WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Muslim Votes Matter preferenced a Trumpet of Patriots candidate above Labor's Tony Burke.
OUR VERDICT
False. Tony Burke is preferenced fifth while the Trumpet of Patriots candidate is preferenced seventh.
AAP FACTCHECK - Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is falsely claiming that a Muslim political movement has preferenced a candidate for Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots above him in his seat.
Muslim Votes Matter's (MVM) how-to-vote cards list the veteran Labor minister fifth and the Trumpet of Patriots candidate seventh in the Sydney electorate of Watson in the May 3 election.
Mr Burke made the claim while speaking about the political group that's backing a rival independent candidate in his southwest Sydney seat on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing program on April 22, 2025.
Host Patricia Karvelas raised the group's how-to-vote cards (timestamp 24 minutes 50 seconds), asking: "In your seat of Watson, I think the Muslim Votes Matter group have preferenced you fifth on the how-to-vote card…so you are above the Liberals there. So, do you think that means you are likely to be safe in your seat?"
An exchange followed in which Mr Burke said he never takes his seat for granted.
He then added: "One thing in that [Muslim Votes Matter] how-to-vote that surprised me was, when you went through those numbers, they'd actually put the Clive Palmer party, the Trumpet of Patriots, above me as well.
"So I really, I look at their policies and I can't for the life of me work out what the logic is in that preference flow."
Ms Karvelas then asked further questions about MVM's preferences in other seats.
When asked for evidence of the claim that MVM had preferenced the Trumpet of Patriots above Labor, Mr Burke's spokesperson pointed to the how-to-vote card of independent candidate Dr Ziad Basyouny, whom MVM has endorsed in the seat.
Following publication of the fact check, Mr Burke told AAP FactCheck he had been referring to Mr Basyouny's how-to-vote card in the interview, not that of MVM.
Dr Basyouny's how-to-vote card posted on Instagram does list the Trumpet of Patriots candidate above Mr Burke.
However, MVM's how-to-vote card for the seat, released before the minister made the claim, did not preference him below the Trumpet of Patriots candidate.
The Labor MP is listed fifth on MVM's card while his Trumpet of Patriots rival John Koukoulis is seventh.
MVM is not a political party, but it endorses and ranks candidates in each seat based on their alignment with its values and strategy.
The group publishes its own how-to-vote cards and says it campaigns independently for candidates in certain electorates but does not coordinate with them or provide them with financial support.
"MVM is an independent campaign with its own strategy and principles and our how-to-vote card reflects our community-driven priorities," an MVM spokesperson told AAP FactCheck.
*Editor's note 29/4/25 @4pm: Additions of paragraphs three and four to add detail of the exchange between Patricia Karvelas and Tony Burke. Addition of paragraph ten to add a statement from Mr Burke following publication.
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