Tag Archives: gabrial-pennicott

Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots: Unmasking Australia’s Wizard of Oz

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As Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots party bombards the media and our phones with a barrage of advertising and text messages, Australians everywhere wonder why this would-be Wizard of Oz would repeatedly invest millions of dollars into political campaigns he has almost no hope of winning. Is he mad? Is he dumb? Does the man have more dollars than sense? 

People everywhere are asking, “What sane person would throw away all that cash knowing they are destined to lose?”

Other questions centre on Palmer’s dubious cast of candidates. Three in particular appear particularly shonky, yet they have cleared whatever low bar passes for vetting by the Trumpet of Patriots gatekeepers. Why wasn’t more care taken?

And then, there is the sense of absolute chaos which characterises the party. Not unlike Palmer’s muse, Donald Trump, drama surrounds Trumpet of Patriots like the swirl of dirt and flies that hover around the “Charlie Brown” cartoon character, Pigpen. Indeed, Charles M Schulz’s description of Pigpen could well apply to the politics and promises of both Palmer and Trump:

“Pigpen is a human soil bank who raises a cloud of dust on a perfectly clean street and passes out gum drops that are invariably black.”

What’s In It for Clive?

Having previously shone a spotlight on Trumpet of Patriots’ party leader Suellen Wrightson, and Wide Bay candidate, Gabrial Pennicott, I thought it was important to answer the question, “What’s in it for Clive?” before we head to the polls on Saturday.

The first thing it’s important to understand is, it’s not about winning seats in parliament or the Senate. Clive doesn’t expect to win seats, and he doesn’t care about losing. Strange as it may seem, although he’s spent hundreds of millions of dollars on electoral campaigns over the last 12 years, winning seats is simply not the point of the exercise.

The point of Palmer’s political activities is principally to protect and advance his own business interests. 

Owning a political party provides Palmer with high visibility, influence over public opinion, and the power to shift election results – if only very marginally.

In tight seats, these margins might be crucial. By becoming a high-profile influencer, Palmer effectively builds porcupine quills around his business interests; a warning to politicians that their fortunes in this and future elections may depend on them ensuring a favourable regulatory and commercial environment which allows Palmer to maximise profits and minimize costs. Increase corporate taxes, impose costly environmental protection policies, coerce him into broader concessions for traditional owners, or refuse Palmer a profitable mining lease, and you may find him using his considerable resources against you. 

Politicians are all too aware that a tiny percentage of the national vote may not be enough to win Trumpet of Patriots seats, but their preferences might cause enough of a swing to make you lose yours. In a country divided roughly 50/50 between progressives and conservatives, the loss of a single marginal seat could mean losing government. Palmer aspires to be a “king maker.”

This harnesses what scholars call potential power or “the shadow of power” – when you don’t actually have to wield power, because simply knowing what you might do, people will modify their actions in order to appease you.

Investing hundreds of millions of dollars into media advertising also gives Palmer potential power. Ideally, we hope that our media and journalists are independent. But when an advertiser like Palmer is throwing tens of millions of dollars in your direction, media barons and editors may well be reluctant to voice unrestrained criticism of either Palmer’s party or his mining and tourism interests. It’s a bit like having a wealthy great-aunt you dare not cross, lest you be written out of the will.

In short, Palmer’s investment in politics is motivated almost entirely by a desire to reshape Australia’s political and media landscapes in ways that favour his business portfolio.

Tax Write-Off?

Some have speculated that the millions Palmer pours into playing politics is a clever tax write-off. As far as I can tell, most of the money he spends is not tax deductible. Of course, Palmer has access to the very best accountants, and there may well be loopholes that can be exploited. But, generally, I think we should assume this is not his motivation. 

While hundreds of millions seem an enormous amount to most of us, it’s a drop in the ocean for Palmer. Palmer’s current net worth is estimated at around $23 billion. As a percentage of his overall wealth, $200 million (an estimate of his overall spend since starting the Palmer United Party in 2013) is roughly equivalent to the average Aussie splashing out a few thousand dollars on a clapped-out, second-hand car, or spending $300 a year on streaming services. Confirming this, when a Queensland court ordered a temporary freeze on $200 million of Palmer’s personal assets in 2018, Palmer brushed it off as a negligible sum. 

