A senior ABC reporter has sparked debate by describing former Liberal Party member Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's recent remarks on Indian migration as 'racist'.
Appearing on the ABC's Insidersprogram on Sunday, Isabella Higgins was questioned about her reaction to Senator Price's statements from last week, in which he claimed that Labor was bringing Indian migrants to Australia because they are more likely to vote for Labor.
"They were prejudiced, they were discriminatory," Ms Higgins stated.
It indicates she is a fairly new politician who operates in a single way – that is, to enter and dismantle an idea, which was clearly evident during the Voice referendum.
However, when it involves promoting a vision or discussing intricate or detailed policy topics, she isn't truly capable of doing so.
Was asked whether he agreed that the comments were 'racist', fellow panelist and foreign editor of The Australian, Greg Sheridan, disagreed.
'Jacinta Price is not racist. With respect, this is an absurd claim,' he said.
I believe the episode highlights something different – significant failure on Jacinta Price's part.
She must have been fully aware of her stance on immigration and should not have continued further.
Senator Price initially alleged that the Albanese administration permitted a significant influx of Indian immigrants to gain electoral support, during an interview with ABC earlier this month.
Although she has later adjusted her stance and admitted that Australia's migration policy is free from discrimination, she has still declined to offer an apology.
Furthermore, after she consistently declined to show support for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, she was dismissed from the outer shadow ministry on Wednesday.
The national broadcaster supported its journalist's remarks as a 'balanced assessment' in a statement shared with The Australian.
"Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's remarks regarding Indian migration are subject to scrutiny by the media, and similar to other panelists, Isabella Higgins appeared on Insiders to offer her evaluation and insights," said an ABC representative.
She labeled the remarks – which the senator later took back – as prejudiced and xenophobic.
This is a commonly accepted perspective shared by individuals within the Indian community and beyond, and it constitutes a balanced assessment.
Higgins wondered if Nampijinpa Price's statement was made on purpose or resulted from a mistake due to stress, highlighting her lack of experience. She did not claim that the senator was racist.
The program then presented an opposing perspective from Greg Sheridan of The Australian, who stated that Price was not a racist but that the incident highlighted 'significant incompetence' and 'unprofessionalism.'
In a post on X, Liberal MP Sarah Henderson labeled Ms Higgins' comments as a 'disgraceful, unacceptable slur'.
"The journalist significantly distorted Jacinta's original statements, indicating the harsh criticism directed at Jacinta by certain Labor MPs," she wrote.
The ABC is legally required to distribute news and information in a fair and precise manner.
Once more, the ABC has not met the elevated expectations set for the national broadcaster. The ABC needs to advise its employee and offer a sincere apology.
In a subsequent post, Senator Henderson also targeted Ms Higgins' overall critiques of Senator Price, labeling him as an ineffective political figure.
The reporter not only grossly accused Jacinta of being racist, but also undermined and looked down on her, suggesting she could 'damage an idea' like the Voice referendum and was still unable to 'promote a vision' or discuss 'complex or detailed policy issues'.
Jacinta is intelligent, effective, skilled, and brave, and stands out as one of the top communicators in the Parliament.
She committed an error that she quickly fixed. Notably, she never openly criticized Indian Australians.
Yet this unattractive surge persists. Embarrassment to ABC, embarrassment.
The director of ABC news, Justin Stevens, stated that Ms. Higgins had the public broadcaster's complete backing in a statement.
"We are a racist nation, let's admit it," Ms Tingle said to the audience.
We have always been and it's quite disheartening.
Shortly after, Mr Stevens issued a statement indicating that Ms Tingle had been 'advised' regarding her comments.
'Even though the comments were informal and not given in her professional role, the ABC and its staff have specific responsibilities within the Australian media,' he stated.
The Daily Mail has reached out to ABC and Senator Price for their response.
Read more- Did Jacinta Price's future within the Liberal Party face risks due to her strong refusal to issue an apology to the Indian community?
- Is Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's decision not to apologize causing division within the Coalition due to her alleged 'importing' remarks against Labor?
- Is the Liberal Party experiencing internal conflict due to Senator Jacinta Price's controversial remarks about Indian-Australians and demands for her to issue an apology?
- Was Jacinta Price accused Alex Hawke of being 'cowardly' due to his reaction to her remarks on migration?