Senator Jacinta Price calls on Peter FitzSimons to release audio of their ‘bullying’ interview
The nasty feud between Indigenous senator Jacinta Price and journalist Peter FitzSimons has taken another turn.
Indigenous senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price wants Peter FitzSimons to release audio of their interview she claimed he “bullied” her in and accused her of “giving racists a voice”.
The Country Liberal Party Senator posted to Facebook Sunday evening after their hour-long interview on Thursday was published, claiming FitzSimons was “very bloody aggressive”.
FitzSimons, a Sydney Morning Herald columnist, denied her claims, which he described “complete and utter … nonsense”.
He told The Australian it was a “friendly interview [with a] nice text exchange at its conclusion”.
In an interview with Sky News Australia Tuesday evening, Senator Price said she would be “very happy” for the recording of her discussion with FitzSimons to be publicly shared.
“I’d be very happy with that. I felt quite uncomfortable, and I’d be quite happy for the public to listen to that interview themselves,” she told the program.
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“It’s hard to swallow, being a product of reconciliation myself, to be accused in this way (of being racially divisive) … it does speak to the fact it is difficult for Indigenous women, particularly conservative Indigenous women, to be accepted,” she said.
“We have always been expected to toe the line for the benefit of our race as an entirety, and Indigenous rights over our own individual rights as women. I come up against this wall a lot, and I’m determined to smash it because it is a racial stereotype and I don’t toe the line in terms of racial stereotypes.”
Senator Price felt FitzSimons’ accusation came from his opposition to her concern over the proposed voice to parliament and continued support for Australia Day to remain on January 26.
Following her post to Facebook Sunday evening, FitzSimons sent her multiple text messages threatening legal action if she didn’t remove it, Daily Telegraphreported. It was later deleted.
He has maintained their interview was conducted “in an engaged, pleasant manner” and the accusation of bullying was “simply not true”.
Senator Price told The Australian she deleted the post because she felt “intimidated” by the journalist’s threat.
Some Indigenous Australians don’t support the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament because if its put to a referendum, not securing a majority “yes” would be highly traumatic.
Many argue introducing an Indigenous Voice to parliament should not require a referendum at all.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week said he would “continue to engage with” opponents of the Indigenous Voice referendum.
“Australia’s constitution should recognise the fact that people have been here for 60,000 years. The oldest continuous civilisation on Earth and that should be a source of pride. Our history didn’t begin and end either in 1788,” he said.
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