'Clive certainly isn't Trump': UAP candidate shoots down 'Make Australia Great' slogan comparisons

Clive Palmer's 'Make Australia Great' slogan bears no similarity to US President Donald Trump's popular election call to 'Make America Great Again,' according to a United Australia Party federal election candidate.

A billboard featuring Australian businessman and former politician, Clive Palmer in Brisbane (L) and the US president wearing a cap with his famous slogan. Source: AAP

Speaking to SBS Arabic24, Joshua Jabbour, who is the UAP candidate for the western Sydney seat of Fowler, said his party's slogan, which is plastered on billboards across the nation, had no ties to the US president.

"It’s not really the same as what Trump is doing, we’re not America either and Clive most certainly isn’t Trump," he said.

"The slogan is very much what we want for everyday Australians right, we want them to live in a great country and we want them to be part of a great country and it doesn’t matter where they’re from. If you live in Australia, you’re Australian right?" 

Mr Jabbour, who has Lebanese ancestry, was recently named as the party's candidate for the Sydney seat, which has been held by Labor since its establishment in 1984.

Federal Leader of the United Australia Party Clive Palmer, addresses the media during a press conference. Source: AAP

He said he was attracted to joining the party days after it launched in 2018.

He said he was running on a campaign to "giving a message of hope" to all Australians.

"What really appealed to me was that it’s a 'united Australia' party. It’s one where even in the name is saying that politicians, they’re not going to be out for their own interests, but for the people all over Australia, and that was enough for me," he said. 

"All the policies that we have, everything from the zonal taxation to looking after the farmers, to the tax-deductible interest rates. It’s targeting every single group of Australians to identify where they need help most, in order to bring us all together in order to help everyone equally, it’s something that parties like One Nation really don’t do. They’re running on their very fear-mongering policies, whereas we’re trying to give a message of hope."

Joshua Jabbour Source: UAP

The seat of Fowler is currently held by MP Chris Hayes, and contains suburbs with large migrant communities, including Cabramatta which has one of the state's largest Vietnamese communities.

On Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has attempted to distance himself from a likely preference swap between the Liberal Party and the United Australia Party, declaring no "policy deals" have bee done with minor parties. 

The reported preference deal, expected to be announced on Monday, would see the Liberals put UAE second or above Labor on its how-to-vote cards.