Jacinta Price’s bold message to Australia that has many calling for her to become our next Prime Minister
An Indigenous politician has issued a message that has united the country amid the Australia Day debate – and sparked calls for her to become our next Prime Minister.
‘Our country is strongest when we stand together,’ Indigenous Australians shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said in her message for the national holiday in the NT News.
‘As my Indigenous heritage taught me, we all belong to this place equally. Regardless of race or heritage, your conception on this land means you belong to it.
‘Everyone gets the opportunity to pitch in to this place we call home, and gets the loyalty of mateship in faithful return.
‘Our free, democratic and prosperous society is precious. We must be proud of it, celebrate it and, importantly, never take it for granted.’
Ms Nampijinpa Price called for people to ‘focus on that which unites rather than divides us’.
‘There are many things that bring us together and define who we are as Australians, but I think our land has a fair bit to do with it.
‘Shaped by its harsh environment and our will to survive in it, we’ve done more than just survive – we’ve become successful, resilient and courageous people.
‘Everyone gets the opportunity to pitch in to this place we call home, and gets the loyalty of mateship in faithful return.’
‘Our country is strongest when we stand together,’ Indigenous Australians shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) said
‘Whether born here or voluntarily having bought in for better or worse, we should be proud of our inclusion in the magnificent tapestry that is our landscape and identity,’ she wrote in The Australian.
‘We don’t back down from hard yakka; we’re loyal to our mates and we help each other out. We keep a level playing field, and value each person equally in the eyes of the law. We hold each other to the same standard and afford preferential treatment to no one.’
Ms Nampijinpa Price warned that those core values are not guaranteed to endure unless actively protected.
‘Remember those who united under one flag and fought for the nation we are so privileged to live in today; reflect on the contributions both historical and current of Australians to the world; and practise gratitude – for all those things and more, like our magnificent natural backyard, our way of life and liberal democratic values.
‘Because restoring our national pride and rebuilding our unity depends on each of us. What we do, say and think as individuals matters to the cause. Not just for you or just for me, but for the good of our neighbours and of our friends, for the good of Australia and the world, to its ends.’
‘I want a country that is ready, willing and able to defend itself in the event, God forbid, that we are invaded or attacked by a foreign power.
‘A country that doesn’t see standing under one flag as a threat to the core of who we are; a country that advocates for and celebrates all its citizens regardless of their racial heritage.
She also advocated against changing the date of Australia Day.
‘Changing the date may engender temporary feelings of victory for a small group of people, but again, it fosters a national mindset of tribalism – one group against another.
‘But further, changing the date simply will not improve the lives of our most marginalised. Not once have I heard a plausible explanation about how it would improve the 20 per cent of the 3 per cent of Indigenous Australians who experience the in this country.
Ms Nampijinpa Price called for people to ‘focus on that which unites rather than divides us’. A smoking ceremony is pictured
Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (centre) is pictured with young Indigenous supporters holding an Australian flag
Many Aussies applauded Senator Price for her message.
‘This woman needs to be our next Prime Minister. Always has Australia’s back.’
‘She’s a legend. No one owns the land, we are a part of it regardless of race and culture,’ a second added.
‘Not many have the common sense approach like Jacinta. Keep fighting the good fight,’ a third said.
A forth added: ‘Well said. We are all Australian and we all make the best of what life is offering us. You either look after and treat with pride and respect what’s supplied or you don’t, the choice is yours’
Another said: ‘I’m in agreement with everything Jacinta says she is more intelligent than any politician we are paying to run this country.’
The Coalition politician’s comments came as the numbers attending Invasion Day rallies – organised to protest against Australia Day – fell.
In previous years, such rallies in Sydney often attracted around 15,000 marchers.
But this year, the NSW Police estimated the number fell by almost 50 per cent to around 8,000.
In Brisbane, the numbers were also way down, with the protest barely moving beyond the Queens Gardens – a far cry from the tens of thousands of protesters it previously attracted.
Only Australia’s protest capital – Melbourne – lived up to expectations, with the 30,000 attendees forecast by the organisers seeming to have been achieved.
But despite the steep fall in protester numbers in some cities and towns, that doesn’t seem to have been replaced by patriotic fervour.
Despite polls showing a resurgence of enthusiasm for celebrating Australia Day on January 26 there was little overt patriotism on display at Sydney’s Bondi Beach even compared to just a few years prior.
While sun-seekers flocked to the sand to enjoy an ideal beach day of blue skies with temperatures hovering around the mid 20s on Sunday, there were few Aussie flags or other national insignia and colours to be seen.
The only visible nod to the national day were a couple of men wearing Aussie flag caps or T-shirts and the occasional temporary tattoo.
This contrasts to photos from 2022 showing a different scene altogether, with many women donning Australian bikinis and hats, while others even draped themselves in the national flag.
