Coalition frontbencher Jacinta Price remarked she wants to “make Australia great again” while on the campaign trail in Perth but, a short time later, denied she ever said that.

Price joined opposition leader Peter Dutton and Michaelia Cash at a party rally at the Mount Pleasant Bowling Club this morning, where she made the reference to US President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” cry.

“We have incredible candidates right around the country that I’m so proud to be able to stand beside and to ensure that we can make Australia great again, that we can bring Australia back to its former glory, that we can get Australia back on track,” she said.

But later, when Price was questioned about whether her comment was a reference to Trump, the politician said she didn’t realise she’d said those words.

“If I said that, I don’t even realise I said that but no, I’m an Australian and I want to ensure that we get Australia back on track,” she said at a joint press conference.

Price, who would be the head of government efficiency if the Coalition is elected at the upcoming federal election, also denied the role was an ode to Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Instead, she called the media “obsessed with Donald Trump”. 

“Let me just clarify, the Department of Government Efficiency, it’s not a department. It’s got nothing to do with the department. In fact, it will sit in the prime minister and cabinet. And just to clarify, it is not an ode to Donald Trump,” she said.

“Let’s be very, very clear. The media, you’re all obsessed with Donald Trump. We’re not obsessed with Donald Trump.”

Dutton spent a fair bit of time during the press conference deflecting questions from reporters about whether the Coalition was adopting Trump-style politics.

When he was asked whether that messaging was helpful to his campaign, he spoke about the cost of living crisis hitting families in Western Australia.

”They’re making decisions at the moment about whether they insure their house or not, right? So let’s just deal with the reality for people,” he said.

“I really think that if we want to make their lives better and we want to get our country back on track, we have to change the government.”

A reporter asked: “Do you back your senator’s comment this morning? Do you want to make Australia great again?”

“I want to get rid of a bad government. That’s what I want to do,” Dutton replied.

“I’m incredibly proud of what Jacinta has done in saving our country from The Voice [to Parliament] because that would have destroyed the social fabric of our country and at this election, we have the opportunity to get rid of a bad government.

“If we do that, we can get our country back on track.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also on the campaign trail in Western Australia today alongside Premier Roger Cook, where he promised $60 million to expand ferry services in Perth.

The major party leaders spent the day rallying voters ahead of both their official campaign launches tomorrow.

Voters will head to the ballot boxes for the federal election on May 3.