Jacinta Price Backs Andrew Hastie as a Future Leader, Calls for Stop to Backgrounding

Price called for her colleagues who background against conservatives to ‘put their name to those comments that they like to make anonymously.’

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 3, 2025. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has thrown her support behind Andrew Hastie for the future Liberal leadership and criticised his factional rivals who have been speaking to the media on background.

“I think because they are not focused on the fact that we have very little in the way of policy to present and we need to get on with that sort of work,” Price told 2GB radio.

“But I think they probably see them as some kind of threat because he is so good at what he does. He is so good at the job that he does and representing Australians. They should get on with doing that themselves instead of focusing on what Andrew is doing.”

Price called on Liberal colleagues to go on the record when speaking to media about her and other conservatives.

“It would be good if those of our colleagues who like to background on us, would actually either get on with the work of being in Opposition and calling [Prime Minister] Anthony Albanese to account, or just keep quiet, or put their name to those comments that they like to make anonymously,” she said.

“I mean it’s certainly what I do, what people like Andrew Hastie do, we just tell it how it is, and if we are upset with a colleague, [we] state it publicly.”

When asked if Hastie has what it takes to be a future leader, she said, “I think so. I think he’s passionate, he’s got conviction ... I think he'd make a remarkable leader one day.”

Price was removed from the Liberal front bench on Sept. 10 after she declined to endorse the Ley, and raised concerns about the high numbers of immigrants arriving in Australia.

Amid a tight party room, Ley is already facing pressure from potential leadership rivals on the conservative side of politics.

Price Won’t Say if She Backs Sussan Ley

Price also declined to say if she endorses Ley as leader but expressed desire for mutual confidence and respect between her and the party leader.

“I’m not going to speculate on how I think I feel, I think we need to find some positions going forward, some policy positions, and I would certainly love to have those debates within our party room, and that’s what I will be focusing on,” she said.

Price said that she will continue to be vocal until the Liberal Party’s policy positions have been set, adding that this would enable the party to be an effective opposition.

Both Hastie and Price, she added, were “very passionate” about leading the case against continuing to adopt net zero.

She was looking forward to when the Liberal Party could reach a point where everyone knew where they stood on the issue.

“I think Australians are looking for that in us,” she said.

Hastie has recently received public backing for his leadership credentials from Queensland colleagues Garth Hamilton and Henry Pike.

Since the election, Hastie has been open about his future leadership ambitions on multiple occasions, but said that he is currently prioritising his family and the local community in the seat of Canning.

Hastie has been outspoken on net zero, manufacturing, immigration and housing, while calling out unnamed factional rivals backgrounding journalists.

Liberals Focused on In-Fighting: Labor

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen recently accused the Coalition of having no plan for Australia in terms of energy policy.

“While we are getting on with the job of reducing Australia’s emissions, the Coalition continue to show that they have no plan for our country,” he said on BlueSky.

On Sept. 19, Albanese accused the Liberal Party of being “focused on their own jobs and fighting each other.”

“I’m focused on fighting for Australian jobs and fighting for the interests of the future of our children and our grandchildren,” he said.