Overview
- Price refused to apologise for comments suggesting the government prioritised Indian migrants for political gain and declined to express confidence in Ley at a Perth press conference.
- Asked to step down, Price accepted the decision, returned to the backbench, and said her remarks were clumsy while maintaining concern about the scale of migration.
- Ley apologised to Indian Australians for the hurt caused and said Price remains a valued party member, as she insisted her leadership is not under threat.
- Senior Liberals publicly backed Ley’s move, with some conservatives predicting Price could return to the frontbench in future and internal focus shifting to selecting her replacement.
- Jostling for the defence industry portfolio is under way, with figures on the right warning against a left-faction pick and names such as Phil Thompson and Claire Chandler being canvassed.