Senator Jacinta Price on Sunday accused a senior Liberal colleague of acting "cowardly" and failing to speak to her directly after her remarks about Indian migrants drew public criticism earlier this week.
Price said former immigration minister Alex Hawke first contacted her office the morning after her comments were published, rather than calling or messaging her directly, and that he "berated" one of her staff. She said she later sent Hawke a WhatsApp message demanding he call her and that the two spoke that evening.
Hawke issued his own statement confirming he had spoken with Price and "accepted her explanation of how her comments have been misinterpreted and subsequently weaponised by Labor." He added that "any reasonable person must reject the targeting of Indian Australians" and said he supported Price's efforts "to clarify the comments she made last week and helping return this debate to the issue of overall migration levels and having a sustainable migration program."
Price did not issue an apology for saying the Labor Party "likes to allow those (people) in … who ultimately vote for them," a line that prompted condemnation from some community leaders and colleagues. In a prepared statement she sought to clarify and contextualise her remarks, saying she did not intend to disparage Australians of Indian ancestry and expressing regret that many in that community were distressed by the episode.
"My comments were 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, noting that Indian migrants "have a strong record of integration, embracing our values, working hard in many fields of endeavour, and joining the league of loyal Australian citizens." She added that she had personally helped Indian migrants with visa and citizenship matters and that her own children are of Indian ancestry.
Price framed her comments as a criticism of what she called Labor's "mass migration agenda," saying the government had allowed "a record 1.2 million people in its first term," and arguing such levels had placed pressure on housing, infrastructure and services. "Migration at the current scale and pace is putting excessive pressures on housing, infrastructure and services," she said. "Reducing mass migration means more housing, less congestion, better services – and that benefits all families."
The senator also used the exchange with Hawke to highlight internal tensions in the Coalition. "If people want to talk about a so-called 'woman problem' in the Liberal Party, then it's this: we don't stand up for women when they are mistreated by our own colleagues," she said, asserting that Hawke's initial contact with her office rather than directly with her was indicative of a broader problem.
Hawke, whose electorate includes a large Indian Australian community, said in his statement that he had urged Price to clarify her social media posts and that he and other colleagues were concerned about the impact of her remarks. After speaking with Price, he said he accepted her explanation and reiterated that targeting Indian Australians was unacceptable.
The exchange follows a week of heated public debate over migration policy and political rhetoric about migrant communities. Price's comments and the subsequent fallout have drawn attention to fault lines within the Coalition over both policy and party culture, with leaders and rank-and-file members weighing concerns about migration levels alongside the risks of alienating diverse electorates.
Price said she will continue to speak publicly about what she describes as the ramifications of high migration levels "in the interest of all families and the nation," while maintaining that her aim is not to single out any ethnic group. Hawke's statement emphasised both his support for a sustainable migration program and his rejection of any rhetoric that targets Indian Australians.