Amortized over 12 years, Clive’s investment in politics is a pittance. In fact, he said during a recent speech to the National Press Club, “This is my golf.”

Protecting Asset Values

For the ultra-wealthy, power lies in the perceived market value of your assets.

Palmer’s wealth is not just held in cash, but in physical properties such as mining leases and real estate. Some of his wealth is in intangible assets such as his brand value, his ability to negotiate favourable contracts or agreements, and his ability to influence the government of the day.

All of these factors are enhanced by Palmer’s involvement in politics – but are not in the least bit contingent on him winning any seats. 

Trumpet of Patriots brings Palmer unprecedented media exposure, and earns him an international reputation as a high-profile mover and shaker with the determination and power to take on the Australian government. It buys him a good measure of influence with government and the media, and, internationally, he presents as someone who can influence legislation which might compromise his business interests. All these things increase the asset value of Palmer’s portfolio.

Why is this important? For a tycoon like Palmer, the value of your assets determines the availability and amount of loans you can negotiate. It also provides power when negotiating contracts – e.g. with Chinese investors. A businessman with a robust asset portfolio can command better terms, more favourable joint-venture agreements, and less regulatory oversight. Investors have more confidence in a person who has shown he is politically influential and willing to challenge adverse regulatory changes. 

Having a high asset value can also give you some immunity to fines. If a $200 million fine doesn’t matter to you, you are not going to run your business in fear of it. It will not be a deterrent, nor will it affect your wealth or power. 

In 2014 Palmer had a highly publicized run-in with his Chinese investors and the Chinese government – potentially making his assets a less attractive acquisition for foreign investors. While much of Palmer’s current anti-immigration rhetoric may seem counter-productive by adding salt to the wound, many believe his asset values are now at a level where investors are willing to see the political rhetoric he spouts as something distinct from his business dealings. 

Money talks. But, for people like Trump and Palmer, money is not an end in itself. Money – or, rather, assets – buy power, influence and the freedom to do as you damn well please. Your asset value places a kind of protective bubble around your wealth – the higher your asset value, the more invincible you become. Even insulting your investors can be forgiven if you’re making them enough money. 

So, while Palmer may not earn a single seat in parliament, nor even recoup his investment in monetary terms, his political antics provide him with improved deal terms, immunity from negative publicity, and protected or improved asset values. 

In short, Trumpet of Patriots has very little to do with improving the lives of working class and middle-class Australians, and almost everything to do with protecting Palmer’s assets.

Framing the Narrative

Palmer is almost constantly in battle with the government or with ASIC – both in and out of the courts. His political campaign aims to denigrate the legitimacy of both, and casts Palmer as a victim of the system. This has a five-fold effect:

  1. His potential to affect outcomes in marginal seats makes it more difficult for politicians to attack him or threaten his interests
  2. The public spotlight he invites, potentially makes courts more cautious about ruling against him
  3. His bellicosity signals to his investors that he will fight tooth and nail against anything that might diminish the value of his assets and they may well decide its not worth the cost or the drama
  4. His political circus distracts from his own corporate shenanigans 
  5. And, in casting himself as a victim, fighting a corrupt and biased system on behalf of all Australians, Palmer maintains a degree of support as a popular hero

Why All the Chaos?

The chaos and buffoonery surrounding Palmer and Trumpet of Patriots is a feature, not a bug.

Those who have observed Palmer behind the scenes don’t see the caricature he presents in public, but a shrewd, intelligent, calculating businessman – a master-strategist whose image gains him followers, money, influence and power.

The public Clive Palmer is essentially Australia’s Wizard of Oz. Holed up in his corporate headquarters, one can imagine him using smoke and mirrors to impress the good folk of Emerald City with a fearsome show of strength and bravado. 

But, behind the curtain, stands an ordinary man, furiously pulling levers and pushing buttons to make the system work to his advantage, maintain his power, and hide the reality of what is really going on.

Palmer gains political power and enhances his brand by being highly visible. It profits him and his brand to be seen as a player. That’s why we see the big yellow billboards, television ads galore, full page newspaper advertisements and a whole slew of provocative statements. As long as people are talking about Palmer and his party – even if the reaction is negative –  his investment is working its magic.

