This has led senior Liberal member Alex Hawke to demand Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price provide a public apology. He criticized her for calling Indian migrants “not an ideal type of migrant” in an interview on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing. The kicker controversy flared just weeks after an anti-immigrant takeover rolled through Australia. Comments implying that the government was encouraging “massive hordes” of Indian migrants due to their tendency to vote for the Labor Party further stoked the fire.
In a brief phone call, Hawke spoke with a staff member from Price’s office, where he offered assistance in addressing the fallout from her statements. That’s because as a White House aide told Politico, a prompt apology would “nip the story in the bud.” Hawke later confirmed that he reached out to the senator’s office on Wednesday, emphasizing the timing of her comments as particularly detrimental to the party’s image.
Accusations of Inappropriate Conduct
In her response to Hawke’s call, Senator Price tripled down with accusations of “berating” conduct towards her staffer. She condemned his conduct as “cowardly and shameful.” She argued that his intimidation tactics worked, as he threatened her staff with repercussions if she did not comply with his demands.
“If I did not comply with his requests, I may end up like another female member of the Coalition.” – Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Price’s reference was to Australian Senator Jane Hume. She received major condemnation for her throwaway line regarding Chinese spies allegedly registering to vote in support of the Labor Party. After this episode, Hume was demoted from the frontbench by Sussan Ley after the Coalition’s election loss. Hume told me she was really puzzled about why her name was being thrown around in the mess. As a counterbalance, she highlighted the need for straight talk among party leaders.
“I am still reeling a little bit … I am not sure entirely what this is all about and why my name needs to be included.” – Jane Hume
Party Response and Damage Control
Given the backlash from the Indian Australian community, Sussan Ley has launched a round of damage control, clearly focused at the Indian Australian community. Encouraging open dialogue, Ley hosted round table discussions to foster an environment of open, honest discussion. She even led a public tour through Little India to counteract the damage done by Price’s remarks. Ley has publicly condemned Price’s statements as “incorrect” and pledged to make sure they don’t happen again.
Even Alex Hawke, the Conservative minister who had pushed for an apology from Price, recognized the nuances of the situation. In defense of the EPA’s actions, it may be worth mentioning that this was a significant administration priority. She didn’t intend these statements, she wasn’t trying to be racist, but it was racist. He just doesn’t want Price to lose sight of the bigger picture. Now, all that’s left is for the party establishment to direct her efforts in the right direction going forward.
“That’s now up to Sussan Ley to make that decision. I think Jacinta has walked back the comments as far as she’s ready to.” – Jane Hume
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce expressed many of the same sentiments. Addressing each misstep with a bit of levity, he pointed out that we all make mistakes, especially in politics and urged leaders to acknowledge when they falter.
“You make mistakes in politics all the time and the best thing to do is apologise and move on, get off it and get onto another topic.” – Barnaby Joyce
Broader Implications for the Liberal Party
The incident raises broader questions about internal dynamics within the Liberal Party, particularly regarding how female members support one another amidst challenging situations. Senator Price’s comments raised one of the biggest alarms for the GOP on the state of their gender problem.
“If people want to talk about the so-called ‘woman problem’ in the Liberal Party it’s this: we don’t stand up for women when they’re mistreated by their own colleagues.” – Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Coalition MP and former immigration minister Alex Hawke had a pretty frank discussion with Price. He passionately argued that intervention was absolutely needed for the good of both the party and the city.
“I had the guts to ring her and say, ‘I think you’ve got a problem and I think you should apologise to the community.’” – Alex Hawke
As discussions unfold within the party, it remains clear that how they handle this situation may significantly impact their relationship with diverse communities across Australia.
