‘Flattery’: Liberal MP caught in election campaign gaffe

A senior Liberal MP has been sprung in an awkward election gaffe after releasing a 50-second campaign video on social media.

A senior federal government minister has been accused of ripping off a campaign ad used by a popular Labor premier.

A 50-second campaign video promoting the character and credentials of Assistant Treasurer and Housing Minister Michael Sukkar was posted to his Facebook page on Wednesday night.

Liberal Minister Michael Sukkar has boasted his credentials in an ad that looks striking similar to one created for Labor’s South Australian Premier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The ad includes various of pictures of Mr Sukkar with family members and constituents, all against a white background with the sound of a camera shuttering as each picture changes.

The ad not only looks the same as one created to promote South Australia’s new Premier Peter Malinauskas, but it also contains similar quotes.

BREAKING NEWS: Liberal @MichaelSukkarMP caught plagiarising almost word for word SA Labor election ad. #auspol#vicpol#springstpic.twitter.com/1DtKBHCWwS

— SA Labor (@alpsa) April 14, 2022

Introducing himself in the video, Mr Sukkar says “I’m a husband, a father of two boys, an amateur cook, sporting enthusiast and Federal Member for Deakin”.

Similar words were first spoken in the video featuring Mr Malinauskas, who said “I’m a husband, a father of three, a weekend gardener, a pretty average footy player and leader of the South Australian Labor Party”.

In his video, Mr Sukkar goes on to say “I believe that every generation should benefit from the one before”, while Mr Malinauskas says “every generation has benefited from the one before” in his video.

Similarly, both videos contain references to the journeys their family members took in life.

“My father came to Australia for a better life and he and my mum worked tirelessly to teach me and my siblings the value of hard work,” Mr Sukkar says.

Mr Malinauskas states “My grandparents left war-torn Europe in the forties in search of a better life for our family and my parents worked tirelessly to teach me the value of hard work”.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas led Labor to a resounding victory in the recent state election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Both videos include pictures of both politicians celebrating graduations and pursuing their sporting endeavours.

Despite the similarities, the videos do contain differences.

While Mr Sukkar’s video focuses on delivering infrastructure like road projects, school upgrades and train station carparks, Mr Malinauskas mentions jobs, the environment and a need for policies that focus on the future.

The two videos are strikingly similar.

Reacting to the video, Labor’s SA state secretary Aemon Bourke told the ABC imitation was “the sincerest form of flattery”.

“Although you’d have hoped the Victorian Liberal MP would be more interested in copying Labor’s commitment and policy to strengthen Medicare,” Mr Bourke said.

Liberal candidate Rachel Swift, fighting for the marginal seat of Boothby in Adelaide, also released a social media video this week that looked very similar to Mr Malinauskas’s “for the future” video.

Ms Swift deflected questions about the video.

“I’m using all possible means to communicate with Boothby voters, just as I will advocate strongly for them if elected,” she told the Adelaide Advertiser.

The Liberal Party pair are not the first politicians to come under fire for copycat tactics.

The Federal Opposition Leader has been accused of plagiarising lines from Hollywood film The American President and a tweet from failed US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Originally published as ‘Flattery’: Liberal MP caught in election campaign gaffe