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Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price stepped down from the Liberal Party's shadow ministry Wednesday evening after party leader Sussan Ley asked her to resign following controversial comments about migration made on national television.
Price, who served as Shadow Minister for Defence Industry and Defence Personnel, announced her resignation in a statement posted to social media, saying she "accepted the Leader's decision" and reiterated her regret for comments made on the ABC last Wednesday.
"This evening, I spoke with the Leader of the Federal Liberal Party and Federal Opposition, Sussan Ley, who has asked me to step down from the shadow ministry," Price said in the statement. "I have accepted the Leader's decision. And I reiterated my regret in not being clearer in my comments on the ABC last Wednesday."
The Northern Territory senator expressed disappointment that colleagues "disregarded the key point I was making about the damaging impacts of mass migration" and instead "chose to indulge agenda-driven media commentary on this matter."
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Price insisted she "never intended to be disparaging towards our Indian community" and wished "no ill-will whatsoever to the Indian community – or any other migrant group." Her original ABC comments appear to have specifically referenced the Indian community, though the exact nature of those remarks was not detailed in her resignation statement.
The senator defended her position on migration policy, stating her concern was "not migration itself – it's the magnitude of migration." She argued that "migration at the current scale and pace is putting excessive pressures on housing, infrastructure and services" and "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," Price said.
The resignation marks a significant setback for the Liberal Party, which has been working to rebuild its credibility on multicultural issues. Price acknowledged the damage to the party, calling it "a disappointing episode for the Liberal Party" while expressing confidence that "events of the past week will ultimately make our party stronger."
"No individual is bigger than a party," she said. "I will learn from it. I'm sure others will too."
Despite her shortened tenure in the shadow defence portfolio, Price highlighted key moments from her time in the role. She cited pride in seeing officers graduate from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, describing them as "young, patriotic Australians who embody the virtue of service which makes our country tick."
The senator also praised Australian defence industry businesses for their "determination and capacity to produce the weapons our country needs – at speed and scale – to help deter aggression and defend our nation's interests." She noted meetings with ambassadors from Israel and Ukraine, expressing "the Coalition's support for two countries that are on the frontline of the battle of civilisation against barbarity and tyranny."
Price thanked her defence portfolio colleagues Angus Taylor, Phillip Thompson and Darren Chester, whom she described as "doing a sterling job in holding the Albanese Government to account."
The senator expressed gratitude to "members of the Indian community who have reached out to me in solidarity" and "colleagues who have stood by side," as well as "thousands of Australians who have had my back and sent me messages of support."
Returning to the backbench, Price vowed to continue speaking on issues she considers in the national interest. She outlined several policy areas she plans to focus on, including Indigenous issues, where she criticized "the ongoing romanticisation of traditional culture that inhibits addressing the root causes of Indigenous violence today" and "the ineffectiveness of bloated bureaucracies that have done nothing to 'close the gap.'"
Price also targeted activists who she said ignore "the referendum outcome and the will of the Australian people" and "march on with the goals of segregation and reparations under the guise of that Orwellian phrase 'truth-telling.'"
Beyond Indigenous policy, Price indicated she would continue advocating on migration, opposing what she termed "the economically immiserating and freedom eroding policy of Net Zero," and criticizing "the indoctrination of children in our classrooms that engenders national guilt and inhibits national pride."
The senator also pledged to address "the Albanese Government's determination to move Australia away from a free-market economy and towards a state-directed and controlled economy" and concerns about "the Chinese Communist Party's military aggression in our region and its foreign interference in our country."
Price concluded with sharp criticism of the current government, stating that "our remarkable country is weaker, worse off and more divided than it has ever been due to the actions of the Albanese Labor Government."
"In tough times for our nation, it's a time for courage, for conviction and for truth if we are to reverse Australia's decline and advance Australia again," she said.
The resignation comes as the Liberal Party continues efforts to broaden its appeal among diverse communities while maintaining its conservative base. Price's departure from the shadow ministry removes one of the party's most prominent Indigenous voices from the frontbench, though she remains in parliament as a backbench senator.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within the opposition over immigration policy and messaging on multicultural issues as Australia grapples with housing shortages and infrastructure challenges amid continued population growth.
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