SYDNEY, 8 September, 2025: Sussan Ley, Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia, visited the Little India shopping precinct in Harris Park on 7 September 2025. She was warmly welcomed by a large gathering of business owners and local residents. The visit comes amid nationwide anti-immigration rallies and follows controversial remarks by NT Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price on ABC Radio, claiming that Labor was favoring migrants—particularly from the Indian community—because they “tend to vote for Labor.”
In response to the controversy, Sussan Ley refrained from apologizing for Senator Price’s remarks but clarified, as reported by SBS News, that the comments were “not correct and should not have taken place.” The remarks by the Liberal senator have sparked significant backlash, with Indian community leaders expressing strong disappointment.
Victoria’s community leader, Vasan Srinivasan, stated: “It is deeply disappointing to hear Senator Jacinta Price’s recent remarks on Indian migration. Such comments risk unfairly stigmatising a community whose migration to Australia has been overwhelmingly driven by skilled migration and international education.”
After her visit, Sussan Ley posted on Facebook: “Good to spend time at Little India tonight, hearing directly from small business owners and their staff. Their experiences matter in shaping policies that support enterprise, reward effort, and strengthen every community.”
In Harris Park, the Leader of Opposition visited Tuli Jewellers, Hyderabad House, RaShi’s Indian Clothing Store, and the Billu’s Indian Restaurant.
The Leader of Opposition said:
Little India in Harris Park is renowned for its variety of regional Indian dishes, vibrant street food options, and a mix of vegetarian and meat specialties, along with traditional sweets. The precinct also provides a lively cultural experience through its sari shops, spice markets, supermarkets, and festive goods.
Sussan Ley’s public statement disavowing Senator Price’s comments, combined with her visit to Harris Park, is widely viewed as an attempt at damage control for the Coalition. This follows the release of the August Newspoll, which showed a significant lead for the Labor Party at 56 per cent to 44 percent on a two-party-preferred basis.
