Senator Nampijinpa Price talks to Patricia Karvelas on ABC Afternoon Briefing, ABC

3 September 2025

Subjects: National Flag Day; ruptures to social cohesion; mass migration pressures; Dan Andrews’ visit to China; Defence Spending; Net Zero.

E&OE……………

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Yesterday, the Shadow Defence Industry Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price spoke in the Senate where she said the housing crisis was linked to migration. Senator Price was draped in an Australian flag in Parliament today making a speech calling for the burning of the flag to be made a criminal offence. I spoke to Senator Price a short time ago.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Senator welcome to the program.

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Thanks for having me.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
It's National Flag Day and you've written a piece, you say Australia should criminalise the destruction or the desecration of the national flag. Why do you think that's necessary?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
I think it's necessary because I feel like we're experiencing a time in our country where we're actually quite divided as a nation. And there were, you know, for respect for those that fought for our freedoms in this country, fought underneath that flag, fought for our freedoms, for freedom of expression, freedom, you know, free speech, freedom of mateship, all those values that we hold dear. And I think it’s a deep insult to those individuals, particularly so, but I think it's complete disloyalty to our nation at the same time – and we don't need that. We don't need any more division than what we're currently experiencing.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
We saw those big protests over the weekend and there's been a lot said about them. We know neo-Nazis were involved. Does that concern you, that particularly in the Victorian rally, not only were they involved, they had the microphone, they had a key organising role?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Extremism does concern me deeply in this country. And it should be condemned. The acts of the neo-Nazis – I utterly condemn those acts. As I do condemn those who call genocidal remarks like from the river to the sea, those who carry the ISIS flag and support entities such as Hamas. Ultimately both sides, while belonging to one side and the other, want the same thing: they don't like Jews. They don't do anything for anti-Semitism in this country or social cohesion in our country. So those behaviours are utterly, should be condemned by all sides. But I think the vast majority – I know the vast majority of Australians – that were there over the weekend, there were those that booed obviously the neo-Nazis; did not want them to be hijacking what ultimately was a pro-Australian march. A march for our identity as a country which is about bringing us all together of all different backgrounds.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
But was it a pro-Australia march? Because all of the, I've seen the leaflets like a lot of us have, there was a strong anti-Indian sentiment. It was not just about migration numbers, it was about the type of migration coming into Australia.

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
The vast majority of Australians that I know and understand were making it about being pro-Australian. Yes, there were concerns – there are concerns – around migration in this country. And rightly so. And, you know, there are many members of the community that are concerned with that, including those with a migrant background. Because, ultimately, what pro-Australians are wanting is to limit migration to a point that is healthy for our country. We understand the benefits of migration. We've seen it. But at the moment, we are suffering without the appropriate infrastructure in place. There's pressure on services and availability. And ultimately pressure on families. And what we want to do is to be able to strengthen families. And, you know, as we were just discussing, I've just become a grandmother. And families in this country need better support. And that's family of all different backgrounds. And I think that those were the majority of the sentiment going on over the weekend.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Ok, the majority you say. Although I don't think we can quantify it, but I accept that you think that was the majority spirit. Is it the type of migration that people are concerned about? What is the concern that people were worried about?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
The concern is the fact that we can't handle it. Our infrastructure can't handle it. It's pushing up the cost of housing. I mean, Australians that already live here – whether they be those that come from here originally, born here, those that have made Australia their home more recently – don't have the same opportunities as we've once had in Australia. There is a housing crisis occurring and this government does not know how to keep up with it. They're the real concerns.

And look when I travel around the country – and I've done a fair bit in my roles, you know, over the last term – like I said, I truly believe it is a majority because the majority of Australians that I speak to of all different backgrounds want what's best for this country and for everybody in it. But when they can clearly see that there's an issue with the intake of migrants to Australia at the moment and the pressure that it's putting on our infrastructure, that is where the concerns lie.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
So, is it just the core number or the type of migrants that are coming in?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:

No, I believe it's the core number. And it is definitely the core number. You know, and of course, there is a focus from this government to be getting them from particular countries over others.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Isn't it a non-discriminatory policy?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, I think Labor would 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.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Do you think they're actively running a migration programme to bring people in that you think will be politically open to their ideas?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Absolutely. This is Labor. Basically, it's power at any cost. And we see that occur all over the place in terms of the way they conduct themselves. We see the way in which they like to influence the Indigenous community and remote communities, the influence of the unions. It's ultimately about power.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
So, who do you think they're trying to bring in to make them vote for Labor?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, those that are more Labor leaning, that are likely to be ...

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
… But there were right-wing and left-wing people in every community, right, so who specifically are they?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, as we've seen, you know, I mean, you yourself mentioned that there is a concern with the Indian community – 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. So, if they're going to see a reflection that, okay, these individuals are going to vote for us more so than other parts of the community, well, then of course, they're going to express the view that we'll get those sorts of individuals into our communities. And we've heard that coming from ...

