Melburnian Greg Smith, a conservative advocate, has studied the Make America Great Again movement closely during multiple trips to the United States—and he wants to start a similar one in Australia to unearth more conservative-aligned voters.
He would like to model it on Charlie Kirk’s successful Turning Point USA brand, which empowers young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government control.
Smith is aiming to push for Australia-first style of politics at universities and speaking engagements all around the country.
He wants to do it because he is worried about Australia’s skyrocketing inflation, unsustainable immigration numbers, and a continual increase in violent crimes year-on-year in recent years—and it was promises to swiftly rectify these exact issues in the United States that made President Donald Trump’s campaign popular.
Smith is an active participant in local conservative events and has also made multiple trips to the United States to support and witness the revitalisation of conservatism there. He sees the similar issues that have emerged in both nations, and is eager to see some Trump-esk solutions.
Trump has been delivering on his campaign promises since he began his presidency last month.
And Smith wants to start something similar Down Under, while still considering a name for it.
“There are different names being thrown out like the Great Australia Movement, or Australia First. I’m asking multiple people to get multiple groups going,” he told The Epoch Times.
“Advance Australia is growing at the moment. There isn’t a movement yet. I’m prepared to start it, and to get other people to help me start it.
“It’s not about me. As soon as I identify a Charlie Kirk who’s clearly better than me, I’ll pass the torch.”
Many advocates before Smith have tried to kick off similar movements, including Turning Point Australia. However, there has yet to be one that has been able to successfully hold sweeping influence and popularity, although Advance Australia made significant inroads during The Voice campaign.
Kirk’s social media videos where he debates conservative values with young-adult university students have become highly popular on social media.
Trump acknowledged that his work with the younger generation was a massive factor in him winning last year’s U.S. election.
“I’ve been travelling over there for the past couple of years and working with Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA,” Smith said.
If Trump Can Influence Democrat Voters, Why Can’t Dutton?
Voters who are most likely to choose Liberal in Victoria are in their 70s, and this is something Smith desperately wants to change.The Republican movement had similar age problems in the United States, before Kirk’s Turning Point USA movement made massive inroads at universities and high schools around the nation.
Kirk focused on educating young adults on science, biology, faith, and the detrimental impacts of vast immigration numbers—all issues which put him on the same page as Trump’s campaign messages.
The end result was over 77 million people voted for Trump on election day last November, compared to the over 75 million who voted for his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Smith believes this same phenomenon—an embrace of conservative values—is once again becoming popular Down Under.
But he believes the Liberal Party and its conservative leader, Peter Dutton, need to be more proactive on social media and podcasts, which are popular among young listeners.
Trump’s podcast interviews with the likes of Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Logan Paul, Adin Ross and Theo Von—all highly influential with massive amounts of followers—won him millions of hearts and minds among the younger voting demographic.
“People are turning to Dutton in the 18-24 bracket. Trump has done it,” Smith said.
“Where are our young people? The average age of a Liberal Party member in Victoria is 70. In 20-30 years, they’re dead. There aren’t too many people joining at any age.
“Where are the 18-30s now, and how do we get to them?
“It [requires] a change in attitude.”
Smith said left-leaning politicians are traditionally better at organising and rallying their voting bases, and so this would be the main focus of his MAGA-type movement in Australia.
“The people leaving the Liberal Party tend to be the conservatives. They’re the people you don’t want to leave, because that means the numbers of the progressives [in the Liberal Party] are so much more,” he said.
Revealing a Personal Side to Politicians
Smith said another big reason why Trump won last year’s election in a landslide was because the American public saw his genuine side through the care he showed towards his family and peers.“Start off with the fact he [Trump] loves his family. He loves his staff,” Smith said.
“Those people spend the most time in his presence. And he really goes out of his way for them.
“It’s not platitudes, especially if you’ve been in his presence for a while.
“And then, all of his policies are based on the fact that he loves America, and that Americans love America.”
Smith said Dutton could take a leaf out of Trump’s book and reveal a more caring nature.
This would be in contrast to the serious, combative persona that Australians have often seen in his lively debates with Labor and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“I’m thinking we need to soften him a bit. He needs the media to see him playing with his daughters, or going to his local tennis club,” Smith said.
“What does he do? What humanises him? Who is Peter Dutton?”
