The New South Wales Labor Government has accused Coalition frontbencher Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of reviving “false and divisive” claims about Australia’s Indian community after she reposted a social media clip alleging the Albanese government was importing migrants from India for electoral gain.
The criticism follows Senator Price’s repost of a clip from the 2 Worlds Collide podcast, in which host Sam Bamford claimed Labor was “importing Indians for votes” while discussing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s engagement with Australia’s Indian community during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Melbourne. Senator Price did not add any commentary to the repost.
A spokesperson for Senator Price later said the repost was intended to draw attention to the ABC’s discussion of the Prime Minister’s engagement with the Indian-Australian community during Mr Modi’s visit and “was not an endorsement of every comment made by the podcast host”.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the Minns Labor Government said the repost echoed claims that had previously sparked controversy and called on the Coalition to reject rhetoric targeting Australian-Indians.
The government said Australian-Indians were making substantial contributions across New South Wales by running businesses, working in healthcare, educating children, building homes and strengthening local communities.
Premier Chris Minns said New South Wales had become “the most successful multicultural society in the world” because of the contributions of people from diverse backgrounds.
“Fear and division have never built a better community. If you work hard, contribute to your community and believe in this country, then you belong here,” he said.
Acting Minister for Multiculturalism Kate Washington said suggestions that Australian-Indians were being “imported” for votes were “offensive, false and insulting” to hundreds of thousands of Australians.
She said migrant communities had helped build New South Wales and warned against language that undermined social cohesion through fear and misinformation.
The latest dispute revives an issue that has followed Senator Price since last year, when she faced criticism over comments suggesting Labor’s migration settings favoured Indian migrants for electoral reasons. She later acknowledged Australia’s migration program is non-discriminatory while maintaining her concerns centred on migration levels, housing pressures and infrastructure, rather than any particular community.
The controversy also comes after Senator Price appeared on the same podcast in May, when she rejected claims that she had endorsed comments about migrants from India, China, Africa and the Middle East, saying her focus was on ensuring newcomers adopted Australian values.
The latest repost has prompted criticism from within Liberal ranks. Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan said it was “degrading” to suggest Australians of Indian heritage all voted the same way and reaffirmed the Liberal Party’s longstanding support for multiculturalism.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, when questioned about the repost, said he had not seen the post but reiterated that the right level of skilled migration had served Australia well.
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