The Gold Standard of Zero Accountability – Senator Price

The Liberal Party’s relationship with Australia’s Indian community has been severely tested following controversial comments by former frontbench senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who falsely claimed that Labor was prioritising Indian migrants to bolster electoral support. Despite widespread condemnation from community leaders and political colleagues, Price’s refusal to issue a direct apology ultimately led to her removal from the Coalition frontbench by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, highlighting the delicate balance between political rhetoric and multicultural relations in contemporary Australia.

During an interview with the ABC’s Background Briefing program in early September 2025, Northern Territory Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made inflammatory remarks suggesting the federal government maintained a “focus” on bringing in migrants “from particular countries over others,” specifically singling out the Indian community. Her comments, which came just days after anti-immigration rallies targeting Indian communities across Australia, falsely claimed that Labor was prioritising Indian migrants to bolster its voting base.

The timing proved particularly damaging, as these rallies had already left many in the Indian Australian community feeling unsafe and insecure. Price’s remarks were widely condemned as a “racial slur” by community leaders, with organisations like the Council of Indian Australians and Little India Australia strongly rejecting what they saw as unfair targeting of their community. When pressed by reporters the following day about whether she regretted her comments, Price defiantly stated: “I don’t believe I have anything to apologise about“.

Liberal Party Response and Fallout

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley faced mounting pressure from within her own party to distance the Liberals from Price’s divisive rhetoric. Despite initially attempting to manage the crisis quietly, Ley was forced to publicly apologise on behalf of the Liberal Party “to all Indian Australians and indeed others who were hurt and distressed by the comments“. She reaffirmed the party’s “strong support for all our migrant communities for the values that they bring to this country”.

The internal party discord intensified when Price publicly clashed with Liberal MP Alex Hawke, who had reached out to encourage her to apologise. Price accused Hawke of reprimanding her staff and creating a hostile environment, though Hawke refuted most of these claims, explaining he merely sought to resolve the issue swiftly since “she didn’t mean it“. This public airing of internal grievances, combined with Price’s continued refusal to apologise or endorse Ley’s leadership, ultimately made her frontbench position untenable. Other senior Liberals, including Julian Leeser, moved to praise the Indian community’s contributions while seeking to repair the damage caused by what one Liberal described as comments that “undid years of work in a matter of minutes“.

Indian Community Impact

Following Price’s removal from the frontbench, Indian community leaders welcomed Opposition Leader Ley’s apology but emphasised that the damage extended beyond party politics. Amar Singh, founder of Sikh-led charity Turbans 4 Australia, noted that while “Sussan as a leader has apologised, which is great,” it “doesn’t cut the mustard” without a personal acknowledgment from Price herself. Community organisations like Little India Australia and the Council of Indian Australians continued to demand direct accountability, with president Gurmeet Tuli declaring Price’s remarks “a racial slur” and insisting that “Jacinta should submit [an] apology as well“.

The controversy’s timing proved particularly damaging, occurring during a period when Indian Australians already felt vulnerable following anti-immigration rallies targeting their community. Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly addressed these concerns directly in parliament, telling Indian Australians: “You do not have to justify your belonging in this country. We stand with you as we always have“. Political analyst Kos Samaras warned that the incident would likely have lasting electoral consequences, noting that whilst Indian and Chinese communities should theoretically vote conservative due to their “small business-minded” values and “conservative values around family,” they often don’t because “the Coalition does not like them”.

Current Political Status

Following her dismissal from the Coalition frontbench in September 2025, Price remains a Liberal Party member but has lost her shadow ministerial portfolio and influence within the opposition leadership structure. Her continued insistence that colleagues who distanced themselves from her remarks had chosen to “indulge agenda-driven media commentary” has created ongoing tensions within the party ranks.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has prioritised rebuilding relationships with Indian Australian communities through roundtable discussions and public engagements, while the Liberal Party faces mounting pressure to demonstrate effective multicultural engagement ahead of upcoming elections. Political analysts warn that the incident’s impact on the party’s standing among one of Australia’s fastest-growing demographics—representing over 916,000 people as of 2024—may persist long beyond the immediate controversy, potentially affecting electoral outcomes in key marginal seats with significant Indian populations