Questionable Candidates – A Feature, Not a Bug

Just so, the highly questionable candidates Palmer’s party has put forward during this campaign are unlikely to be the result of oversights in vetting. Rather, these have shaped up as ideal candidates to gain maximum publicity. Trumpet of Patriots styles itself as a party of grass-roots, non-politicians – rebels and mavericks fighting the system. A few ex-cons and villains only enhance that image; they’re an asset, not a liability. 

Palmer wants to be seen as a ‘disruptor’. Choosing disruptive candidates is entirely on brand and becomes part of the spectacle. These are Palmer’s “circus freaks” – pushed to the front of the grand parade to shock, amaze and create interest and drama – and to distract from the machinations taking place behind the curtain. 

Choosing candidates with shady pasts – people who other parties are likely to reject, and who may have difficulty finding respectable employment – is also a great strategy for creating loyal and grateful foot soldiers. 

While Palmer’s candidates may genuinely believe they are fighting some sovereign citizen cause and that they have a great chance of being elected, the fact is they’re being played by Palmer as pawns. When the election is over, they will have put in a great deal of effort and, probably, money, for the primary purpose of making a billionaire richer. 

The purpose of Trumpet of Patriots is not to make Australians more wealthy or more free; but to build enough behind the scenes influence and power to allow Palmer to reconstruct the political terrain in a way that will most advantage his business and personal wealth. 

Throwing People Under the Bus

In order to achieve his aims, Palmer, like many other right-wing politicians, has chosen a populist, nationalist political strategy reminiscent of that used by Hitler in the 1930s. His party’s name is evidence that he does not resile from the observation he is emulating Trump.

One of the key features of this kind of strategy is to throw your fellow citizens under the bus for fun and profit.

Look, nobody is going to vote for or even listen to a billionaire who says his vanity party is set up for the sole purpose of making himself richer – and them poorer. But, by throwing in some policies that sound appealing to the masses (even if they’re impractical, and potentially detrimental) and by playing on voters’ existing fears and prejudices, he can gain enough of a following to make him dangerous. 

It’s easy for Palmer to text us making grand promises – he knows full well he is never going to get a chance to implement those policies. And who will be blamed when Trumpet of Patriots isn’t voted in? The ‘corrupt’ mainstream parties and the ‘biased’ media. Certainly not Palmer. It’s win-win all the way. (I’m thinking of Mel Brooks’ movie, The Producers, in which his protagonists plan the biggest Broadway flop of all time in order to claim it as a tax write-off.) Failure, in the right context, can be something to aspire to. 

Throwing minorities under the bus is a strategy as old as time. Currently being employed by right-wing Christians to great effect in the USA, it was used in Ancient Rome where, ironically, Christians were targeted as the root of all society’s ills. Today, it is Christians – not unlike Catholic Clive Palmer – targeting migrants, First Nations and transgender people. 

“These are your enemies! And only I can save you from them!” 

This is what the trumpet of patriots is trumpeting. 

For Clive, it might all be fun and games – an intriguing diversion like a lazy game of golf on a Sunday afternoon. But the constant repetition of messages that “there are only two genders”, feeding the propaganda that transgender women pose a threat to women in public bathrooms and in sport, suggesting that too many migrants are causing our housing crisis, and that Indigenous Australians are impertinently demanding too much by politely asking us to spend five minutes at the start of public gatherings to acknowledge their unceded ownership of the land, has real life, negative consequences on those people’s lives.

This kind of propaganda pushes open the Overton Window – making statements that once would have spelled political suicide for a candidate now sound reasonable, natural and even politically advantageous. The endorsement of a man of Palmer’s stature, wealth and power gives these attacks on minorities the imprimatur of being based on “common sense” arguments against “proven threats to the ‘Australian way of life.’” It’s the political equivalent of letting loose the flying monkeys. 

Of course, neither Palmer nor his 2IC, Suellen Wrightson, would be so coarse as to hurl abuse at, physically attack, or even actively discriminate against the minorities they so casually cast as society’s villains. But their rhetoric incites and emboldens those who have no such compunction. 

Indigenous Australians

Just last week, following Palmer’s and Wrightson’s lead, neo-Nazis, disrupted the Welcome to Country at a Melbourne Anzac Day service, causing great distress to many present but, most of all, to Indigenous participants. 

