Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been accused of working against the needs of her own electorate through her repeated calls against “mass migration”.

In the NT, which has long struggled with a low population, there has been a long-term vocal push for more migrants to come to the jurisdiction to work and fill labour shortages, in sectors ranging from hospitality to construction and agriculture.

On Friday, the NT’s Country Liberal Party (CLP) government is set to make a formal bid for the territory’s annual migration numbers to be increased at a national ministerial roundtable, while the vice-chancellor of the NT’s only university has just returned from a trip to India on a mission to attract more international students to the region.

The territory government said in a statement on Friday about its migration bid that the NT needed to attract 14,000 workers over the next five years to meet growth and service delivery demands.

Indian constituents call for apology from Price

The Darwin multicultural society wrote a letter branding the NT senator’s comments about Indian migration as “racist” and “ill-founded”.

CLP Senator Nampijinpa Price was dumped from the Liberal Party ministry on Wednesday, a week after she made controversial comments surrounding Indian migration numbers. 

After her demotion, she released a statement citing the “damaging impacts of mass migration” and how she would continue to speak out against it, but did not mention the ongoing efforts to bolster migration levels in the NT and its need for more workers.

Her office did not respond to questions about her views on the NT’s unique circumstances.

Some officials in the territory believe Senator Nampijinpa Price is working at cross-purposes with her own constituents.

Alice Springs-based Charles Darwin University political analyst Rolf Gerritsen said he believed Senator Nampijinpa Price was not speaking from an NT perspective surrounding migration.

A man standing outside with a wide-brimmed hat on.

Rolf Gerritsen says he doesn’t believe Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price understands the cultural make-up of her electorate. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

“If you go around Alice Springs Hospital, probably 80 per cent of the employees in the hospital are immigrants … those hospitals would not run without immigrants,” he said.

“I don’t think she even knows who her constituents are.

“I think her constituent is Sky News.”

Labor MP for the NT seat of Solomon, Luke Gosling, said even though Senator Nampijinpa Price officially represents NT voters, he believed that “often her focus is interstate on other issues”.

A man wearing a blue shirt talks to the media

Luke Gosling says the NT needs more skilled migrants. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

“The Northern Territory is open to everyone,” he said.

“We want to see people with skills that we need moving from overseas, we’ve got the DAMA [Designated Area Migration Agreement] in place now to facilitate more numbers there.

“I think if Jacinta Price, the NT senator, could focus on where we’re lacking, we’re lacking in workforce.”

NT government flags less FIFO work

The NT government says it wants workers in the gas and mining sector to settle in the territory in its aims to boost the population.

NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said “the territory’s future depends on attracting more people, more skills and more investment”.

“Instead of fear and division, Territorians deserve leaders who back a positive vision, that support our migrant communities and [focus] on building a stronger future,” she said.

In Senator Nampijinpa Price’s statement on Wednesday, she said she “wished no ill-will whatsoever to the Indian community — or any other migrant group”.

Loading…NT government push for more migrants at roundtable

On Friday, the NT CLP government’s International Education, Migration and Population Minister, Robyn Cahill, will attend a ministerial migration roundtable in Melbourne.

“While the National Migration Program levels for 2025-2026 have been confirmed, full allocation for states and [the] territory has yet to be agreed,” she said in a statement.

A woman with gray-purple hair in a bob, wearing a black blazer and serious expression. Art is featured in the blurred background

Robyn Cahill says an increase in migrant numbers to the NT is essential for the territory’s economic growth. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

“I will be pushing that the Federal Government expedite this process, and that the Territory will be seeking an increase from last year’s allocation.

Labor holds permanent migration numbers steady

The permanent migration program will remain at 185,000 this year, although the number is not directly related to the contentious net migration figure, which spiked after the pandemic.

“Migration plays an essential part in rebuilding the Territory’s economy, boosting our population and restoring the Territory lifestyle.

“The Territory has ongoing workforce shortages, and it is critical that Territory businesses can find the workers they need now and into the future.”

The NT CLP government has continued to back Senator Nampijinpa Price since her demotion. 

Acting Chief Minister Gerard Maley said in a statement that the senator “has the full support of the Finocchiaro CLP Government’s disciplined and diverse team”.