- Jacinta Nampijinpa Price sacked from shadow ministry
- It follows her comments on migration
Leader of the Federal Liberal Party and Federal Opposition, Sussan Ley, has asked Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to step down from the shadow ministry.
Senator Price faced backlash last week after accusing Labor of bringing in ‘large numbers’ of Indian migrants to help boost its vote.
Several senior Coalition figures have called on Price to apologise but she has so far remained firm.
On Wednesday evening, the senator confirmed on X that she had been asked to step down from the shadow ministry.
‘This evening, I spoke with the Leader of the Federal Liberal Party and Federal Opposition, Sussan Ley, who has asked me to step down from the shadow ministry,’ she said.
‘I have accepted the Leader’s decision. And I reiterated my regret in not being clearer in my comments on the ABC last Wednesday.
‘Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to express to the Leader my disappointment that some colleagues disregarded the key point I was making about the damaging impacts of mass migration. And that some colleagues instead chose to indulge agenda-driven media commentary on this matter.
‘To reiterate comments from my earlier statement: I never intended to be disparaging towards our Indian community. And I wish no ill-will whatsoever to the Indian community – or any other migrant group.’
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley asked Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) to step down from the shadow ministry on Wednesday evening
The senator, who will now be returning to the backbench, doubled down in her statement on her stance on the issue of mass migration policy in Australia.
‘My concern – as it is for millions of Australians – is Labor’s mass migration agenda and its ramifications. My concern is not migration itself – it’s the magnitude of migration,’ she said.
‘Migration at the current scale and pace is putting excessive pressures on housing, infrastructure and services. And that makes life tougher for all families. I want to see a better life for all families – whether you’re a migrant, a resident, or a citizen – and regardless of your background.
‘This has been a disappointing episode for the Liberal Party. I will learn from it. I’m sure others will too. No individual is bigger than a party. And I’m sure events of the past week will ultimately make our party stronger.’
The ongoing fallout from her comments, made last Wednesday on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program, has been a massive headache for Ley who almost immediately went into damage control.
Ley visited ‘Little India’ in Sydney’s Harris Park on Sunday to speak with local businesses and community leaders.
She was told that many members of the community’s ‘hearts’ were broken by these comments and was asked if Price should apologise.
Multiple senior figures in the Coalition, including Nationals Leader David Littleproud and Alex Hawke, have subsequently called on Price to apologise.
More to come.
