Liberal Senator Jacinta Price has been removed as Shadow Minister for Defence Industry after refusing to apologise for her views on migration and for not endorsing the current opposition leader.
On Sept. 3, Senator Price said she was concerned about the “core number” of migrants entering Australia and the pressure this placed on infrastructure.
The comments drew mass condemnation from all sides—including her own party.
Despite repeated calls to retract the comments, Senator Price declined to apologise.
On Sept. 10, she announced on social media that she had been asked by Liberal Leader Sussan Ley to stand down.
“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.”
Senator Price said her concern was not with migrants themselves but with the scale of Labor’s migration program.
“My concern—as it is for millions of Australians—is Labor’s mass migration agenda and its ramifications,” she said.
“Migration at the current scale and pace is putting excessive pressure 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.”
The MP said it had been a “disappointing episode” for her party.
Ley Issues Statement
Liberal Leader Ley said Senator Price’s frontbench role had become untenable.In the wake of the decision, she stated that “serving in the shadow ministry is a privilege.”
“Shadow ministers and shadow assistant ministers are expected to uphold the standards I have set as leader,” she said in a statement on Facebook.
“Senator Price has failed to do so and will no longer serve in my shadow ministry.”
She said Senator Price had been given “sufficient time and space” to apologise for remarks that she said caused hurt to Australians of Indian heritage.
“She also refused to provide confidence in my leadership of the Liberal Party, and sadly, that has made her position untenable in my shadow ministry,” she said.
What Others Said
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott described Senator Price’s departure from the frontbench as a “big loss.”Meanwhile, the NSW Libertarian Party accused the Liberals of failing to stand by her.
They argued that multiculturalism created “damaging second-order effects” and called for the abolition of the state’s Department of Multiculturalism.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, said Senator Price should apologise, stressing the Indian-Australian community had strengthened the nation.
“It is important to make clear my position, which is that the Indian Australian community contributes to our economy, our communities. They’re a vital part of modern Australia,” he told the ABC.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher also rejected Senator Price’s claims.
“We have a migration program in this country, it has long had bipartisanship at its core, and that has allowed people to move here, live here, and work here, and supplement the skills base that we need,” she said.
