prior ruling:
16. The Party name, Trumpet of Patriots and abbreviation T.O.P.:
• are not obscene, frivolous, or vexatious;
17. Accordingly, I am satisfied on the materials before me that there is no basis to refuse the name and abbreviation under s 129 of the Electoral Act.”
What’s at Stake?
Speculation of an election is mounting, with over 70 pieces of legislation being pushed through Parliament this week. If writs are issued before the AEC finalises the name change, the Trumpet of Patriots may be forced to contest under its old name, impacting voter recognition and campaign momentum.
Does the timing of this delay—on the brink of an election—raise the spectre of political interference within Australia’s electoral machinery?
A Call for Transparency
This is a critical moment for democracy in Australia. Delays like these undermine public confidence in the AEC’s impartiality and threaten the principles of fair and transparent elections.
We call on the media, public, and parliamentary representatives to demand accountability and answers from the AEC.
For further comment and Media interviews, contact:
Media Contact:
Matilda Bawden
Secretary, Trumpet of Patriots
📞 02 6000 1911
✉️ [email protected]
Attachments: in the attached PDF document
1. Timeframe for Processing an Application
2. Name Change amendment form 27-08-2024 Page-1
3. Trumpet of Patriots Name Change Confirmation Emails-AEC 27-08-2024
4. AEC Confirmation of Advertising Name Change Application-BHAFH6 13-09-2024
5. AEC Notice of Objections Letter-BIUTT6 15-10-2024
6. Objection-1 Australian Federation Party Sue 1-October-2024_Redacted (A5122229)
6a. Objection-2 Australian Federation Party Michele 1-October-2024_Redacted (A5122223)
7. Australian Federation Party Objections Response 16-October 2024_Redacted
7a. Refused Statement of reasons Trumpet of Patriots 10-11-2022
8. AEC-Confirmation of Objection Response 17-10-2024
