Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has accused a senior colleague of acting “cowardly” over her remark about Indian migrants. Photo: WikiCommons.
The federal Liberal Party is scrambling to contain a bitter internal dispute that has gone public and threatens to undermine any relationship it hopes to have with Australia’s Indian community.
Following last week’s remarks from shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price suggesting Indian migrants were being allowed into Australia in large numbers because they vote Labor, the Coalition has been in desperate damage control.
The Indian community was a target of the recent anti-immigration protest rallies around Australia.
Senator Price has subsequently said her comments were a “mistake”, but she has also refused to apologise for them, instead saying it was actually the media’s fault she said what she did.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has been trying to douse the fire by talking up the importance of the Indian community to Australian society and by stating Senator Price’s comments were wrong.
But she won’t offer an apology on Senator Price’s behalf.
The ongoing saga blew up further on Sunday (7 September) when the Northern Territory Senator released a lengthy statement on social media accusing senior Liberal Party colleague Alex Hawke of acting “cowardly and inappropriately” towards her office following her media remarks last Thursday.
Mr Hawke is the Manager of Opposition Business and was reportedly furious over Senator Price’s comments about Indian voters.
Senator Price accused him of “berating one of my staff” and threatened that the Senator would be treated “like another female member of the Coalition” if she didn’t change her behaviour.
(In the lead-up to this year’s election, Senator Jane Hume suggested Chinese “spies” were volunteering for Labor. Following the election, she was relegated to the Opposition’s backbench.)
“Later that day, I sent him a WhatsApp message to call out his cowardly and inappropriate conduct,” Senator Price wrote.
“If people want to talk about a so-called ‘woman problem’ in the Liberal Party, then it’s this: we don’t stand up for women when they are mistreated by our own colleagues … I’ve also been disappointed by some media reporting which has been agenda-driven and wrenched my comments from context.
“I’ve had members of the Indian community reach out to me in solidarity.”
Mr Hawke, who was immigration minister in the Morrison government, issued his own statement midday Sunday to try to rein in the party’s spiralling crisis.
He didn’t address Senator Price’s accusations against him, but did refer to her comments from last week about Indian migrants.
He joined her in blaming the media.
“As a former Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, I am 100 per cent supportive of our Australian Indian community,” Mr Hawke said.
“I have worked closely with this deeply patriotic community, which is made up of hardworking, skilled and successful Australians who have embraced their new home with real passion.
“Their commitment and contribution to our country is beyond question.
“Any reasonable person must reject the targeting of Indian Australians. The extremist and hate literature that was recently circulated prior to anti-immigration rallies is abhorrent.
“That behaviour must be condemned by anyone who supports a free, fair and tolerant society. No racial group should be targeted and vilified in Australia.
“I have spoken with Senator Price and accepted her explanation of how her comments have been misinterpreted and subsequently weaponised by Labor.
“I support her ongoing work to clarify the comments she made last week and helping return this debate to the issue of overall migration levels and having a sustainable migration program.”
Ms Ley appeared on the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday morning and, while condemning Senator Price’s comments, she would not apologise for them.
“The comments were wrong, they were not correct, they should not have taken place, and corrections have been made,” the Opposition Leader said.
“They will not be repeated. But what I said subsequent to those comments and what I want to say now as well is to express my deep appreciation to the Indian community for all they have brought to Australia … We value, respect and love our Indian community, as we do all of our migrant communities. And I made that point subsequent to those remarks because I did hear from the Indian community that they felt hurt at what they heard.”
But Ms Ley would not disclose if she chastised Senator Price for making the remarks.
Neither would she apologise on behalf of the maverick Senator, even though she was asked three times if she would.
“Others will make their own remarks,” she said.
“I know that as leader, the most important message that I can send is that appreciation of our Indian community, heard directly from me as leader.”
By Sunday afternoon, the Opposition Leader was taking a tour of Little India in Sydney to meet local business people. She acknowledged that Senator Price’s comments had been “hurtful”.
