Calls from political parties, independent members of parliament, candidates for election, or interest groups (including trade unions) are permitted in certain circumstances.
What calls can you receive?
As part of a healthy democracy, political parties, independent members of parliament, candidates for election, or interest groups (including trade unions) will use a variety of ways to communicate with you. During an election or other period, even if your phone number is on the Do Not Call Register, you may receive calls relating to the election, including calls providing information, polling calls, research calls and calls from parties seeking campaign donations.
If the call is only providing campaign or other information and is not trying to sell you something or solicit donations—that is, there is no commercial element—it is allowed to be made, even to numbers on the Do Not Call Register. This includes recorded messages (or what are sometimes called ‘robo-calls’).
What can you do?
If you do not wish to listen to someone talking about political issues, you should hang up the phone.
Commercial or research calls from a political party, an independent member of parliament or a candidate for election, are also permitted to be made to numbers on the Do Not Call Register. However, these types of calls must still follow an additional set of strict rules put in the place by the ACMA under the Telecommunications (Telemarketing and Research Calls) Industry Standard 2017. You can complain about opinion polling or a call from a political party soliciting funds if the caller fails to:
- identify themselves
- provide current and accurate contact information on request
- enable a phone number return contact to be displayed on your phone
- terminate the call when you ask
- call within the following permitted calling times:
| Type of Call | Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday | National Public Holidays |
| Telemarketing | 9:00am - 8:00pm | 9:00am - 5:00pm | No calls allowed | No calls allowed |
| Opinion polling | 9:00am - 8:30pm | 9:00am - 5:00pm | 9:00am - 5:00pm | No calls allowed |