Words have real life effects. Trumpet of Patriots’ rhetoric creates a toxic culture for First Nations people with repeated ‘dog-whistles’ that abuse, discrimination and public humiliation is justified in the cause of ‘defending our nation’; no matter that any threats are confected.

While Indigenous Australians are tough and resilient, constant pressure is strategically designed to wear them down. The abuse and discrimination that flows from Trumpet of Patriots’ kind of rhetoric has the potential to frighten and silence Indigenous Australians, making them reluctant to put themselves forward and fight for their rights.

Opposition to The Voice referendum (to which Palmer contributed $2 million) had the same effect; it was specifically intended to demoralize and disempower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart were the main protagonists behind the “No” campaign. Why? Because their freedom to operate and their profits are negatively impacted by the  requirement to negotiate with traditional owners. Nothing would enrich and empower Clive and Gina so much as a disempowered, disunited, uneducated, downtrodden, frightened, demoralized Indigenous population. The Voice, which promised exactly the opposite to First Nations people was anathema to these fossil fuel billionaires. 

Migrants

Similarly, the attack on migrants promises more benefits than simply gaining popular political support from prejudiced, Anglo-Celtic Australians. A significant proportion of the mining industry workforce consists of migrant workers and workers from ethnic backgrounds. If these people are made to feel insecure, unwelcome, frightened and downtrodden by racist attacks they may tend to be more compliant, less likely to make wage demands, and more reluctant to instigate legal or union action. Every racist attack has a silver lining if you’re a coal baron.

Transgender People

Finally, by attacking transgender people – particularly transgender women –  Palmer rides the wave of anti-trans sentiment currently being whipped up authoritarian leaders across the globe. 

Transgender people are an easy target and a small and powerless enough minority not to cause much political backlash. These attacks have populist appeal and also serve to distract attention from Palmer’s own many failings, and complex court cases. 

It’s important to note that, historically, when transgender people are targeted by governments, an attack on women’s reproductive rights will not be far behind. Both represent unwarranted government intrusion into “bodily autonomy, medical decision-making, liberty, privacy, and equality.” It’s a matter of speaking out when your fellow citizens’ rights are threatened, because you may well be next. 

Anti-trans rhetoric has its own consequences. While attacking transgender people may simply be performative for Palmer – a means of grabbing media headlines, and populist support – it negatively impacts the lived experience of transgender people. 

Transgender women, in particular,  become victims of social exclusion, distrust, stigmatization, discrimination and abuse. Their lives become hell. Instead of targeting the non-trans men who killed an average of two women per week last year, Palmer and his party target transgender women who, as far as I can find, were responsible for no murders nor any rapes in Australia either last year or in 2025. In fact, transgender women are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of sexual assault or physical violence.

A recent study published on The Conversation shows that the disparity between the mental health of transgender and non-transgender people is growing wider year by year, and that this is correlated with the effects of a toxic and discriminatory culture. Transgender people have high rates of suicide, depression, and self-harm – not because of who they are, but because of how they are treated. Palmer and his cohorts not only add to this toxicity but take a large whisk to the cauldron to stir it up.

Deadly Consequences

In short, while Clive Palmer, emulating the Wizard of Oz, pulls the levers and pushes the buttons of his political smoke and mirrors charade, people suffer, people become ill, and people die. 

The billionaire becomes richer, but at what expense?

What is his legacy?

Where is his conscience? It is no absolution to argue that Palmer is also a philanthropist. Words are weapons. No amount of philanthropy will atone for the harm Palmer’s party is vicariously inflicting on innocent and vulnerable Australians.

And, one is tempted to ask, how does his Catholic God sit with Clive’s preference for whacking metaphorical golf balls at real, innocent, vulnerable human beings over harmlessly driving real ones on a Gold Coast golf course?

Palmer may see himself as Australia’s Wizard of Oz, pulling the wool over our eyes with a spectacular display of larger than life bells and whistles – bread and circuses. But it’s time the curtain was pulled back on the Wizard to reveal that the whole show is a pitiful sham.

Chrys Stevenson

Trumpet of Patriots – Honour Among Thieves?

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The motto of Clive Palmer’s new political party, Trumpet of Patriots, is Honor Omnia – Honour Above All.

Yet, after a tsunami of stories about the shady backgrounds of some of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming Federal election, one has to wonder whether the motto should be changed to Honor Inter Fures – Honour Among Thieves.

