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Shadow Industry Minister Alex Hawke defended his intervention in the Jacinta Price controversy, telling ABC Monday he called for a "short and sharp apology" to address community concerns but denied berating staff or making threats about frontbench positions.
Hawke confirmed he contacted Price's office Thursday morning following her comments about Indian Australian voting patterns, saying he acted independently without direction from Opposition Leader Susan Ley's office.
"I rang initially on the Thursday morning after your show, Patricia, because I'd heard from a lot of my own community and as a former Multicultural Affairs and Immigration Minister, I'd heard from quite a lot of people around Australia already," Hawke said during the ABC Afternoon Briefing interview.
The Shadow Minister said he recommended an immediate apology to prevent the controversy from escalating, citing his experience in multicultural affairs.
"I'd only just recently caught up with her comments and I rang in to say look we need to address this quickly this morning because I know these comments can continue to you know reverberate around the community," he said.
Price has accused Hawke of cowardly behavior in contacting her staff and allegedly referencing former frontbencher Jane Hume's demotion to the backbench. When pressed repeatedly about whether he mentioned Hume's name, Hawke refused to confirm or deny the claim.
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"I'm not going to go into the conversation we had. I am going to say I didn't make any reference to any dumping and I'm going to say perfectly clearly I wouldn't draw this staffer into it," Hawke said.
He disputed characterizations of the call as lengthy or aggressive, saying only two people were present to know the actual details.
"I don't know how any several conservative liberals would know that. There was one person on one end and there was... Wow, I don't accept that," Hawke said when told the call lasted more than five minutes.
The controversy centers on Price's comments suggesting Labor accepts Indian migrants because they support the party's policies and vote accordingly. Hawke said he believes Price didn't intend racist implications but maintains an apology remains necessary.
"It wasn't intended that way. I believe Jacinta. I spoke to her about that. She rang me after I called her office about 12 hours later," Hawke said.
"Look, I believe her. I think she didn't intend for it to be that way. It came out very awkwardly."
Hawke expressed concern about ongoing harm to the Indian Australian community, saying he has received reports of increased targeting and intimidation following the controversy.
"I've seen the emails myself come in from many people who have been on Jacinta's Facebook or read her post. And some of the comments they're making about the Indian community are completely unacceptable," he said.
The Shadow Minister linked the current situation to broader concerns about anti-Indian sentiment at recent migration rallies.
"The rallies there had some anti-Indian sentiment in them. And that had received a lot of reporting Australia-wide. And so a lot of the community was already a little bit worried that they were being singled out and targeted by essentially white supremacists or Nazis," Hawke said.
He described the Indian Australian community as feeling intimidated by ongoing commentary since Price's remarks.
"Yeah, everybody's reported. You know, they feel quite intimidated by a lot of the commentary that's been going on," Hawke said.
National MP Barnaby Joyce earlier told Channel 7 that Price should apologize to move beyond the issue, calling mistakes in politics normal and manageable through apologies.
"Look, you make mistakes in politics all the time, and the best thing to do is apologise, move on, get off it, get on to another topic," Joyce said.
Former frontbencher Jane Hume told Sky News she remained bewildered by her name being mentioned in the controversy and urged the party to move forward.
"I'm still reeling a little bit, Pete. I'm not entirely sure what this is all about and why my name needs to be included," Hume said.
Hawke praised the Indian Australian community's contributions while defending the need for leadership in addressing the controversy.
"The Australian Indian community, some of our best migrants, they've been fantastic. They've been our biggest migrant cohort intake for about 20 years. They've really integrated very well," he said.
"They don't deserve this, is my point."
When asked about consequences if Price refuses to apologize, Hawke said she remains on the frontbench with no suggestions to the contrary.
"She's staying. I haven't heard any suggestion to the contrary. This is about some comments she made. She obviously walked them back and said they were wrong and that was correct," he said.
The Shadow Minister acknowledged the political weaponization of the issue by Labor but maintained his position on the need for an apology.
"My view is there's just ongoing harm. I think it would be better to have an apology now because it would clear the matter up and I think it just needs clearing up and moving on," Hawke said.
Regarding current migration levels, Hawke said post-COVID disruptions created public confidence issues but suggested current numbers are returning to normal levels.
"I think post the COVID period, there was a big catch-up effect. And the government also was new. They lost a bit of control over the program and the numbers," he said.
He stopped short of describing current migration levels as "mass migration," saying numbers are "lowering and they're returning."
Hawke addressed broader questions about Liberal Party appeal to multicultural communities, arguing there is no anti-migrant sentiment within the party.
"There's no sentiment like this in the Liberal Party. There's been no sentiment about it at all. There's been some loose comments. Jacinta herself has said they were wrong. She's pulled them back," he said.
The Shadow Minister emphasized the importance of accepting Australia's multicultural reality for future leadership.
"I think if anyone wants to lead this country or be a leader in this country, we have to accept the modern multicultural society that we've built, especially in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane," he said.
He described the Indian Australian community as "super patriotic" and "well integrated" while expressing concern about their current distress.
"And they're very hurt at the moment," Hawke said.
When asked if he could have handled the situation better, Hawke acknowledged room for improvement while defending his intervention.
"Oh, yeah, I think we could all handle it better. There's no doubt about that," he said.
"I guess I rang to help. I mean, look, that was my only involvement in this."
Hawke dismissed suggestions that gender issues were involved in the controversy, describing it as "a race issue and an immigration issue."
Price is scheduled to appear on Sky News Monday evening to address the ongoing controversy and her dispute with Hawke's characterization of events.
The Liberal Party faces continued pressure to resolve internal tensions while addressing community concerns about the initial comments and subsequent handling of the situation.
Opposition Leader Susan Ley has described Price's comments as wrong while stopping short of demanding an apology, leaving the party's response fragmented across different frontbench positions.
The controversy has overshadowed Liberal parliamentary victories, including forcing government concessions on aged care packages and pausing unrealized capital gains tax plans.
Hawke acknowledged the political timing, saying the controversy emerged after a week where "Anthony Albanese didn't have a great week" in parliament.
The ongoing dispute reflects broader challenges facing the Opposition as it seeks to rebuild credibility with multicultural communities while managing internal disagreements about crisis response strategies.
Community leaders have not publicly detailed specific expectations for resolving the controversy, though Hawke indicated many want a direct apology from Price.
The Shadow Minister's intervention demonstrates the delicate balance between supporting colleagues and addressing community concerns that could affect electoral prospects in diverse constituencies.
As the controversy enters its second week, the Liberal Party's handling will likely influence broader perceptions of the party's approach to multicultural relations and internal unity.
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