Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party (yup, that’s still the name) is back in the headlines, not for its policies, but for some controversial picks in the candidate lineup for the upcoming federal election. And boy do these raise some eyebrows.
The party, chaired by billionaire Palmer, was launched in February aiming to “drain the swamp” in Canberra and “Make Australia Great Again”. Now, the party has unveiled a lengthy list of candidates across the Senate and House of Representatives, but it seems some of them need a little… extra vetting.
This includes endorsing a candidate for the Sydney seat of Reid, David Sarikaya, who is prohibited from providing health services. The official candidate page also claims Sarikaya holds a PhD in psychology, which police found in 2009 had been purchased online, as reported by ABC NEWS Verify.
Sarikaya, who was born Ali Davut Sarikaya but has also gone by the name David Kaye, was named by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) in a public warning in late 2023.
“In 2018 the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal issued a prohibition order, prohibiting Mr David Kaye from providing any health services,” it stated.
This followed an investigation by the Commission which found that Mr David Kaye had persistently over a considerable period of time misrepresented his educational and professional qualifications, was not qualified to carry out counselling services, provided health services in an unsafe and unethical manner, and posed a risk to the health and safety of the public.”
Prior to this, a 2016 investigation by the HCCC found that Kaye has no formal qualifications in psychology or counselling.
“He does not have a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and he does not have a Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology,” it said in its decision, noting he “misled clients” and has been “deliberately deceptive in his conduct”.
The evidence regarding his PhD indicated it is in theology and “not related to his practice in counselling or psychology”, the decision noted. It also found the degree was obtained from an American, online institution.
But Sarikaya isn’t the only curveball on the Trumpet of Patriots roster, raising fresh questions about the party’s screening process.
As reported by ABC News last week, a Queensland candidate for Wide Bay was revealed to have been convicted and jailed for fraud in 2011. Gabrial Pennicott, who was sentenced to four years and seven months in jail, was extradited from Canada and found guilty in a Victorian court for 23 fraud-related charges, per a report by the Commonwealth Department of Prosecutions.
The publication reported another Trumpet of Patriots candidate, Michael Norman Jessop, is running in the Brisbane seat of Dickson — against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton — and is facing criminal and weapons charges.
He’s on bail for several serious offences, including stalking and possessing weapons. Two charges relating to knife possession and trespassing are still before the Maroochydore Magistrates Court, with a hearing set for August. Other charges, like unlawful stalking and wilful damage, are in the District Court, per ABC News.
Federal election candidates are required to complete a mandatory eligibility checklist with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to confirm they meet the requirements under Section 44 of the Australian Constitution. However, there’s no legal obligation for candidates to reveal any past criminal history.
As reported by the publication, being accused of a crime does not prevent someone from being elected to parliament. Whether a candidate remains a member of their political party during this time is entirely at the party’s discretion.
Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party might have grand plans this election, but it’s kinda hard to deny their candidate pool is raising way more questions than answers.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Sarikaya, Jessop, and Pennicott for comment.
Lead image: Trumpet of Patriots website
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