In the past few days, it’s come to light that at least three of the candidates being fielded by Trumpet of Patriots have somewhat shady pasts. And yet, nary a word from party leader, Suellen Wrightson.

David Sarikaya (aka Ali Davut Sarikaya, aka Dr David Kaye)

News reports have revealed that Trumpet of Patriots candidate for Reid, David Sarikaya (aka Ali Davut Sarikaya, aka Dr David Kaye) lied about his personal credentials, purchased a PhD from The American College of Metaphysical Theology – a US diploma mill – and “misled clients over several years into believing he had relevant credentials to deliver counselling services.”

Alarmingly, Sarikaya was treating people with PTSD.

According to Kate McClymont at The Sydney Morning Herald, when Sarikaya was confronted by these charges, he loudly protested his innocence, but later admitted he had lied under oath about his qualifications.

But theft? To my mind, taking money from vulnerable clients who have paid for psychology services you’re not legally qualified to provide is certainly a form of theft.

Michael Norman Jessop

Also, this week, we heard that Michael Jessop, the Trumpet of Patriots candidate for Dickson, is currently on bail, facing serious criminal charges for stalking, wilful damage and illegal possession of weapons – none of which prevents him standing for election to our Federal Parliament.

While conducting a search of Mr Jessop’s car last year, police allegedly found “a shovel, axe, gloves, duct tape, ropes and a cadaver bag.”

Mr Jessop protests his innocence, but I suspect he’ll have an excellent defence along the lines on, “Come on guys! They had a sale at Bunnings.”

I look forward with bated breath to seeing how this all plays out in court, but it’s important to stress these are currently just allegations and Mr Jessop must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Gabrial Pennicott (aka Gabe Pennycott, Gabe Pennycote, Gabrial P.)

And then there is Gabrial Pennicott – running for Trumpet of Patriots in the seat of Wide Bay. It is upon Mr Pennicott I focussed my research this week.

Photo: Trio of Patriots – L to R: Gabrial Pennicott, Michael Jessop, David Sakiraya (photo collage from Pedestrian). Would you buy a used car from these guys?

On X, Pennicott describes himself as “husband, Dad, patriot.” On his Facebook profile – which is locked – he adds an extra line to tell us he is, “God’s chosen vessel to free His people from cerebral palsy.” Remarkably, I can find no other information about this divinely-ordained campaign anywhere on the internet.

According to his bio on Trumpet of Patriots, Pennicott is:

“A devoted Christian, family man and community leader, [who] brings life experience and unwavering commitment to the people of Wide Bay. Married with eight children and five grandchildren, Gabrial has faced life’s highs and lows, shaping his deep understanding of the challenges everyday Australians encounter. His active leadership in his church and role on the board of a traveling itinerant ministry underscore his dedication to serving others and fostering hope within communities.​

Butter wouldn’t melt.

Like his colleagues Sarikaya and Jessop, Pennicott also believes he’s been stitched up, but the Canadian and Australian courts begged to differ and jailed him for fraud.

Of course, now, Pennicott has “found God”, “seen the light”, and is cleansed of the sin of ripping millions of dollars off vulnerable retirees, skipping the country, adopting a false name, and setting up exactly the same kind of scam in Canada.

A few years in the clink, a quick dip in a baptismal bath, a couple of “praise the Lords” and voila – reborn without sin as an ideal candidate to serve as your Federal parliamentarian.

Rhea Nath at Pedestrian provides us with a quick rundown on Pennicott’s background:

“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.”

Questions were raised about the legitimacy of Pennicott’s operations in 2002. ASIC started investigating him in 2003 but did not interview him until 2004. Understandably spooked, he fled the country – reportedly within hours of being interviewed. At the time of his arrest in Canada in 2007, Pennicott actually faced 47 charges.

Ultimately, Pennicott was held in a Canadian jail before being bailed, then extradited to Australia. Here, he was tried and ultimately served three years and three months in prison. You can read a summary of the charges and his sentence, here.

Gabrial Pennicott was born in Tasmania. His parents, Neil and Ronda, were well-respected, law-abiding and financially successful hoteliers who ran the Park Hotel – later rebuilt as The Black Buffalo – in North Hobart. Pennicott has four sisters. The two I was able to track down on Facebook seem to be absolutely lovely ladies – one, in particular, is an LGBTIQ+ ally. In fact, the entire Pennicott family seem like amazing, hard-working, responsible people. Nothing written here should reflect on them.

