Many Freo folk will remember the annoying unsolicited Clive Palmer-funded Trumpet of Patriots text messages pinging their smart phones during the 2025 federal election campaign. They were followed during the recent Freo Mayoral election with unsolicited texts from Marija Vujcic. Obviously they’ve become a thing! Now Josh Wilson, our local federal Freo MP has taken to texting constituents randomly as well – and there’s not even an election in sight! Just what are the whys and wherefores of the political text? Are they legal? Why are the Pollies doing this? Where did Josh Wilson get our numbers from? And why didn’t he ask us first? So many questions!
Not everyone enjoys receiving an unsolicited message, including political ones from your local MP, assuming of course it is from your local MP and the links aren’t designed to take you into the hands of a scammer.
Here’s the message folk have been getting recently from Josh Wilson MP, Member for Fremantle in the Commonwealth Parliament.
Turns out it is kosher. We checked, just in case you were wondering. Josh sent it.
It reads –
Hi (name ), Josh Wilson MP here.
The Beeliar Medicare Urgent Care Clinic just turned 2!
Delivered by the Albanese Government, providing extended hours care, all FULLY bulk billed.
Labor created Medicare, and we’re strengthening it.
Details: https://nxt.to/E6eTNyz
Unsub: https://nxt.to/egHVPVz
So, what are the whys and wherefores of unsolicited political text messaging?
AS TO THE LAW …
In Australia, unsolicited political text messages occupy an interesting legal grey area.
Political communications are largely exempt from spam laws. Yes, there is a spam act, the federal Spam Act 2003, but it doesn’t apply to messages authorised by political parties, MPs, or candidates. Political speech receives strong protection in Australia as part of the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.
However, there are some constraints –
• Messages must include identification (who sent it) and unsubscribe options – which the ones we are familiar with did and does.
• The federal Privacy Act 1988 applies if they’re using commercial marketing lists inappropriately
• The Do Not Call Register doesn’t cover political calls/texts.
State laws vary, but generally also exempt political communications.
In WA, there’s no specific prohibition on MPs or local pollies texting constituents.
BUT HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THEM?
Research shows mixed to negative reactions. The Shipping News polling of an unrepresentative group of friends and acquaintances over the past few days indicated that –
• Some found the unsolicited political texts intrusive and annoying, especially when they haven’t opted in
• Some don’t like the of invasion of privacy – “How did they get my number?”
• Younger voters may be more accepting of digital outreach, but still prefer opt-in methods
• Effectiveness is questioned – these messages often trigger backlash rather than support
• The “creep factor” increases when people don’t recall ever providing their number to that politician.
Studies on political SMS campaigns suggest they have low engagement rates and can actually harm the sender’s image if perceived as spam.
US Research finding’s are interesting –
• Americans received an unbelievable record 15 billion political texts in 2022 – an average of 50 for every mobile phone in the country
• Even some of the researchers who pioneered campaign texts are frustrated by the volume, with one saying “like many people, I am annoyed by how many of them I get”
• Multiple lawsuits have been filed against both Democratic and Republican organisations over unsolicited mass texting.
But campaigns continue because, apparently, they work –
• “If you see more of something, it means it’s working,” said one researcher tracking political texts
• There is a risk that such messages can backfire, as recipients may find them intrusive and choose to support a different candidate instead.
Australian research and expert opinion seems to be more negative.
Expert assessment –
• Political analyst Kos Samaras described unsolicited campaign texts as “vote killers” and “basically probably one of the quickest ways you can send a message to people that you are impersonal”
• He called them “an absolute waste of money, an absolute waste of time, and a vote killer” saying “It annoys voters, turns voters off”.
Public reaction has been along the same lines –
• Widespread complaints about Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots messages, with people calling them “completely inappropriate”
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called banning such texts a “reasonable thing to do”.
WHY DO POLITICIANS KEEP USING THEM THEN?
The reality is campaigns keep using texts because some people respond positively enough to make them cost-effective.
WHERE DID THEY GET MY NUMBER FROM?
There are several possible ways Josh Wilson’s office and other Pollies obtained your number.
Most Likely Sources –
1. Electoral roll data enrichment
• While the electoral roll itself doesn’t contain phone numbers, political parties often cross-reference it with:
• Commercially purchased data lists
• Public records and directories
• Data brokers who compile information from various sources.
2. Previous interactions
• Did you ever: contact his office about an issue, sign a petition (online or in person), attend a community event, fill out a survey, or engage with Labor Party campaigns?
• Even casual interactions years ago might have captured your details
3. Commercial data brokers
• Political parties can legally purchase contact databases that match demographic and geographic information
• These compile data from loyalty programs, public records, social media, app usage, and other sources.
4. Party membership or donations
• If you’ve ever been a Labor member, donor, or volunteer (even decades ago), you’re likely in their database.
5. Doorknocking/phone banking data
• If someone answered your door or phone during previous campaigns, that information gets recorded.
THE TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM
Here’s the issue: they don’t have to tell you where they got your number and there’s minimal oversight. Unlike commercial entities, political parties have broad exemptions from privacy laws.
