High-profile Liberal Senator Jane Hume says she is 'reeling' from the revelation that her name was used in an alleged threat made to Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price over her controversial comments about Indian-Australians.
Senator Price faced backlash last week after falsely accusing Labor of prioritising Indian migrants to help boost its vote. Both she and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have clarified the remarks, but, so far, refused to apologise.
In the days after her comment, former immigration minister and Liberal numbers man Alex Hawke, whose electorate has a large Indian community, told Sky News he'd urged Senator Price to clarify her meaning on social media.
However, Senator Price hit back at Hawke on Sunday, accusing him of 'cowardly and inappropriate conduct' towards her staff and alleging it was symptomatic of a broader problem for women in the Liberal Party.
'He even pressed my staff that if I did not comply with his requests, I may end up like another female member of the Coalition - who I won't name,' Senator Price claimed in a statement posted on social media.
Now it has emerged that the individual in question was Hume, who was demoted after the election.
Hume was widely blamed for the Coalition's disastrous work from home policy, which former leader Peter Dutton was forced to walk back.
She also made an off-hand remark in the final week of the campaign claiming 'Chinese spies' were volunteering for the Labor Party which was blamed for a collapse in support for the Liberal vote among Chinese Australians.
Senator Jane Hume (pictured) has been revealed to be the unnamed former member of the Coalition frontbench referenced in an alleged threat made by Alex Hawke to one of Senator Jacinta Price's staff members
Senator Price (pictured) slammed fellow Liberal Party member Alex Hawke for allegedly 'berating' her staff, as the fallout from her comments about Indian migrants continues to grow
On Monday morning, Hume said she was affronted by the fact she had been drawn into the fallout surrounding Senator Price's comments.
'I am still reeling a little bit ... I am not sure entirely what this is all about and why my name needs to be included,' Hume told Sky News.
'I have just been focusing on the committee work that I need to do, and the policy work I've done.
'I think the most important thing here is that we move on from this. Jacinta has stepped back from her words that she said last week. She said that she was wrong, and that we move on.'
Price had lashed out at Hawke, claiming he berated her staff without speaking to her.
'If people want to talk about a so-called "woman problem" in the Liberal Party, then it's this: we don't stand up for women when they are mistreated by our own colleagues,' she added.
In response, Hawke shared his own statement, which confirmed he spoke with Price and 'accepted her explanation of how her comments have been misinterpreted and subsequently weaponised by Labor'.
However, he added, 'any reasonable person must reject the targeting of Indian Australians'.
On Monday, Hawke told Sky News that he thought Price should apologise for her comments.
'I think it's worth her considering it, because the harm is still out there and it's ongoing,' he told Sky News.
He added: 'I think now it would be good to look at the initial advice I gave her which was to offer an apology to the Indian community and to move on.'
While Price hasn't apologised for saying the Labor Party 'likes to allow those (people) in ... who ultimately vote for them', she explained the comment in her statement.
'I know that many Australians of Indian ancestry - and Indian migrants living in Australia - are distressed,' she said.
'My comments were never intended to be disparaging towards our Indian community. And I wish no ill will whatsoever to the Indian community - or any other migrant group.
'Indian migrants who have come to Australia have a strong record of integration, embracing our values, working hard in many fields of endeavour, and joining the league of loyal Australian citizens.
'I've helped Indian migrants with visa and citizenship applications. I've supported businesses run by Australians of Indian ancestry. Indeed, my own children are of Indian ancestry.'
Price said while Australia 'benefited from a non-discriminatory migration policy', Labor's 'mass migration agenda' was straining resources.
Her comments have forced the Opposition into damage control.
On Sunday, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley visited 'Little India' in Harris Park in Parramatta on Sunday to speak with local businesses and community leaders.
She was told that many members of the community's 'hearts' were broken by these comments' and was asked if Price should apologise.
'Senator Price has retracted her remarks, acknowledged that they were heard in a way that was hurtful and harmful,' Ley responded.
However, she stopped short of saying sorry.
On Monday, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said that although he didn't think Senator Price 'has it in for Indians', she should 'apologise and move on'.
'Look, you make mistakes all the time in politics. The best thing to do is apologise and move on,' Joyce told Sunrise.
'Get off it. Get on to another topic. It's the nature of politics, you're not going to be perfect on every statement you make. You make mistakes.'
On Monday, Ley will hold roundtables with Chinese-language media and over a dozen Indian community leaders from across Sydney.