Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says she doesn't believe she has anything to apologise for after she falsely claimed Labor was prioritising Indian migrants to bolster its vote.
In an interview with the ABC's Background Briefing program on Wednesday, Price claimed the federal government had a "focus" on bringing in migrants "from particular countries over others", before she singled out the Indian community.
Soon after the interview, Price walked back her remarks and in a statement, said: "Australia maintains a longstanding and bipartisan non-discriminatory migration policy. Suggestions otherwise are a mistake."
But on Thursday when Price was asked by a reporter if she regretted the comments she made about Indian migrants and the comments she made, the senator said: "I don't believe I have anything to apologise about." She attributed her response to the line of questioning.
There has been mounting criticism over Price's remarks, and some of her Coalition colleagues have sought to distance themselves from them and have praised the Indian Australian community for their contributions.
What did Jacinta Price say?
In Wednesday's interview with the ABC, Price claimed the government was preferencing some migrant groups over others after being asked by host Patricia Karvelas whether those marching at anti-immigration rallies were concerned about "the core number or the type of migrants that are coming in".
Price responded that it was "definitely the core number" before adding "there is a focus from this government to be getting them from particular countries over others".
The senator repeated a similar claim when asked whether Australia's migration policy was non-discriminatory, falsely claiming that Labor: "Like to be able to ensure that they're going to allow those in that would ultimately support their policies, their views and vote for them as well".
And she responded "absolutely" when asked if Labor was actively running a migration program to bring in migrants open to the party's ideas.
Price used the Indian community as an example after she was asked who specifically she was referring to given there are right wing and left wing people in every community.
"As we have seen, you yourself mentioned, that there is a concern with the Indian community," Price said.
"And only because there's been large numbers, and we can see that reflected in the way that the community votes for Labor at the same time."
Karvelas had earlier pointed to strong anti-Indian sentiment at the weekend's 'March for Australia' rallies.
At her doorstop interview at Parliament House on Thursday, Price said it was the questioning she faced that spurred the inflammatory remark.
"In the context of discussing the marches that took place on the weekend, it was the ABC interviewer who pushed the issue, who brought up the issue of anti-Indian migration," she said.
"What I was doing was highlighting the fact that there is huge concern for Labor’s mass migration agenda, which is applying pressure to housing, to infrastructure, to services. Then I was further pursued on this line of talking."
Price said she was pointing out that Indians are the second-largest migrant group in Australia; that they would "soon be the largest", and that a recent poll by RedBridge had suggested 85 per cent of those with Indian ancestry have voted for Labor at the last election.
Criticism, as Liberals distance themselves from Price's remarks
Price's Coalition colleagues have sought to distance themselves from her remarks.
When asked about the comments, Opposition leader Sussan Ley said Australia's migration policy was non-discriminatory and that Price had corrected her remarks on Wednesday.
Ley went on to say the Australian Indian community was "amazing" and praised their contributions, adding it didn't matter who they voted for.
"Every day that I'm Opposition leader, I’m fighting for every single Australian, no matter where you came from. And our Australian Indian community is amazing, you contribute as Australian Indians so much to our country," Ley told Sky News.
Earlier, before Price's doorstop, Opposition legal affairs spokesperson Julian Leeser also said the Northern Territory senator had "walked back" her comments, adding: "We believe in a race-blind migration policy. It has been our policy for 40 years or more."
He also praised his contributions of the Indian community in his northern Sydney electorate of Berowra.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly used a speech in Question Time on Thursday to indirectly respond to Price's comments.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly said members of the Indian diaspora had told her they did not feel safe. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"They've also told me that comments by some political leaders have exacerbated their fear and shattered their sense of security. I want to say to Indian Australians, this is our message: You do not have to justify your belonging in this country.
"We stand with you as we always have. When the immigration of Lebanese Australians was described as a mistake, that was wrong. When the African Australian community were unfairly stereotyped, that was wrong. When the Chinese Australian community were accused of being spies, that was wrong. And the scapegoating of Indian communities, designed to undermine their sense of safety and belonging, is wrong."
Also responding to Price's initial remarks was Labor MP Andrew Charlton, whose western Sydney seat of Parramatta is home to a large Indian community.
"I think it's frankly disgusting that a senior Liberal Party member of parliament would attack this community and suggest that they come to Australia for welfare checks and that the Labor party lets them in because they'll vote for us," he told SBS News on Wednesday.
"And I want every person of Indian heritage in my community to know that they are valued. That we are grateful for their contribution to our country and that they are so welcome here."
Shail Wadhwa, a public officer at the Council of Indian Australians, said the body condemned Price's remarks.
"We strongly reject any narrative that unfairly targets the Indian Australian community or misrepresents their contribution to Australian society," he said.
He said Price's remarks, coming soon after the anti-immigration rallies at the weekend only "added fuel to the fire".
Kos Samaras — the director at the political consultancy firm Redbridge, whose polling Price referenced — said the senator's "antics" over the past 48 hours would hurt the Coalition's chances of winning votes from the Indian Australian community.
"Whenever we speak to the Indian community or Chinese community in Australia, they tell us about their values. They're small business-minded, they're two very highly-educated constituencies, they've got conservative values around family and aspiration.
"So on paper they should be voting conservative. But when we ask them 'so why aren't you voting conservative?', their answer is pretty blunt: that the Coalition does not like them".
"I don't think what's happened over the past couple of days will go anywhere in reversing that mindset."
