Jacinta Nampijinpa Price: NT Senator’s presence at Coalition election event sparks veto bid

A prominent academic and Wardandi custodian is trying to veto a planned election event featuring Coalition frontbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in Bunbury this Friday, claiming her opposition to The Voice was a harmful narrative that undermined Aboriginal sovereignty, propelled racism, erased colonisation and was a denial of lived experience.

Ms Nampijinpa Price is a Senator for the Northern Territory who shot to national prominence as the Indigenous face of the no campaign during the Voice referendum, which was overwhelmingly defeated by every state and 60 per cent of voters nationwide.

She is due to appear in Bunbury for a town hall event with the Liberal candidate for the seat of Forrest, Ben Small.

But Renae Isaacs-Guthridge, an academic at Edith Cowan University and Wardandi Custodian, emailed Mr Small on Monday night, saying Senator Nampijinpa Price’s positions on the Voice were considered by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be “harmful and dismissive of lived experiences.”

“Bringing such perspectives to Wardandi Country without appropriate consultation appears to disregard local cultural protocols and community sentiment,” she said.

She demanded Mr Small cancel the event and clarify which local elders and organisations he consulted before inviting Senator Nampijinpa Price to the area, as well as an explanation of how her presence “aligned with local community interests.”

“The advertising of this event has caused much angst and distress amongst the Noongar community, and we would like an appropriate and immediate response from you,” she wrote.

When contacted by The Nightly, Ms Isaacs-Guthridge stood by her demands and went further in her criticism of Senator Nampijinpa Price.

“Her stance undermines the sovereignty and self-determination of Aboriginal people across the country,” she said.

“She has repeatedly denied the impact of intergenerational trauma, colonisation and systemic racism on Aboriginal communities.

“This erasure of truth invalidates the experiences and realities of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and contributes to ongoing harm.

“Through her public platform, Senator Price often promotes narratives that place blame on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples rather than systems of power and colonisation.

“This rhetoric has real-world consequences — reinforcing stereotypes, fuelling racism and impacting the mental health of our young people.

“Her public statements are often made without proper consultation with the communities they affect. We believe leadership must be grounded in community, culture and collective responsibility — not individual political ambition.

“Visiting Country is a sacred responsibility.

“It is not a photo opportunity or political performance.

“Those who walk on Wardandi Boodja must do so with humility, respect and a commitment to listening and learning.

“Senator Price has not demonstrated this respect.”

Senator Nampijinpa Price said there was no need to seek permission from anyone to visit an area in her capacity as an elected member of parliament and that the claim was “nothing but politically-motivated malice.”

“This is not about race or traditional culture – it is about certain people and groups who disagree with me over political issues,” she told The Nightly.

“My freedom of movement as an Australian woman in 2025 should not be threatened or restricted in my own country.

“⁠It seems this is the exact situation that activist types are trying to achieve when they erode the rights of Aboriginal women through violence, intimidation and abuse.

“The minute that we start restricting people’s freedom of movement in our country simply because of their political views is the minute we destroy the democratic foundations on which we have built our nation, and I refuse to see that happen in Australia.”

It is unclear if the event will go ahead.