Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been elevated to the shadow cabinet, less than six months after being removed from the frontbench over controversial comments about the Indian diaspora.
However, South Australian Senator Kerrynne Liddle, who has pushed the government on spending and accountability, was removed from her role, replaced by non-Indigenous MP Julian Leeser.
Following the Liberals' decision to depose Sussan Ley last week, new leader Angus Taylor reshuffled the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, rewarding factional allies and promoting Senator Price to Shadow Minister for small business and Shadow Minister for skills and trade.
Speaking on The Karl Stefanovic Show last week, Senator Price said, "I'm back baby", and declined to apologise for remarks she made last year that drew widespread criticism. In September, she falsely claimed Labor was bringing in Indian migrants to win votes.
Senator Price said she had been "thrown under the bus" by colleagues after losing her role when she refused to back Ms Ley's leadership. Reflecting on the episode, she said that if given the chance again, she would "articulate" her point more clearly.
"I won't fall for the ABC and the way they like to interview to try to catch those moments," Senator Price said, referring to Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"The weaponisation of things like that, where a straw-man argument is created when the topic is important to the Australian people and just articulate that point a little better, so it is clearer."
She told the podcast she wouldn't be joining One Nation, despite "everyone" urging her to, and defended its leader, Pauline Hanson — who was found in 2024 to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act — as "not a racist".
"Elections are won on the middle ground, and I see myself as centre right," she told the podcast. "One Nation is a little more right. I'm happy where I am."
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While praising the far-right party for "listening to the people of this country" on immigration, she told The Daily Telegraph earlier this month that she would remain with the Coalition, despite feeling sidelined and "devalued" after her demotion.
Senator Price — who is wildly popular amongst conservative voters and is a regular guest on the right-wing Sky News after dark programs, even after being demoted to the backbench — left the Nationals party room after last year's election and later abandoned a bid for the deputy leadership after Mr Taylor narrowly lost out to Ms Ley to lead the party.
She has continued to campaign strongly on immigration, arguing tighter controls are necessary to defend Australia's culture. In an email to supporters last year, she wrote, "It will take a while, because the media is all in on open borders and will attack anyone as racist for raising questions".
"But I'm not going to back down. With your support, I will take the time to make the case, change the conversation, and demand a change in policy."
The removal of Senator Liddle, who National Indigenous Times understands was well respected — even in Labor — comes as a shock, with her work in the Indigenous affairs portfolio seen as far less combative and culture-war focused than Senator Price.
She had prosecuted issues around the APY land, land council funding and department waste.
Mr Leeser's promotion to the portfolio is also surprising, as he left the shadow cabinet in 2023 to openly campaign in the Voice referendum. He has been a fixture at the Garma festival and is a strong supporter of Indigenous rights.
