Senator Nampijinpa Price talks to Kieran Gilbert on News Day, Sky News

1 September 2025

Subjects: Australia-US Alliance; Prime Minister Albanese’s failure to secure a meeting with President Trump; the need to increase defence spending; Australian National Flag and marches; Net Zero.

KIERAN GILBERT:
Let's go live now to Shadow Defence Industry Minister, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Senator, thanks for your time. Can I start by getting you to elaborate? You spoke about the need for us to essentially to double down on the US Alliance. What is your message to the government in terms of just how important that security and defence relationship is for our nation?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, it's incredibly important. We heard from our Chief Minister, Leah Finocchiaro, who very much stated the importance of our relationship with the US, especially in terms of our defence in our country. Darwin, historically, knows what it means to come under attack. And as she said, 600 bombs rained down on Darwin.

It is strategically important for us to maintain our relationship with the US – and strengthen that relationship. And I would urge the Prime Minister to put his differences aside – his personal thoughts on Donald Trump – to ensure that particularly when it comes to AUKUS, that AUKUS is not scrapped or put to the side, but continues ahead strength by strength. We require this now more than ever in terms of our geopolitical circumstances. Of course, the threat that exists within our region that he's also downplaying to the Australian people. I can't stress enough how important it is that we fix this relationship and demonstrate that we can be an ally that doesn't solely lean on the US when it comes to defending our country – that we need to invest in our own sovereign capabilities. And that also begins with increasing our defence spend to at least three percent of GDP which this Prime Minister is failing to do.

KIERAN GILBERT:
Were you reassured by the visit? Deputy Prime Minister Marles met with no less than the Vice President JD Vance last week. Did you take any sort of reassurance from that?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Look, I found that visit quite embarrassing, given that, you know, the government were passing off suggesting that Minister Marles had secured a meeting with Defense Minister Hegseth in the US, when in fact he hadn't – that he'd bumped into him in the hallway.

But it's still not our Prime Minister meeting with the US President. It still doesn't ensure that AUKUS is locked in, secured, ready to go, going forward. It still doesn’t demonstrate, of course, that our Prime Minister has a backbone enough to – after more than 300 days in office Donald Trump has been in – and our Prime Minister has not been able to secure that meeting. And whether or not Richard Marles was successful in trying to line up some kind of meeting, we've yet to learn that. So, I'm still concerned – I'm not confident in our government.

KIERAN GILBERT:
You've spoken in support of our migration heritage – the migrants to our nation – and that the flag represents bringing together of Indigenous, British heritage, but also at the migrant threads of our history. Are you worried about what the protest yesterday – the message that would send to migrants in Australia?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Look, firstly, I'd like to congratulate those who marched yesterday. I know the vast majority of Australians that were out marching on our streets were marching because they love this country.

And yes, we have every right to be concerned with the levels of immigration into our country – and that does not mean that you are racist. In fact, I saw wonderful footage of members of the migrant community with, you know, everyday other Australians singing our national anthem together yesterday. And that was deeply heartening to see that – because there are members of our community who come from migrant backgrounds themselves who hold the same concerns as everybody else.

And you know what, I also want to acknowledge the fact that those marching yesterday were marching because they're sick to death of being told our country is a racist country, that our country is a horrible country, that we don't care for one another – when the vast majority of Australians absolutely do care.

So it doesn't concern me because I know that many migrants – including my own husband – know that those marches that were being held yesterday were for reigniting the spirit of Australia; teaching our children to be proud to call themselves Australian once more.

But yes, we should be allowed to address concerns about the fact that there is lack of infrastructure to accommodate the millions of people now that we're seeing the Prime Minister bring into our country – that is effectively vote stacking the country for the benefit of Labor and not for the benefits of Australians who already live here – and aren't investing in the appropriate infrastructure anyway to deal with the mass immigration that's occurring.

I'd wish other media platforms would stop painting everyday Australians as though they are horrible racists and get their facts right when it comes to this level of reporting. What concerns me is people who burn our flag, people who support terrorist groups such as Hamas, and wave the flag of ISIS – instead of supporting our country.

KIERAN GILBERT:
And on the extremist element – because it would be remiss of me for not asking about the neo-Nazi element that showed up, contemptuous racists that they are – what do you think of their presence? Does it derail, does it distract from legitimate concerns around some of the issues you're talking about?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Look, I mean, I utterly condemn those who call themselves neo-Nazis in this country. To me, they're just as condemnable as those who are waving an ISIS flag. I mean let's face it: ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah – they are the neo-Nazis of the Middle East, if you like. So, they have a lot in common. They should be utterly condemned for their actions and their behaviours.

But I also know that, particularly yesterday at those marches, as I said, the vast majority of Australians are absolutely not neo-Nazis. They stand together hand in hand with our migrant community – with people of many different backgrounds. And as many said, it was disappointing to see them there in an attempt to hijack parts of the march. But they acknowledged that they were there to be peaceful and to do the right thing, of course. So, that is what I am deeply heartened by.

KIERAN GILBERT:
And finally, Andrew Hastie has been advised – reportedly by Barnaby Joyce – don't vote for his private member’s bill scrapping Net Zero. It's better to keep him inside the shadow cabinet. Have you been given similar advice? What's your read on that? Is it better to keeps conservatives around the table?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Look, I think, you know, Andrew Hastie is a wonderful contributor. He's a wonderful future leader. He's a wonderful individual. Look, it is obviously for colleagues to determine which way they want to go in terms of this particular issue. I personally am looking forward to the opportunity for our party room to come to a formal decision on this matter.

Net zero is destroying our economy. It is what is increasing our power bills for everyday Australians. The CLP came out quite early in passing a motion to abandon net zero.

I will absolutely reject those from the government who suggest that anyone wanting to abandon Net Zero is a climate denier. Hello, I mean, if you're denying the climate changes, you're suggesting that we never had an ice age in global history. It's just ridiculous nonsense.

But the fact the matter remains that we're still living in a cost-of-living crisis. Our country is going backward. We're heading toward over $1 trillion in debt within our nation. That is setting up failure for our children and grandchildren – a debt that they're going to have to pay off. And it's this renewables, this fast-track to renewables, that is causing this.

And we're seeing the devastation through the Bush summit – through farmers who are out there rightly protesting because they're being railroaded by an Albanese Government who think they're just backward, knuckle-dragging Australians who should just shut up and accept that wind turbines and transmission lines are going to be rammed through their part of the country, destroying our environment.

I'm looking forward to being able to finalise a position within the Liberal Party, within the Coalition, so we can execute that argument going forward.

KIERAN GILBERT:
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, thanks for your time, appreciate it.