This lack of transparency is what makes many people uncomfortable – you can’t easily find out how you ended up on their list or ensure your data is properly managed.
You could contact the sender’s office directly and ask how they obtained your number – they may or may not provide a clear answer, but it’s worth trying if you’re concerned.
IF YOUR NUMBER HAS BEEN OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF MISUSE OF INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT
It seems “misuse” may arise where your number was –
1. Obtained through official MP duties, used for partisan purposes
• For example, if you contacted the politician or their office in their capacity as your MP (eg, seeking help with a Centrelink issue, immigration matter, etc.), that’s supposed to be kept separate from party political activities
• Using such constituent service contact details for Labor Party campaigning would be inappropriate and potentially breach parliamentary standards.
2. Third-party breach of trust
• If an organisation you trusted with your number (doctor’s office, school, community group) sold or shared data with political parties without proper consent
• Some data sharing practices, while legal, violate reasonable expectations.
3. Inadequate consent from data brokers
• If your number came from a commercial list where you never consented to political use
• While parties have broad exemptions, the original collection should have been lawful.
4. Failure to honor previous opt-outs
• If you previously unsubscribed from Labor/Wilson communications, for example, and they re-added you through a different list.
5. Incorrect matching/data enrichment
• If they’ve incorrectly linked your number to someone else’s electoral roll entry (though this would be careless rather than deliberately misused).
What constitutes misuse v just unwanted contact is tricky.
Probably misuse:
• Using constituent service contacts for campaigning
• Ignoring your previous unsubscribe requests
• Obtaining data through deceptive means.
Probably not misuse (just legal but annoying):
• Purchasing your number from a commercial data broker
• Using details you provided at a community event years ago
• Cross-referencing publicly available information.
If You Suspect Misuse you could:
• Ask the Pollie’s office directly how they got your number
• Complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you believe privacy laws were violated
• Contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman if you think MP resources were misused for party-political purposes.
The reality is that the bar for “misuse” in political contexts is frustratingly high due to exemptions, but genuine breaches (like using constituent service data) would be taken seriously.
WE ASKED JOSH WILSON 2 QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS RECENT UNSOLICITED TEXT, AND HERE’S HIS RESPONSE TO THEM
Here are our questions –
1.How did you get hold of constituents’ mobile phone numbers?
2.Do you accept many people find it annoying to be bothered like this by their MP, so why didn’t you ask them first?
We received this response from Josh Wilson’s electorate office this afternoon –
Comment attributable to Josh Wilson MP, Federal Member for Fremantle:
“It my duty as the local representative to ensure that the Fremantle electorate’s constituency is aware of public services that are available to them, and to be responsive to the concerns that people raise. It’s not uncommon for people to say they don’t hear from me enough.
“While I accept that some people might be unimpressed to receive a random text message, it is easy to opt out with just one click. Some people have done that, but hundreds of others have responded with thanks, or raised other issues or questions to which I have been able to respond.
“No method is perfect, but lines of communication keep changing and if communicating by text makes it easy for people to let me know what matters to them – and receive a prompt answer – then on balance it is a good thing because I am in touch with the people I represent.
When it comes to our shared wellbeing, nothing is more important than health. The Beeliar Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is amongst the busiest nationwide – it has seen more than 31,000 visits in just two years but it’s still relatively new and not everyone is aware of this helpful new option. That’s why I’m letting the community know about this service and it’s why the Albanese Labor Government is increasing its funding to ensure it can meet the needs of our community.”
YOUR OPTIONS
The Shipping News is grateful to Josh Wilson for responding to our questions promptly, but readers will already have detected we did not receive an answer to question 1. We are still totally in the dark as to where Josh Wilson obtained our mobile phone numbers! You can bet your bottom dollar, though, that the ALP, and the Libs, and the Nats, and the rest of them, are all very busy spending big bucks on getting them into their systems in time for the next federal and state election campaigns.
As we say, it is open to recipients of the unsolicited text from Josh Wilson or other Pollies to hit the opt out link and/or to phone their electorate office and ask to be taken off the list, and also to ask how they got your number. We doubt they’ll tell you the answer to how!
If you fear you information may have been misused in a legal sense, you can also complain to the federal Privacy Commissioner or Ombudsman.
We will look forward to receiving our readers’ reactions to the unsolicited text phenomenon. Should there be a law against it? We will be pleased to post a selection of your emails.
Correction: when we first posted this story, we said Ben Lawver, the new Freo Mayor, had sent unsolicited campaign texts to voters during the recent Fremantle Mayoral elections. Ben has advised us he never sent unsolicited text messages to a large database of people he’d never had contact with. Rather he used a program to automate texts to a select few (couple hundred) personal contacts. Which they could stop anytime. He also personally sent text messages one at a time to his contacts. He says he had no complaints from anyone he texted.
By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News.
~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.
~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –
PLEASE HELP US TO GROW FREMANTLE SHIPPING NEWS
FSN is a reader-supported, volunteer-assisted online magazine all about Fremantle. Thanks for helping to keep FSN keeping on!
