Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has refused to condemn the comments of fellow CPAC speaker and No campaigner Dr Gary Johns.
At a press conference at Parliament House on Tuesday regarding the welfare of Indigenous children in central Australia, the Senator was questioned on Dr Johns comments during his address at the CPAC Conference.
The conference, which took place in late August, saw Dr Johns advocate for greater 'integration' of Aboriginal communities.
“If you’re not trying to get those people either out of that remote community or out of the stupor in which they live, or give them the tools to allow them to adapt to life in the modern world, the world we inherited, then you’re doing wrong,” he said.
“Being practical is not the answer. You have to do practical things in the name of integration.”
Dr Johns then claimed to quote Senator Price's father.
“As Dave Price, Jacinta’s dad, has said to me often enough: ‘If you want a voice, learn English. That’s your voice,’” he said.
The former Labor MP and Recognise a Better Way committee member shared similar perspectives in his book The Burden of Culture: How to Dismantle the Aboriginal Industry and Give Hope to its Victims which was available for purchase at CPAC.
Dr Johns' address was condemned by the prime minister at a press conference the following week.
"I am concerned about a whole range of comments that Gary Johns has made, not just on the weekend, but over a long period of time, when it comes to a failure to show respect for Indigenous Australians," he said.
"The fact that he has been given a significant role in the no campaign is of concern."
Senator Jacinta Price, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs introduces CPAC Chairman Warren Mundine makes the official welcome during the 2023 Conservative Political Action Network Conference (CPAC) in Sydney. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
Price 'absolutely in agreeance'
Despite the backlash Dr Johns has received, his no-campaign colleague Senator Price did not reject his comments.
"Indigenous kids, whose first language is not English, need to be able to understand, read and write. [To] learn English to participate in a modern Australia for the benefit of themselves, and for the benefit of future employment opportunities - to participate in society as is," she told the press.
She believes Dr Johns perspective is a "pretty pertinent point" and referred to her lived experience.
"My parents . . . both have been teachers for a very long time, my father is a former English teacher," she said.
The importance of reading and writing English, [that] has led to great opportunities, like representing the country as a Senator."
Senator Price said she was "absolutely in agreeance" with the "fact that Indigenous children need to be able to learn to read and write English for the benefit of their future".
"Those values are a priority certainly for me in the lives of Indigenous children in remote communities," she said.
Responding to further questioning about Dr Johns speech, Ms Price said "people can have their opinions" and her focus was on "marginalised children from my communities".
"I'm not concerned with the opinions of others, I'm concerned for the welfare of children in marginalised communities - be nice if the media were concerned for that as well," she said.
