BY ASHLEY GEELAN with AAP & 3LO
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been dumped from Sussan Ley’s frontbench after she declined to voice support for her leadership, in a dramatic escalation of a week-long spat over her comments about Indian-Australians.
“[She was] asked by Liberal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to step down from the front bench after ‘deeply hurtful’ comments to Australia’s Indian diaspora and ‘despite being given the time to apologise,’ failed to do so, ABC Radio (3LO) reported at 7pm.
Senator Price confirmed the move in a statement, saying Ms Ley had asked her to step down and she had accepted the decision.
“Although my time … has been cut short, it has been an honour to serve in the shadow defence portfolio,” Price said, adding it was “a disappointing episode for the Liberal Party”.
“Serving in my shadow ministry is a privilege, and it is a requirement to have confidence in the leadership. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has failed the test of high standards that I have set for members of my shadow ministry,” she said.
She added that the “deeply hurtful” comments about Indian-Australians had contributed to her decision.
“Despite being given the time and space to apologise, Senator Price did not offer an apology today,” she said.
In her resignation statement, Senator Price said she “reiterated [her] regret in not being clearer in my comments” but said she told Ms Ley of her “disappointment that some colleagues disregarded the key point I was making about the damaging impacts of mass migration.”
She added she would “learn from” the episode. “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.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Indian officials raised concerns with the federal government following rhetoric at anti-immigration protests where members of the Indian community were singled out.
Senator Wong emphasised the views shared at the anti-immigration protests did not reflect the broader community.
“Those protests didn’t represent Australia. I don’t think Australian values are values of division,” she said.
Advance, to which Jacinta Price is a former member – as are many past and present Liberal and National Party politicians – believe Donald Trump is a great US President.