Neil and Ronda Pennicott appear to have done everything possible to give young Gabrial the best possible start in life. He was educated at the Friends Quaker School and at the Anglican Hutchins School in Hobart before attending Geelong Grammar. Pennicott even had the hide to attend his “Graduating Class of 1984” 40 year reunion!

Effectively born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Pennicott had every opportunity to build a successful, wealthy, honest life like other members of his family. Instead, he became involved with a real estate fraudster called Henry Kaye, at whose crooked knee, he learned the gentle art of scamming pensioners for their last cent. Having learned from the master, Pennicott set up his own company.

Between 2001 and 2003, Pennicott, described as a “high-flying Melbourne businessman”, presided over a string of failed property investment and finance schemes which defrauded his clients of “up to $20 million”. Ultimately, according to Kate McClymont, Pennicott was pursued for $1.5 million in damages.

Explaining the discrepancy:

“20 investors [had] begun court action to reclaim $3 million they allege they lost by investing in Pennicott’s IBP Corporation, [later] Sunset Capital. The assets of Sunset Capital [were] liquidated to pay some debts. But Pennicott had more than 200 clients, leading to estimates his company’s total debts could be $20 million.”

According to statements made to ASIC, Pennicott’s disgruntled former clients alleged he had:

“… forged signatures, falsified property valuations and rental income estimates and even staged a burglary of his own office so that incriminating documents disappeared.”

When things started getting too hot for Pennicott in late 2004, he acquired a passport from the Caribbean island of Dominica and made a dash overseas.

For a time, Pennicott divided his time between Dominica and “a luxury Newport Bluffs villa in California’s Newport Beach” before settling in Canada where he found himself in the town of Kelowna BC, known as a haven for wealthy retirees.

Given his haste to flee the country, who can blame Pennicott for leaving behind his wife and four children with no visible means of support. According to his first wife, he left them penniless and dependent on social welfare to survive. Great Dad that he is, Pennicott agreed to pay the kids’ private school fees, but was subsequently sued for non-payment of tuition. Meanwhile, Pennicott rented himself a waterside mansion in Kelowna.

Here, adopting the aliases Gabe Pennycott or Gabe Pennycote, he charged punters thousands of dollars to attend investment seminars, offering deals that were genuinely too good to be true.

According to local newspaper, The Province (1 January, 2006):

“Pennicott has been advertising his wealth-creation ‘business mastery
program’ seminars in Kelowna, charging $3,950 for a two-and-a-half-day
workshop promising to double investors’ money in six months. He even
offers a 200-per-cent money-back guarantee. Investors are directed to pick
up their refund at a West Vancouver business address at 1489 Marine Dr. in
Ambleside Village that turns out to be a post-office box.

In his ads for the Nov. 4 seminars at the Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort
and Conference Centre in Kelowna, Pennycott boasts: “In 2001, Gabe
implemented three years of solid learning and created a new business that
turned over $52 million in its first year from an investment of only
$3,000. Financial success is so easy when you know how.”

A handsome, charismatic, apparently wealthy businessman, Pennicott wooed and won a stunningly beautiful woman who, at length, became his second wife. Cynthia (known as Cyndi) was (and is) a devout Christian; the daughter of parents who run their own well-respected ministry in Abbotsford, Canada. Apparently, Pennicott did reveal his legal difficulties to his future wife and in-laws – no doubt protesting his innocence – and it seems they were generously willing to overlook his shady past.

However, perhaps Gabe didn’t spill all the beans. When the shit hit the fan in Canada in late 2005-early 2006, local newspaper The Province suggests that Pennicott’s devoutly Christian in-laws were blind-sided by an allegation possibly more shocking than all the rest. They report that Cyndi’s mum:

“… did not respond when asked if she knew that the 38-year-old [Pennicott] is alleged to have once run an Internet pornography site out of Canada, under the name Pure Filth Communities Ltd.”

“I’m innocent!” cried Pennicott when the mounties thundered up to his door in April 2007. Poor, misunderstood Gabe fervently declared his enthusiasm for returning to Australia to clear his name. (You can’t help thinking he could have done this more quickly without the Dominican passport and rather bizarre detour via the US and Canada.)

