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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley removed Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from the Liberal Party's shadow ministry Wednesday, citing Price's failure to apologize for comments "deeply hurtful to Indian Australians" and her refusal to express confidence in Ley's leadership.
Speaking at a press conference in Hobart, Ley said Price "failed the test of high standard that I have set for members of my shadow ministry" following controversial remarks made on the ABC last Wednesday.
"Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price made comments that were deeply hurtful to Indian Australians," Ley said. "The comments were wrong and should not have been made."
The Liberal leader said her team had spent several days "listening to Australians of Indian Heritage" and heard "their response and the pain and hurt that these remarks provided for them."
"Despite being given the time and space to apologise, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price did not offer an apology today," Ley said. "And many Australians, not just of Indian heritage, have been calling for that apology, for remarks that were deeply hurtful."
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Price, who served as Shadow Minister for Defence Industry and Defence Personnel, confirmed her removal in a statement posted to social media Wednesday evening.
"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. "I have accepted the Leader's decision."
However, Ley revealed a second critical factor in her decision - Price's failure to express confidence in her leadership.
"Today, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price critically failed to provide confidence in my leadership of the Liberal Party," Ley said. "Confidence in the leader is a requirement for serving in the shadow ministry."
When pressed about what Price said during their conversation, Ley declined to provide details but reiterated the leadership confidence requirement.
"I don't divulge the details of private conversations," Ley said. "My call to her was to advise her of the decision that I have made and to advise her that today, critically, she refused to express confidence in my leadership of the Liberal Party."
Despite removing Price from the shadow ministry, Ley emphasized the Northern Territory senator remained welcome in the Liberal Party.
"I warmly welcomed her into our Liberal Party party room, and I still warmly welcome her in our Liberal Party," Ley said. "She is an outstanding Australian who has achieved much, and I know that she is admired and loved by many in this country."
In her resignation statement, Price expressed frustration that colleagues had "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."
Price maintained 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."
The senator defended her position on migration policy, arguing her concern was "not migration itself – it's the magnitude of migration."
"Migration at the current scale and pace is putting excessive pressures on housing, infrastructure and services," Price said. "And that makes life tougher for all families."
Price called the episode "disappointing" for the Liberal Party but expressed confidence it would "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."
Ley's decision reflects her stated commitment to representing modern Australia. She told reporters she had "made a compact with my party room and with the Australian people that under my leadership we would reflect modern Australia, respect modern Australia and represent modern Australia."
"Serving in my shadow ministry is a privilege and it is a requirement to have confidence in the leadership," Ley said.
When asked about upcoming migration protests scheduled for Saturday in Melbourne, Ley acknowledged migration and infrastructure concerns while defending migrant communities.
"The issues of infrastructure, migration and getting the balance right are important ones," Ley said. "Many people across this country, including at March, are expressing those concerns. Migrant communities also hold those concerns."
"There is not a failure on behalf of any migrant or migrant community," she said. "This is a failure of our government for not providing the infrastructure that allows for the jobs, services, schooling, education, roads, etc. to actually support our growing communities."
Ley said she would continue criticizing the government's approach to migration and infrastructure, "particularly with respect to housing."
Price indicated she would continue advocating on various issues from the backbench, including Indigenous policy, migration concerns, and criticism of what she termed the government's "state-directed and controlled economy."
The senator thanked "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."
Price also acknowledged her defence portfolio colleagues Angus Taylor, Phillip Thompson and Darren Chester, describing them as "doing a sterling job in holding the Albanese Government to account."
The removal comes as the Liberal Party works to rebuild its credibility on multicultural issues while managing internal tensions over immigration policy. Price's departure removes one of the party's most prominent Indigenous voices from the frontbench, though she remains in parliament representing the Northern Territory.
The controversy underscores ongoing challenges facing opposition parties in balancing diverse community concerns with policy positions on migration and infrastructure amid Australia's continued population growth and housing challenges.
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