Should Sussan Ley extend the apology to Indian community that Jacinta Price refuses to give?

Sussan Ley’s difficulties in dealing with the Jacinta Nampijinpa Price affair have widened, amid signs it could be weaponised by her factional enemies.

Victorian Liberal senator Sarah Henderson on Tuesday backed the embattled Price, including over her attack on Ley’s factional supporter, shadow minister Alex Hawke.

Henderson, who was in the Angus Taylor camp in the leadership contest and subsequently demoted to the backbench by Ley, said Price had not reflected adversely on Indians, when she suggested last week that Labor encouraged Indian immigrants because they voted for the ALP.

Speaking on Canberra radio, Henderson described Price as “a magnificent Australian”, and “a warrior for common sense and for the most marginalised”.

“She has incredible support right across this country,” Henderson said.

“At no stage did she ever reflect adversely on Indian Australians. And frankly, I condemn people like [Labor MP] Julian Hill, who went out on television and accused Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of racism, and that’s frankly disgraceful.”

Referring to Price’s complain that Hawke had berated her staffer, Henderson said she was “concerned about some of the workplace issues that she has raised, and I’m sure they will be duly noted and acted upon”.

Price’s comments on Indian immigration have been widely condemned within the Liberal Party but, while walking back from them, she has refused to apologise. She has also called for Ley to ask Hawke – who denies berating the staffer – to apologise to her.

The affair has become extremely damaging, primarily to the opposition and Ley, but potentially even to Australia. This is particularly so because it followed the anti immigration marches, flyers for which specifically mentioned Indian immigration.

Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser gave a personal apology when he attended a function at a Hindi school at the weekend.

In remarks he later posted on social media he told the audience that Price had said something “that I want to apologise unreservedly for.”

New South Wales state Liberals have also said sorry. State opposition leader Mark Speakman, deputy Natalie Ward and shadow minister for multiculturalism Mark Coure said in a Tuesday statement they were “sorry for the deep hurt many Indian-Australians feel after a federal senator’s offensive comments last week”.

When asked on Tuesday if it was time for Price to apologise, Ley said, “I know that the senator is listening to the Indian community and hearing their words directly in many instances, and I think that’s important because where feelings are hurt, there needs to be a two-way dialogue and there needs to be an understanding.”

Ley said that in discussions with members of the Indian community on Sunday and Monday, what they had expressed “at both those meetings [was] the hurt and the harm they felt from the remarks that were made.

"I know that they also understood from me, as leader of the Liberal Party, our very, very strong backing and support of our Indian community. Because they chose to come to this country and we value that.

"I say to them, it doesn’t matter to me how you vote, we love what you bring to our communities, what you bring to every stream of society – in volunteering, in professionalism, in small business, in the health and welfare of our local communities. And I know that message was well received.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added his voice to those urging Price to apologise.

But, asked whether Ley should apologise on her behalf, Albanese said that was up to the opposition leader.

Ley is not inclined to take that option. It would be coming in over the top of a colleague. It might also anger her factional opponents, although others would see it as a mark of strength and willingness to deploy her authority.

With the controversy still spiralling, a direct apology by Ley to the Indian community could at least be one possible suture to the wound.

There are mixed feelings about Price in the Nationals, from which she defected in an unsuccessful bid to become a future deputy opposition leader.

While Nationals senator Matt Canavan would be glad if she sought to return, others would not.

Canavan said he wasn’t aware of any attempt to get Price back to the Nationals but told Sky: “If Jacinta came back to our team, she’d be the prodigal sister, so to speak. She’d be welcome with open arms, I’m sure, by most of us.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud sounded unenthusiastic about any such move, saying it would be a matter for the party room. Senior Nationals Bridget McKenzie said on radio, “if you’ve offended somebody and you didn’t mean to, the appropriate responsible thing to do is to apologise”.