The Liberals are taking stock after a damaging, week-long saga that stretched the party at the seams.
Firebrand senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been dropped from the shadow ministry for refusing to support Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and failing to apologise for controversial comments about Indian migrants.
Ms Ley called for Senator Nampijinpa Price to step back from her role as defence industry and personnel spokeswoman after she failed to back her leadership three times during a press conference.
There was also internal ire at Senator Nampijinpa Price failing to apologise for comments about Indian migrations being accepted at a higher rate because they voted for Labor, although she later called the remarks “clumsy”.
Liberals hope they can move on from the saga and take their internal fights out of the news cycle as the cost of living continues to be the dominant focus for Australians.
“It is time to get on with the job. Let’s focus on the real issues of the day,” Liberal frontbencher Anne Ruston told AAP.
Senator Ruston, who sits in shadow cabinet as the health spokeswoman, said every leader deserved the support of their team.
“Confidence in the leadership is absolutely critical for anyone serving in the shadow ministry,” she said.
Ms Ley said Senator Nampijinpa Price remained a “valued member” of the coalition.
“I know (she) has contributed much in public policy and debate in this country, and will continue to do so,” she told reporters on Thursday.
Ms Ley refused to answer questions on whether the NT senator would return to the front bench at some stage, but some Liberal colleagues said it was a matter of time before a comeback.
A decision on who replaced the senator in the shadow ministry would be made in due course, the opposition leader said.
She joined other Liberal colleagues in formally apologising to Indian Australians and others hurt or distressed by Senator Nampijinpa Price’s remarks.
“May I reaffirm my strong support for all our migrant communities, for the values that they bring to this country, for the contribution they make and for choosing to come to Australia,” she said.
Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said the axing was disappointing, but he was confident his Senate colleague would return to a prominent position within the party.
“It was self-evidently not an edifying week for the Liberal Party and we are concerned about the way in which Indian-Australians heard that discussion and felt about that,” he said.
“Political careers are not linear anymore. They have fits and starts, forward steps and back steps, and I’m confident that Jacinta will be back in a prominent role in the front bench.”
Senator Nampijinpa Price said she would continue to speak out on issues such as migration from the back bench.
“My concern – as it is for millions of Australians – is Labor’s mass migration agenda and its ramifications,” she said in a statement.
“My concern is not migration itself – it’s the magnitude of migration.”
Deputy opposition leader Ted O’Brien said the senator had the freedom to speak out on issues, but her comments had to be dealt with and the party leader made the right decision.
“Jacinta expressed herself authentically with deep regret for what her words had meant to a lot of Indian Australians,” he said.
“Of course, as time went on, it was very clear that stronger words were called for.”