Fireband senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is demanding a plum role in Angus Taylor’s frontbench reshuffle, declaring “I’m back baby”, while making no apologies for her unfounded claims against Indian voters which cost her a previous shadow role.
The senator put on notice anyone who tries to demote her again, throwing down the challenge to Taylor, the newly elected opposition leader, as he works out who will fill roles in his shadow cabinet.
Price switched from sitting in the Nationals party room to the Liberals last year and announced she would run as Taylor’s deputy leader in his bid for the Liberal leadership following last year’s election.
But when Taylor narrowly lost the party room vote to Sussan Ley, Price opted not to nominate for deputy leader.
Price is highly popular among segments of the Liberal and Nationals voters, many of whom are being courted by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, and she’s also a successful fundraiser.
“I’m back, baby. I’m back,” Price said with a laugh during an appearance on The Karl Stefanovic Show published on Sunday.
“Don’t worry about that. I was having a breather, but the fire is back.”
Price said while she felt for Ley, the opposition needed a new leader and a change of direction.
She also claimed she was “thrown under the bus” by her colleagues when she was sacked from her role as defence industry spokeswoman by Ley last September.
Ley made the move after Price’s comments on ABC that Labor was bringing in Indian migrants to win votes. She subsequently refused to apologise for those comments or express her support for Ley’s leadership.
“I’ve forgiven them [her colleagues],” Price said.
“I don’t know that [they won’t try again], but I will be on my bloody game if they attempt to do that again. I’m not transactional, I’ve learned a lot about that in recent times.
“Behind the scenes, people try to be transactional, I’m like ‘you can stick that where the sun doesn’t shine’.
“If you want to have a go at me, come at me to my face, and I think one of my colleagues learned that the hard way. I will call you out if you want to have a go.”
Price referred to her dispute with fellow Liberal Alex Hawke and refused to apologise for the remarks, accusing ABC of “weaponising” her comments, despite them being re-published by many outlets at the time.
“Don’t try to gaslight me or accuse me of something I’ve done or haven’t done and don’t try to force me to apologise for something that doesn’t require an apology,” Price said.
“Don’t apologise on my behalf either. You don’t need to speak on behalf of my voice as a woman or an Aboriginal woman to that end.”
Price said if she had her time again, she would “articulate” her point better.
“I won’t fall for the ABC and the way they like to interview to try to catch those moments,” Price said.
“The weaponisation of things like that, where a straw-man argument is created when the topic is important to the Australian people and just articulate that point a little better, so it is clearer.”
As Taylor works on his frontbench, Price gave him a ringing endorsement.
“He’s not a bloody idiot. Gus is a good bloke. I’ve had the privilege of spending a bit of time with him and his wife and his kids,” she said.
“But you know who needs to zip their lips? Malcolm Turnbull. That bloke. You are done. You are dusted. You are a has-been. Please move on Malcolm. We don’t want to hear your ramblings anymore.”
She also made it clear she would be heard whether on the frontbench or not.
“I’m raring to go. This energy can’t be wasted, it is going to go somewhere, if it is not somewhere on the frontbench,” Price said.
The senator said she saw herself as a Liberal despite “everyone begging me” to join One Nation. She also defended Pauline Hanson as “not a racist” and said she shared values with One Nation.
“Elections are won on the middle ground, and I see myself as centre right,” Price said.
“One Nation is a little more right. I’m happy where I am.”
When asked by Stefanovic on whether she would never go to One Nation, Price left herself some room to move.
Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He’s been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect via X or email.