A day after her surprise defection from the Nationals to the Liberals, Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defended the move as a principled decision aimed at strengthening the Coalition—not a personal betrayal.
Her switch drew criticism from Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, who said the decision undermined voter trust.
“Jacinta Price’s decision to put her own ambition over the will of the voters is exactly why people are sick of politicians,” Canavan posted on X.
“Jacinta was elected less than a week ago as a Senator that would sit in the Nationals party room. If Jacinta wanted to sit in the Liberal party room she could have stood for a Liberal seat just a week ago. Why didn’t she?”
Price pushed back, arguing her political base, the Country Liberal Party, is closely aligned with the Liberals at a federal level.
“Matt’s forgetting that I am a Country Liberal Party senator for the Northern Territory. And that does give me the opportunity. We live in a democracy, and Matt is absolutely one for championing democracy,” she told 2GB radio.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud struck a more measured tone, stating.
“I appreciate Senator Nampijinpa Price has ambition that extends beyond the possibilities of the Nationals and I wish her well,” he said.
‘I Wanted This From the Start’
Price stressed she had considered the move since entering federal politics, describing it as a strategic step to strengthen the Coalition against a Labor government she said was “about to destroy the country.”“My true enemy is the Labor Party,” she said.
“For me, a position of strength for the Coalition in terms of rebuilding is from the Liberal Party. In fact, Territorians benefit from me sitting in the Liberal Party as well.”
Pressed on rumours of leadership ambitions, possibly as deputy to Angus Taylor, Price remained cautious.
“This is a huge step that I have undertaken at this point, and I’ve been welcomed by Sussan Ley to the Liberal party room, which I’m very grateful for,” she added.
Price thanked the Nationals, particularly for entrusting her with the leadership of the ‘No’ campaign during the Voice referendum.
“I am deeply appreciative of the opportunities the National Party under David Littleproud’s leadership has given me,” she said on May 8.
Warm Welcome, Cautious Optimism
While Price’s shift drew criticism from some Nationals, Liberal colleagues responded with a mix of encouragement and reservation.NSW Liberal Senator James Paterson posted a brief message online: “Welcome home.”
WA Liberal Dean Smith called it an “interesting development,” and said he looked forward to evaluating how Price and the NT’s Country Liberal Party perform.
“That’s the primary measure of people’s performance … let’s see how things transpire over coming days,” he told ABC Perth radio.
