Trumpet of Patriots candidate quits over spam texts, ‘false promises’
Mark Aldridge, a Trumpet of Patriots candidate in the South Australian seat of Makin, has resigned from the party because he doesn’t like its spam SMS texts, among other reasons.
Taking to Facebook on Monday night, Aldridge said he “[does] not support various aspects of the upper management actions”, including the party’s use of SMS marketing.
Recent spam texts from the party are beginning to frustrate a number of Australians.
Millions have been receiving daily unsolicited text messages from the party featuring staccato summaries of party policy.
They also lack punctuation. An example reads: “Solve housing fast trains 20 min CBD cheaper land. Super for deposit 3% interest, cut immigration by 80%”.
Texts a Mumbrella staffer has received from the party
Legally, political parties are exempt from the Spam Act and the Privacy Act, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
The messages are not considered commercial as politicians are asking for a vote, not a purchase, which means they do not need to legally send an opt-out option or disclose where they get voters’ phone numbers from.
Aldridge described the SMS issue as “just annoying” and said “the marketing is not my thing”.
He wrote on Facebook: “From day one, my decision was based on false promises, the marketing is not my thing, I will never be just a name on a Ballot paper, The preference deals offended me, and still do, and the SMS issue is just annoying, but enough for me.”
He said his “final decision was based on misinformation” and he does not think he suites “this style of politics”.
Mark Aldridge
“I am a grass roots up type of guy, not a top down, do as you are told bloke,” the post reads.
“People matter, every voice does to me, I am not certain the party felt the same as me. I assume those that know me, understand.”
According to ad tracking services, Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots has spent more than any other party on political advertising this year, including over $6m on Google and Youtube and at least $13.8m on TV and print advertising. The company has also laid out almost a million dollars on Snapchat ads, more than all other parties combined.
Mumbrella has contacted Aldridge and the Trumpet of Patriots party for further comment.
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Let me get this clear: Mark Aldridge joins a team calling themselves “Trumpet of Patriots” and he doesn’t like their marketing strategy.
Did he not see the party ads from the last election?
Does he not know who runs the party?
What was he expecting?
I find it totally inappropriate that someone I personally don’t know is bombarding me daily with text messages I’m not interested in.
Trumpet of Patriots have gone about their campaign completely the wrong way and if they had any chance at all of winning this election they have totally blown it away and serves themselves right.
I think he may have forgotten to tell the party, as I just received a SMS saying “Cut immigration by 80%, vote for Mark Aldridge in Makin for Trumpet of Patriots https://V7.top.au.org Auth by H Fong of Trumpet of Patriots”