Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defects to Libs, rumoured to be challenging for deputy leadership
Outspoken Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is expected to challenge for the Liberal deputy leadership after announcing her shock defection from the Nationals in a bold act of ambition.
An ambitious power move by Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has kicked off a civil war within the Coalition, with the firebrand Northern Territory senator expected to run for the deputy leadership of the Liberals after defecting from the Nationals.
The move was branded a “traitorous act” by “the Lidia Thorpe of the Coalition” by her former Nationals colleague Matt Canavan, who joined a chorus of MPs disappointed by the decision.
Ms Nampijinpa Price is expected to make an audacious pitch for deputy leadership, siding with treasury spokesman Angus Taylor in a leadership contest against current deputy Sussan Ley.
“I am eager to fight for the best interests of all Australians as part of the Coalition,” Ms Nampijinpa Price said in a statement.
“I believe I will be more effective in this regard if I am a member of the Liberal Party, especially as the party faces a significant rebuild after Saturday. “I want to bring back our core values of liberty, individual freedom and responsibility, the rule of law, free market and economic prosperity, minimal government intervention, a fair go and most of all, love for our nation, Australia. ”
The Country Liberal Party senator is likely to put her hand up for the deputy position with Mr Taylor as leader. Mr Taylor and Ms Nampijinpa Price are not on a formal leadership ticket however, with one source saying the deputy position was a “matter for the party room”.
Ms Nampijinpa Price’s move to the Liberals has stunned her Nationals colleagues, and potentially caused massive problems for the junior Coalition partner in the Senate.
In explosive comments, Mr Canavan accused her of using National Party funds to campaign for her Senate spot before ditching the party for the senior Coalition partner.
Liberal sources also told The Daily Telegraph Ms Nampijinpa Price’s Senate run had been funded by the Nationals and not the Liberals.
“By doing this Jacinta is the Lidia Thorpe of the Coalition … before the votes are even counted, she’s switched to another side,” Mr Canavan told The Daily Telegraph.
Former Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe sensationally left the party and sat as an independent.
“(Ms Nampijinpa Price) has disenfranchised the voter, disappointed the members of the Country Liberal Party, she used Nationals Party funds to elect herself and before she’s even elected she’s turned around.
“It’s a traitorous act.”
With the Nationals already set to lose their deputy leader Perin Davey after Saturday’s horror loss for the Coalition, the defection of Ms Nampijinpa Price would technically mean the party loses its “major party status” in the Senate.
The loss of major party status can have implications for funding, resources and roles like party whip.
In an interview after her bombshell announcement, Ms Nampijinpa Price said “now more than ever we need strong people in the Liberal Party”.
“I feel like I would be best placed as someone who is ultimately a fighter … to support the Coalition from the Liberal Party room,” she told Sky News host Peta Credlin.
The senator said her hope for the future of the Liberals was one where there were commonsense policies.
Ms Nampijinpa Price said her decision was “no reflection” on the leadership of Nationals leader David Littleproud.
She maintained that she was a “team player” after she was accused by her colleagues of failing to think of the broader team in her defection.
Asked if this decision was an attempt to branch out beyond Indigenous issues, Ms Nampijinpa Price said the Coalition needed to do a lot more in a range of areas.
She said there was a range of policies worked on by the Coalition prior to the last election that never saw the light of day.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said he was disappointed in Ms Nampijinpa Price’s decision but said he understood her “ambitions”.
“The Nationals negotiated an extra position in shadow cabinet before the election, to give Senator Nampijinpa Price a promotion and shadow ministerial opportunity,” he said.
“The Nationals were the first to lead the ‘No’ case in relation to the Voice, backing Ms Nampijinpa Price early and before anyone else did.
“I appreciate Senator Nampijinpa Price has ambition that extends beyond the possibilities of the Nationals and I wish her well.”
In a swipe at the Liberal Party’s loss of lower house seats last Saturday, Mr Littleproud said the senior Coalition partner “will need to rebuild after Saturday’s election and Senator Nampijinpa Price will play a key role in that recovery”.
Victorian Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said: “Loyalty matters in the game of politics, and so (Ms Nampijinpa Price’s move) is incredibly disappointing”.
She told Sky News the Nationals had supported Ms Nampijinpa Price and the CLP throughout their election campaign.
Asked if the two parties should merge nationally like they have in Queensland, she said: “I’m from the Victorian Nationals and they’ll have to do that over my dead body.”
In addition, multiple Coalition sources said they did not believe Ms Nampijinpa Price would be able to secure enough support to win the deputy leadership.
One Liberal said Ms Nampijinpa Price was unlikely to be backed by West Australian Liberals as her elevation would put their own senior figure – Senator Michaelia Cash – at risk of losing the Senate leadership.
Another source said it would be “wrong” to assume all the conservatives who supported Mr Taylor for the leadership would “automatically” vote for Ms Nampijinpa Price as deputy.
“They’re not running on a ticket … but there are definitely Angus supporters who won’t vote for Jacinta.”
The next Liberal leader will be decided early next week with the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday.
The party was waiting for the vote count to be finalised in a number of seats that were too close to call.
Originally published as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defects to Libs, rumoured to be challenging for deputy leadership
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