Jacinta Price quits as Shadow Defence Industry Minister after calls to apologise over migrant comments

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has quit the Liberal front bench, but has vowed to continue to “speak up” days after her comments about Indian migrants sparked outrage.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, she thanked colleagues who had defended her and confirmed Opposition Leader Sussan Ley had asked her to step down from the shadow ministry.

“Although I will be returning to the backbench, I will continue to speak up on issues which are in the national interest and that are important to millions of Australians,” Senator Price said.

“I also want to express my gratitude to the following: to those members of the Indian community who have reached out to me in solidarity, to those colleagues who have stood by my side and to the thousands of Australians who have had my back and sent me messages of support.”

Earlier, in Perth, Senator Price dodged the cameras outside a fundraising breakfast where she appeared with senior WA Liberals Michaelia Cash and Andrew Hastie.

A few hours later, she was stopped on her way to a meeting in West Perth and stopped short of an apology, but expressed regret over the claim that Indian migrants were being brought to Australia because they were more likely to vote Labor.

“My comments were certainly clumsy,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the issue that’s of great concern, which now I won’t silence, the issue of mass migration in our country and that was the prime issue that i was talking about and continue to talk about.”

Four months after she defected from the Nationals and supported Angus Taylor’s rival leadership bid, Senator Price was asked three times whether she has confidence in Ms Ley.

“Those matters are for our party room,” she said.

“My focus is making sure that we’re doing the right thing by the Australian people, which is what we are elected to do.”

Senator Price refused to take further questions.

The West Australian can reveal that Senator Price is the star guest at a party function being held at an Indian cultural centre in Perth, leaving community members stunned.

The Indian Society of WA said it was blindsided, only learning on Wednesday that its Willetton function centre was the location for the event.

It is being promoted as an opportunity to hear from Senator Price and WA Liberal powerbroker Nick Goiran, who are described as two MPs “who are never afraid to say what needs to be said”.

“We were not invited to the event and we will not be attending,” ISWA vice-president Dr Divya-Jyonthi Sharma said.

“Our function centre was booked via an online system about a month ago by the organisers and we were not aware of the nature of the event.

“To be clear, we are not involved in any way, shape or form whatsoever.”

In an effort to distance themselves from the fall-out - WA Liberal MPs and senior party members have urged Nick Goiran to drop Senator Price from attending the party function or cancel it entirely.

“This was arranged sometime ago before she (Price) said what she did, the onus is on us not to rub salt in the wound of the Indian community,” a WA MP, who asked to remain anonymous said.

“As a party we respect our Indian migrants and what they contribute to the state. Out of respect for them, and for the wider party for that matter - Jacinta would be best placed to hop on a plane and leave WA.”

In a statement, Mr Goiran denied he was the event organiser but said he will be attending as an invited guest speaker along side Senator Price.

“For my part, I am looking forward to attending after what will have been another busy week fulfilling my duty to hold the Cook Labor Government to account,” he said

“Queries about the event are best directed to my colleagues who are hosting it.”

A growing number of Liberal colleagues have called for Senator Price to apologise to Australia’s Indian community, including WA Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas.

“If I was in that position, yes, I think she should apologise,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“The power of the apology could be very significant. I appreciate from most of the commentary around it, there is a sense of regret about what was said and how it was said.

“I think saying sorry is the appropriate thing to do and it is what I would do if I was in that position.”

Mr Zempilas noted that he is a “proud son of immigrants” and said any comments singling out an ethnic group are not appropriate.

“They are not appreciated and they are not welcome by me and they’re not welcome by broader members of the Liberal supporter base,” he said.

“People in WA understand the contribution that people from right around the world have made.”

He rejected claims by Premier Roger Cook that the comments were evidence the Liberal party in WA was “lurching to the extreme right”.

“The Premier is wrong. I’m the leader of the WA Liberal party and I am not lurching to the extreme right, nor are my colleagues,” Mr Zempilas said.