Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made her first public appearance since being removed from the frontbench, attending a fundraiser in Perth. This event occurred just a day after her removal from the Liberal shadow ministry, following controversial remarks about Indian migrants.

Senator Price's comments, which suggested the government was favoring Labor-leaning Indian migrants in its migration program, have intensified internal conflicts within the Liberal Party. At a recent press conference, she did not endorse Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and later attempted to clarify her statements regarding the Indian-Australian community. However, she did not apologize for her remarks.

The fundraiser took place on Thursday night at the WA Indian Society's community center in Willetton, where she was accompanied by WA Liberal MP Nick Goiran. Police were present at the event, but no incidents were reported.

The event has drawn significant criticism. WA Premier Roger Cook described it as "deeply, deeply offensive" and labeled Senator Price a "disgraceful embarrassment" to the Liberal Party. He called on the Opposition Leader and WA Liberals to apologize for hosting her. In response, Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas stated he had consulted with representatives from the Indian community, who reportedly had no objections to the event.

WA Liberal Senator Matt O'Sullivan noted that the sold-out event had been planned over a month ago and that the choice of venue was coincidental. He acknowledged that while some community members were disappointed with Senator Price's comments, they did not express concerns about the event itself. O'Sullivan refrained from commenting on whether Senator Price should apologize, emphasizing his long-standing friendship with her.

He expressed hope that she would continue to contribute positively to parliament and possibly return to a ministerial role in the future. O'Sullivan defended Sussan Ley, asserting that the recent events would not lead to a leadership spill, stating, "Sussan has the support of the party room."

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie echoed this sentiment, stating, "No, the knives are not being sharpened. They're not and what we need now is stability."

Community members have also weighed in on the controversy. Indian-Australian Ingrid Stoddard stated that Senator Price's comments would not affect her voting but emphasized the importance of allowing migrants into Australia. "We as migrants have come in, too, and if we want to prevent others from coming in that's not right," she said.

Singaporean migrant Indran Raja, who now runs a successful pre-made food service, highlighted the economic contributions of migrants. "A huge chunk of the economy is definitely supported and being leveled out by migrants, international students, or working visas," he said.