Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has released a statement confirming Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has asked her to quit the Coalition frontbench.
The Liberal senator said she had spoken with Ley this evening when she was asked to step down from the shadow ministry.
“I have accepted the leader’s decision. And I reiterated my regret in not being clearer in my comments on the ABC last Wednesday,” Price said in a statement.
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price draped in the Australian flag in the Senate for Flag Day last week.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to express to the leader my disappointment that some colleagues disregarded the key point I was making about the damaging impacts of mass migration. And that some colleagues instead chose to indulge agenda-driven media commentary on this matter.
“To reiterate comments from my earlier statement: I never intended to be disparaging towards our Indian community. And I wish no ill-will whatsoever to the Indian community – or any other migrant group.“
Price said her concern was around “Labor’s mass migration agenda and its ramifications”.
“My concern is 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. And that 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,” the statement reads.
“This has been a disappointing episode for the Liberal Party. I will learn from it. I’m sure others will, too. No individual is bigger than a party. And I’m sure events of the past week will ultimately make our party stronger.”
