The Bravery of Jacinta Price
Often the most vicious attacks from the left are reserved for people they claim to care about, this occurs when they refuse to partake in the left’s identity politics or be a victim. This is because they invalidate the left’s claim to speak on their behalf and put out facts that do not fit the left’s agenda.
In Australia, the left does their best to go after these alleged traitors to their cause, or at the very least try to make them invisible to the world. You only have to look at the way female columnists Miranda Devine and Rita Panahi are treated by feminists such as Clementine Ford for daring the question the concept of male privilege, and that we have a supposed domestic violence epidemic. Gays are not immune from this treatment with Eric Abetz’s gay staffer Joshua Manuatu horrendously vilified on social media because he dared to speak out against same sex marriage.
Indigenous Australians who do not share the left’s simplistic view of indigenous issues, that being white people are the oppressors and aboriginals oppressed can expect even greater abuse than what your average conservative would receive. This is what conservative indigenous rights campaigner and Alice Springs Councillor Jacinta Price has discovered since entering the national political scene.
Jacinta in the past year has addressed the National Press Club, appeared on a special indigenous episode of the ABC’s Q&A and had a number of media appearances including on the Bolt Report, Alan Jones on 2GB and Sky News’ Outsiders. Her main goal has been to draw attention to the horrific levels of domestic violence and sexual abuse that occurs in indigenous communities.
The left like to pretend there is no problem with indigenous culture and if there is it is caused by an evil racist government which can be solved by more taxpayers’ money or more virtue signalling. Jacinta simply states the reality of what happens in indigenous communities and is of the belief that people’s rose-coloured perception of indigenous life need to be shattered. This is why she is such threat to the left’s narrative.
Most recently she has condemned the inner city Melbourne councils who have been voting to dump Australia day, or at the very least considering it based on the view that the day is not inclusive to indigenous people. She has correctly highlighted these acts of virtue signalling do nothing to help the very real present-day problems indigenous people face and highlighted that there are a lot of Indigenous Australians who don’t want to change Australia Day. She is also against the removal or modification of Australia’s colonial statues. She is unafraid to say what she thinks on her very active Facebook page.
She of course is not the only person of Indigenous ancestry to dispute the left speaking on their behalf. Other conservative (or right leaning) Indigenous activists include Warren Mundine, Anthony Dillon and Kerryn Pholi to name only a few.
Jacinta is the daughter of former Northern Territory Country Liberal Party Minister Bess Price and David Price, both of whom have worked in cross cultural awareness. They have also been lifelong conservative indigenous rights activists and supported the Howard Government’s Northern Territory intervention in 2007. It is clear from Jacinta’s passionate advocacy on real indigenous issues that her parents instilled in her important values such as standing up for what is right, not what is fashionable, fearlessness, actions speaking louder than words and objectively looking at facts and reality.
But it would appear now the abuse Jacinta receives on social media for the audacity to speak out on real indigenous issues has now taken a frightening real-life turn. She has attracted the wrath of the mother of convicted teen criminal Dylan Voller. Dylan Voller of course was made the poster boy for alleged mistreatment of indigenous youth in detention despite his horrific violent criminal record. He was given a standing ovation when testifying at the Royal Commission into Youth Detention and was able to ask a question in the same Q&A episode that Jacinta Price appeared in.
Dylan’s mother Joanne Voller has just been charged with threats to kill Jacinta Price. Price has alleged Ms Voller at a recent community function in Alice Springs said that she wanted “to knock me the f**k out so I wouldn’t wake up from it”. Price also alleged that Ms Voller “stood on the dance floor in the crowd looking in my direction while gesturing to cut my throat”. Ms Voller was granted bail and is due to appear in Alice Springs Local Court on October 3.
This should be a reminder to all people that speaking out for what is right and standing by your principles is not always the easy thing to do. Somebody like Jacinda Price demonstrates much more bravely than a person just spouting ideas from behind a keyboard.
But Jacinta should feel vindicated by her activism so far as she was easily re-elected as councillor for Alice Springs this past weekend and so was Mayor Damien Ryan whose ticket she ran under. The people who live on the ground in Alice Springs where they see her work on indigenous issues first hand believe she was worthy of their vote. That counts for a lot more than what some inner-city councils and middle class indigenous activists think.
For those concerned about how to fix indigenous disadvantage in the present day and are eager for people to stand up to the identity politics of the left we hope that Jacinta continues her fearless activism and continues her practical work on community outcomes in Alice Springs.
Jacinta will be a speaking at LibertyWorks Brisbane for which The Unshackled is a sponsor. Click here to purchase tickets.