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
… They would contest that, right? You would accept that? They would say it's a non-discriminatory policy that has nothing to do with making assumptions about how people vote. But do you think there's any evidence to say they're doing it?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, Labor contest a lot of things. But over the years we've seen the way in which they conduct themselves. And even more so from somebody who is connected to the Indigenous community and the sentiments around. There are those who don't have the same sort of educational background or ability to stand back and go, well, what are the policies that work for us? What don't? No, they get their claw into communities and basically have them believe that Labor's what's going to take them away from adversity and give them the opportunities that they want. But ultimately, they end up being far more dependent on Labor and the welfare system.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
So, do you think that there are particular groups that are voting in high numbers for Labor, like the Indian community?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, I don't think it's just the Indian community. I think it is certainly the public service do. You know, sort of any group that is certainly understanding that they can rely on Labor's high spending in terms of welfare in this country.

But as I said, we don't have the capacity to be able to service Australians to the best of our ability. Our way of life is getting worse. We're seeing more division. We've seen this division occur as a result of the Voice referendum. And now with the pro-Palestinian marches that are occurring in our country. And what we've seen over the weekend. And this is division that's occurring on such a grand scale. And we've never really seen it to this point in our country’s history for a very long time.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Were you concerned about the attack on the Camp Sovereignty site in Victoria?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well, again, I utterly condemn the actions and behaviours of those who call themselves neo-Nazis and acting out violently toward any Australians, particularly Indigenous Australians. There is no place for it in Australia, ultimately.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
And the flag, because it is National Flag Day, you had a flag on you in the Senate when you addressed this issue. Does it worry you the way the flag was co-opted at some of those rallies this weekend?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
What worries me is the way that our flag has been condemned. That where, for such a long time now, it's been suggested that if you are proud of your Australian flag, you are somehow racist. We've got to reclaim the flag. I'm reclaiming the flag from that viewpoint. Because ultimately the flag does represent who we are as a country. And I think it's utterly disappointing and disrespectful that our Prime Minister stands before three flags instead of one Australian flag. And that we see that displayed all over Parliament, including at the front of Parliament House where we are here to represent all Australians.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
But when the Nazis are using the Australian flag, that must, that's alarming, right? Because it is our national flag. It should represent our country, not these extremists.

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
But it shouldn't deter Australians who genuinely love this country – who are genuinely here for all Australians – from being able to be proud of our Australian flag. You know, extremism exists on both sides of the fence. Including why there were those that would prefer to wrap themselves in a Palestinian flag than their own country's flag – including the Greens in our own Senate, who would prefer that flag over our own country's flag. I mean, extremism exists all over the place and it is concerning.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Do you think the extremism is equal on both sites?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Absolutely. I mean. You know, for every action, there's a reaction. And this is why I believe we've got to this point we have in our nation. For everyday Australians, like I said, who love this country, who are here for everyone, they're sick to death of being called racist for loving our country, for standing up for who we are as a country. And ultimately, when you see the extremism of the left – which has been played out and wasn't called out on the footsteps of the Opera House on the 9^th of October – that's got us to the point where we are now. And so, we've got extremism on both sides, which is dangerous for particularly those of us running around in the middle who want calm, who want peace, who want unity in this country – that's what's most important.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
I want to ask you just before you go about your own portfolio – the defence, assistant defence portfolio. The Trump Administration wants us to increase our defence spending. They would like us, and other nations, it's not just us, to be clear, to get to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Do you think that's where we should be aiming?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Absolutely. We should be aiming to increase our defence spending to at least 3 per cent, obviously. That's what we've committed to as a Coalition …

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
… Would you like it to go beyond that as well?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Well personally, I would suggest that we need to go beyond that, because in our current geopolitical circumstances, the threat that exists before us. I mean we're seeing China, right at the moment, that are flexing their might and their aggression and demonstrating missiles that can reach us here in Australia, where that was previously something that we were safe from, we are now no longer safe from that. So, we do need to invest in our defence spending for those reasons.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
You mentioned the Chinese military parade and that's all over the screens at the moment. Dan Andrews is there, he was the Victorian Premier, he isn't anymore. But he's there in a private capacity. The government says, we haven't sent our ambassador, there's a junior person there, but Dan Andrew was there in the picture with some unsavoury other leaders. The Australian Government can't really control what he does though right?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
No, they can't. But they should condemn what he has done. I mean it is utterly disgraceful that a former premier of this country should be standing with some of the world's worst dictators – and the axis of evil – is demonstrative of his true character. And demonstrates that he doesn't hold the same values as Australians do or stand up for our country. And I wonder if he ever actually did.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Just finally, Net Zero is the big debate inside your party and will continue to be. Would you like it to be clarified in the next couple of months? Andrew Hastie sitting in the same chair said to me between one and three months should be the timeframe rather than it dragging out.

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
Look, I think I'd have to agree with Andrew on that point. I believe we do need to come to a position so that we can argue that position. And, you know, we haven't got that much time before another federal election obviously …

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
… It comes around quickly.

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
It comes around very quickly. But I think Australians are looking to us to understand what our position is. And the sooner we deliver that the better that's going to be.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
You've said it before, but just to be clear, your view is that you should not support Net Zero?

SENATOR JACINTA NAMPIJINPA PRICE:
I support the view of the Country Liberal Party, which is to abandon Net Zero because of the way that it is destroying our economy currently and destroying the lives of regional Australians.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Thank you so much, Senator.