In 2007, facing the prospect of a trial in an Australian court – hallelujah! – Gabe found God. It’s amazing that no crook has ever thought of that before, right?

Pennicott now heads a business consulting company called YDMA – Your Digital Marketing Agency. Registered in 2023, it’s a legit company with an ACN and an ABN registered under the business name, Wise Advocate Pty Limited, with a swanky Gold Coast address: 2 Corporate Ct, Gold Coast MC, Queensland, 9726, Australia.

Looks posh, eh?

YMDA also has a very professional looking website which features the shiny faces of its executives and management consultants in classy black and white thumbnails. The captions reveal only their first names – though you can find their last names if you search. It seems like a thriving, successful company with a good-sized staff and international representation. But, having looked at a lot of astro-turf websites in my time, there was something about it that niggled at me.

The first thing that became apparent is that most of the staff listed on the YDMA website don’t live at the Gold Coast, or even in Australia. In fact, not even Gabrial Pennicott lives at the Gold Coast where his office is registered. Responding to questions about his place of residence, Pennicott recently revealed that, while his office is at the Gold Coast, he lives “just south of Gympie.” Turns out, “just south of Gympie” is somewhere around the Noosa/Peregian area where his current wife dabbles in real estate.

So, who works at that sparkly corporate headquarters at Corporate Centre One, 2 Corporate Court, Bundall? No-one as far as I can tell.

And then, I remembered something I read about Pennicott’s operation in Canada. There, it transpired, Pennicott’s West Vancouver corporate address was not a flash glass, marble and chrome set-up in a swanky high rise. Nope. It was a UPS (United Parcel Service) office. His business address, where clients were directed to pick up guaranteed refunds, was nothing but a post-office box. Intrigued, I looked up Serviced Offices at 2 Corporate Court and bingo! What do you know? A company called Intellispace – Serviced Offices Gold Coast – is located at exactly that address.

Now, of course, that’s not illegal, nor necessarily shonky. But it does seem maybe just a leetle bit of a red flag.

And then, I started looking for reviews of YDMA.

One review from Elijah Chique helps us understand how Pennicott’s business may work. Chique writes:

“I went into business with Gabrial on July 25, 2022, after being lured by a likely fake ‘grant’ offer. Gabrial claimed he could license my business within six months, but it turned out to be a scam.”

I have no way of establishing whether what Chique says is true, and I’m not claiming it is. You can read the rest of his one-star review here.

There’s a similar review at the same link from a Liam Harman who says:

“Gabriel [sic] is one of the biggest liars!! After talking to him on the phone I could tell most of what he was saying was lies. I work in the industry he was claiming to know all about. He was just making up lie after lie to try and land a new victim. He then pressured me for weeks on end to give him 20k up front to make me a website … call after call once he got a whiff of my price range.”

Disgruntled former staff? Overly-sensitive clients? Jealous competitors? Complete randoms just making up shit on the internet? All these things are possible. But, here’s the thing: when you have a history like Gabrial Pennicott’s these kinds of allegations tend to have the ring of truth – even if they’re not true. As my grandma used to recite to me: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

There is little biographical information on any of the executives or staff available at the YDMA website. But, I did find an extensive bio for Pennicott here, which includes his stellar work for “Wok in a Box”. If all it says is true, Pennicott must be rolling in so much money you have to wonder why the hell he’s hassling people to stump up cash for websites, flogging real estate in Noosa, and running for a comparatively low-paying job as an MP.

Or perhaps this has something to do with it?

Finally, I took a close look at the executives and staff listed on the YDMA website. Most seem to be simply casual contract workers. Very few of them list YDMA on their LInkedIn profiles, and those that do have other jobs – some of them full-time. Most only worked at YDMA for short periods. Quite a few, still listed on the YDMA site as current employees, noted on LinkedIn that they no longer worked there.

On ScamAdviser (where YDMA has 3 reviews – one positive, two negative) I found someone claiming to be a former YDMA employee. Andrea D claimed:

“They [YDMA] employ good people, but they offshore them so they can get away with not paying salaries. So in effect, they [the employees] bankroll their business using ‘unauthorised loans’ from their own [businesses]. They still owe me 6 weeks of salary after well over a year. They know that going after them is more expensive than just swallowing the loss. Do not accept a job from this company!”

