Senator Jacinta Price has faced backlash for her recent move to join the Liberal Party, with senior Nationals politician Matt Canavan labelling her a political opportunist. Price, who serves as the Coalition’s shadow Indigenous Australians minister, announced her switch as the Liberal Party readies to elect a new leader, stirring up controversy within federal politics.
Canavan expressed his discontent on social media, asserting that Price’s decision stemmed from personal ambition rather than representing her constituents. He highlighted that Price had only been elected as a senator with an obligation to the Nationals party less than a week prior to her defection, suggesting that her motivations were self-serving and indicative of the frustrations many voters hold towards politicians.
Drawing parallels to former Greens deputy leader Lidia Thorpe, who departed her party to become an independent senator, Canavan asserted that Price’s shift was even more contentious since the election votes for her position were still being tallied. He questioned why she did not pursue a Liberal candidacy if that was her intention all along.
Despite the criticism, Price is likely to team up with Liberal election contender Angus Taylor, who praised her capabilities and welcomed her to the party, expressing a desire for strong representation within the Liberal ranks. Meanwhile, Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley has announced her candidacy for the leadership position.
The Liberal Party is set to vote on a new leader next Tuesday, following the departure of Peter Dutton, who lost his Brisbane seat of Dickson in the recent election. In a related development, Dan Tehan, a frontbencher for the party, has confirmed he will not seek the leadership role amid ongoing speculations.