Senator Nampijinpa Price talks to Sofie Fromica on 4BC Afternoons

8 February 2024, 4:00PM AEDT

Subjects: Renewables, Indigenous Portfolio

Sofie Formica
Back in Canberra for 2024, how’s the vibe?

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Yes, feeling good. I feel rested. Of course, got a big year ahead. I'm under no illusions that I should be taking the foot off the pedal. Given the big year it was last year.

Sofie Formica
Can I start with a congratulations, the McKinnon prize announced it’s nominations for political leadership across three categories federal, state and emerging leader and you've been shortlisted for the prestigious prize for political leadership, an honour?

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Yeah, that was that was a nice surprise to be shortlisted. I was shortlisted, some time ago as a Councillor on Alice Springs Town Council as a possible emerging leader but that was also an honour to be recognized in that way then. Absolutely. It is an honour to be recognized for the work.

Sofie Formica
I think especially given that, you know, I know how taxing personally, you know, a year like 2023 must have been for you on a personal level. So those sorts of acknowledgments, I think would make some of the harder days a little easier to bear.

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's lovely, and, you know, just getting around the country and seeing everyday Australians, they're so supportive in general and, you know, offered their congratulations and their support for me, so I feel very, very loved by many Australians. It feels good.

Sofie Formica
All right let's talk about some of the nitty gritty. I know you spoke outside parliament earlier in the week to a rally of Australian farmers voicing very clearly your opposition to the government's renewables portion. During the rally you clearly said nuclear energy is certainly the way we need to go, Australians want this. Would you continue to advocate for a real nuclear energy debate in Australia?

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Absolutely. When I was first elected to the Senate is one of the first motions I put my signature to, along with my other colleagues Senator Canavan and others, to push to actually begin meaningful debate about energy, nuclear energy in Australia. We are one of the very few countries that doesn't have the capacity to produce our own nuclear energy and we're behind the eight ball. And in the past, of course, there's been a lot of stigma involved for people who haven't understood nuclear energy, but the technology has advanced a lot. That it is the cleanest and greenest form of energy and it requires very little space to produce it as well.

Sofie Formica
I just hope we aren't behind the eight ball Senator, and we haven't kicked the can down the road so far now that it's too late for Australia, to be able to really acknowledge it as clean energy the way you've just described.

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Yeah, well that's exactly why I'm pushing along with my colleagues, especially in the Nationals party room. We're particularly passionate about it, because we know what it means for Australians to have reliable energy and this race toward renewables. This recklessness from the Albanese government has meant that Australians are in a cost-of-living crisis and there is no sort of obviously immediate relief from that, despite the Prime Minister having promised the $275 reduction in our electricity bills. So, they should be taking a realistic position on nuclear. But you know, as I said, we will continue to fight for that.

Sofie Formica
I also read your editorial last week in the Australian where you were scathing of the Environmental Defenders Office. This was particularly around projects that would impact Indigenous Australians and remote and rural Australia. You didn't mince your words.

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Absolutely not. I mean, it's something that I've been acutely aware of for a long time, is the way in which particularly Indigenous Australians from remote communities who don't have the same level of education as everyday Australians do, don't have the same opportunities. They are often exploited by environmental activists to halt projects on our country, for the benefit of our communities and our children to prosper from, to create jobs, and to create a future and we're talking about the most marginalized Indigenous Australians. So it did not come as a surprise. And I'm absolutely adamant to push against this political activism and “lawfare”, that exists because there are lives that depend on the opportunities that exist within our country.

Sofie Formica
It's almost like this veil of we will use the plight of the Indigenous Australians to be able to protect, whether or not it be, Indigenous land or this, this push to prevent there being any movement and putting words, as you're saying, into the mouths of traditional owners. And this was put in place by the Albanese government. It receives more than $8 million a year in funding. We know that the Opposition Leader has already said that he would defund it, but you get this sense that it is an ability to hide behind the plight of Indigenous Australians to prevent there being any mining gas exploration opportunity as you had outlined it in these parts of the country.

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Absolutely. And there is so much untapped opportunity within the Northern Territory. Indigenous Australians from the Territory could be amongst some of the most successful, most prosperous people in our country, but are held back by these opportunists who lead with ideology. And unfortunately, Anthony Albanese is supporting this ideology, instead of improving the lives of our most marginalized. I mean, I've grown up in a space where Labor have used our most vulnerable to maintain power. As long as they're dependent on government, as long as they're dependent on welfare, their vote can be captured. The minute these people have the opportunity to be equal to other Australians, to prosper, to have jobs, to have better lives, is the minute they will probably move away from voting for a Labor Government that are hell bent on ensuring Australians remain on welfare.

Sofie Formica
I'm sure you weren't surprised, Senator, by the Productivity Commission's report made public yesterday essentially accusing governments, both the current and I will say previous, for failing to take First Nations rights seriously. This is the three yearly review on the national agreement on closing the gap, and it's found that governments have failed to engage seriously when it comes to the structural issues that lead to the gaps in life expectancy, the socio-economic status education. What was your reaction to the productivity report yesterday? 

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Well, I think the Productivity Commission also play a role in that as well, and their suggestions to simply hand over funding to Aboriginal led organisations is not the answer. It hasn't been proven that Aboriginal controlled does actually improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. There has to be a level of accountability. What we do need is what myself and my colleague Senator Kerrynne Liddle have been calling for, which is an inquiry into how money has been spent into this space, to understand what organizations are producing the appropriate outcomes, and who is and who isn't and where the opportunity exists so that we can stop opportunists from taking advantage of the billions of dollars that are poured into the Aboriginal industry. That's what we need to do. And as we're seeing all over the place, there are Indigenous leaders calling for inquiries because they know who the opportunists are. There's a gentleman, and Victorian Aboriginal men, who are calling these people “thugs,” likening them to the mob, and this is what we have to weed out in order to improve the lives of our marginalized.

Sofie Formica
We know it's been four months since 60% of voters said “No” to the Indigenous advisory body. Are you surprised how largely silent that the government has been on Indigenous Affairs?

Senator Nampijinpa Price
Not surprised at all because they didn't have a real plan to begin with. When Minister Burney suggested that if the Voice was in place, what she would do is tell them “bring me this idea and bring me that idea,” It suggests that she has no idea whatsoever herself in terms of solving some of these problems. And so it's no surprise at all. They don't have a plan going forward, they didn't have a backup plan if the referendum were to fail, which obviously it did, and we will continue to call for the practical, common-sense ways forward. 

Sofie Formica
Clearly, there's still plenty of room for there to be some listening. On a personal note, Senator, before I let you go, your name has been attached to the headlines as I mentioned, as potential Governor General, we see you as a future Deputy Prime Minister, even the top job to be honest, do you have ambitions for higher office? Are you willing to join the House of Reps, pledge allegiance, if necessary to your party? I thought it'd be nice to hear it directly from you.

Senator Nampijinpa Price
You know, I hear all these  which is wonderful and I appreciate the support, but my absolute focus is my portfolio because I know that I can make any improvements that are required, that it's about treating Australians equally and not a certain group along the lines of race. You know, I've said it before, what success looks like. It looks like not having to have an Indigenous Affairs portfolio because we'd all be Australian, and we would serve Australians on the basis of need and not race. So, you know, I have a lot of work cut out for me and that is absolutely my focus. 

Sofie Formica
Continue to do that great work. Thank you so much, Senator Nampijinpa Price, thank you for your time this afternoon.