I understand we live in a digital world and remote work is a thing, but I did wonder at this business model for a company which Pennicott purports to be so wildly successful. Turning to ChatGPT, I asked why a company might be set up this way.

“What’s offshoring?” I asked the AI. ChatGPT replied that:

“Offshoring means hiring workers in another country, often where labor is cheaper. It legal and common when done transparently – think remove support teams in the Philippines or India [but] a disreputable company might hire offshore workers under the guise of ‘contractor” status or use vague ones that don’t promise guaranteed payment.

They might also delay or deny payments with excuses like ‘waiting on client funds’ or ‘admin issues.’ Some might even ghost workers once the work is done.”

To be clear, I’m not accusing YDMA of doing any of these things, I was simply curious about Andrea D’s allegation..

Naturally, given his past, I was also curious about Pennicott’s religious views. In an official Trumpet of Patriot campaign video, Pennicott tells us of his mission to reclaim Australia for God. According to Pennicott, prophecy tells us that a global revolution to reclaim the world for God will emanate from Australia – “the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit.” Apparently, Pennicott’s motivation for seeking election is to help to realise that prophecy and has nothing whatsoever to do with an MP’s generous salary and superannuation benefits.

What Pennicott describes in his video is known in fundamentalist churches as “Kingdom” thinking – the idea that Christians must build a Kingdom of God here on earth before Jesus will return. It’s a belief widely held by Trumpist Christians and the purpose for which their Project 25 document was written. The strategy for achieving this goal is to reclaim the 7 Mountains of Culture for God, so that, ultimately, only Christians will sit at the head of all government and public institutions. (See my blog post “Christian Dominionism: Follow the Money“) for more on this.)

One of those “mountains” is business. In 2018, Pennicott tweeted that his company, Baxton Media (also a real estate enterprise, founded in Tasmania but now operating from Noosaville under the name Salt 4 Property):

“… creates and builds businesses on Kingdom principles for Kingdom purposes that impact the whole world.”

But now, Gabrial Pennicott has fixed his sights on summitting the mountain of politics. Indeed! It is for the purpose of establishing a Christian theocracy that this corporate Christian crusader is currently clipping on Clive’s crampons.

This is all mildly amusing. But, before we dismiss Pennicott’s sins as simply “white collar” or “white shoe” crime, perhaps we should consider the words of one of his victims, who described the extreme stress caused by Pennicott’s actions:

“There’s a lot of people who have died, had strokes and heart attacks, because of this.”

What a legacy. And now, by running for politics, Pennicott brings all his past to the fore again, blackening the family name, and no doubt causing great distress to relatives who have nothing whatsoever to do with his former crimes or current business interests.

In closing, one happy thing I am delighted to tell you is that, at some stage after they relocated to Australia, Gabrial Pennicott’s lovely Canadian Christian wife, Cynthia, departed stage right. Smart move, girlfriend! Pennicott has since moved on to wife number three, but his ex, too, has remarried – and upgraded spectacularly in the husband stakes. Well done, Cyndi!

Asked about the antics of Gabrial Pennicott, real estate industry consumer advocate, Neil Jenman, said:

“When it comes to Mr Pennicott, I have two words of advice for Canadian consumers – stay away.”

That may also be excellent advice to the voters of Wide Bay and, indeed, to anyone considering placing a vote for Trumpet of Patriots.

Chrys Stevenson

NB: I’ve made every attempt at fairness and accuracy in the article above, but, in cobbling together information from many different sources, it is possible I have made errors. If I have, I’m happy to correct them. However, as Mr Pennicott says on his own website: “the Company makes no warranties or representations as to its [the website’s] accuracy. The Company assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Site.”

If it’s good enough for Gabe, it’s good enough for me.

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A short note about Australia being “the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit.”

Bayside Christian Church, who, unlike Pennicott, have done their research, tell us correctly that:

In May 1606, de Quirós [took] possession of ‘all the … lands that I have newly discovered … and all this region of the south as far as the Pole, which from this time shall be called Austrialia [sic] del Espiritu Santo.’

But de Quirós hadn’t discovered the southern continent, only the largest island in what is today known as Vanuatu.”