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Transcripts
September 11, 2025
SALLY SARA: Joining me now is Liberal Front Bencher. Senator James Paterson. Senator, welcome back to Breakfast.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Good morning, Sally.
SALLY SARA: Before we talk about politics at home, we have had this breaking news out of the U.S. this morning that conservative commentator and close ally of President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, has been fatally shot while attending an event at a university in Utah. What's your response to this incident of political violence?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, it's absolutely shocking news and some terrible images that are coming out of the United States this morning. As far as I'm aware, they've still not apprehended the suspect or identified them, so it's difficult to speak to their motives. But Charlie Kirk was obviously a prominent conservative political activist and someone who's very close to President Trump. So I think it's highly likely that you're right that this is an act of political violence. And that is a very distressing thing for those of us who think fondly of the United States. And it does appear that there has been a recent uptick, although it's not unknown in U.S. history to have political violence; in recent years, there seems to be more of it.
SALLY SARA: If we return to federal politics back home here in Australia, did your leader, Sussan Ley, have any other choice but to remove Senator Nampijinpa Price from the shadow front bench?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, I'm very disappointed that Jacinta is no longer serving on the front bench because Jacinta is a friend of mine and also someone who I think has a great political contribution to make and was doing a good job on our front bench. But the conventions of the Westminster system of government are very clear, and I'm institutionally someone who is very conservative, and they're there for good reason. If you can't support the leader, then you can no longer serve on the front bench, so I support the action that Sussan has had to take.
SALLY SARA: Do you think that Senator Price should have been moved originally after these comments about Indian Australians?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Although a lot of my colleagues listen to your program, Sally, I'm not going to provide them any advice through your program. That's one of the rules I've adhered to in my 10 years in parliament and it's served me very well.
SALLY SARA: But you have a view.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: And whether I have a view or not, I'm still not going to share it with my colleagues via your program. If I have feedback for them about decisions they have made, I share it with them directly and not through the media.
SALLY SARA: Do you think the comments were unacceptable that were made by Senator Nampijinpa Price?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Yes, and she herself has recognised that. She immediately put out a clarifying statement after saying it, and as recently as yesterday, acknowledged that they were clumsy. I know Jacinta; she has no hate in her heart for anybody, certainly not the Australian Indian community or any other migrant community. And she acknowledged that she was in error when she was trying to make a broader point about migration.
SALLY SARA: But what was the issue about not making an apology?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, that's for Jacinta to account for and explain to herself. Again, I'm not going to provide advice or commentary on Jacinta either through this program.
SALLY SARA: Earlier in the program this morning, we spoke to Indian Australian and Mayor of Barkly Regional Council in the Northern Territory, Sid Vashist, and this is what he had to say.
[CLIP START]
SID VASHIST: These comments have come at a very unsettling time, given the protest around Australia. And sadly, I've heard people receiving abuse online, even in person, which is unacceptable. No one should be made to feel unsafe because of their heritage or where they come from. When I went to my social site, I said, dear multicultural Australia, this too shall pass. And I'll say that again, dear multicultural Australia, this too shall pass.
[CLIP END]
SALLY SARA: The comments hurt many members of the Indian Australian community. Do you think it's hurt the Coalition's reputation with members of these communities?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: I think there's no doubt that both of those things are true, and I'm very sorry for that, and I know that wasn't Jacinta's intention, and she regrets that as well. And we now have work to do to re-earn that trust and hopefully support from members of the Indian Australian community and other multicultural communities.
SALLY SARA: What do you think, what kind of role do you think Senator Nampijinpa Price will play as a backbencher? Are you confident it will be a constructive role?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Yes, I am. She will be a powerful voice for the Liberal Party on the backbench, and I think she has a unique ability to carry a message and to cut through in a way that many of us would hope that we had. And I think that she will be constructive. She's talked about the priorities that are important to her in her statement yesterday that acknowledged her removal from the front bench, and I expect that she'll pursue those issues with passion from the backbench. But I've also observed that I don't think political careers are linear anymore. There are forward steps and backward steps, and I hope that in due course Jacinta is back in a front bench role.
SALLY SARA: How much confidence do you think Sussan Ley has from members of the Liberal and the Coalition party room right now?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Sussan has the overwhelming support of the party room. She was elected fair and square as leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, and she has the support of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, myself included.
SALLY SARA: What sort of damage do you think this may have caused to Sussan Ley's leadership?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, I hope it hasn't caused any damage, but it's obviously been a distracting week, and we would rather have been talking about things other than this. I mean, we have two primary tasks as an opposition; to hold the government to account and to produce an alternative policy agenda for the next election, which is capable of earning the trust and support of the Australian people. And that's what I'm focused on, and that's what we're all going to need to be focused on between now and the next election.
SALLY SARA: Senator, thank you so much for making some time again for Radio National Breakfast.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Thanks for having me.
ENDS