Liberal senator was recruiting Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for ‘10 years' before her defection
James Paterson says he was actively recruiting Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for a decade before her shock defection to the Liberal party room after the federal election.
Senator Price is a member of the Northern Territory's Country Liberal Party.
As an affiliate of the Liberals and Nationals, the CLP's members can choose which party room to sit in at the federal level.
Senator Paterson acknowledged it was 'certainly possible' Senator Price switching to the Liberals played a role in the collapse of the Coalition, but that 'the truth is that Jacinta Price has always felt that she was a Liberal'.
'She has always preferred to sit in the Liberal party room,' he told Sky News.
'I have been trying to recruit Jacinta to Liberal Party for 10 years, and before the 2022 federal election, in the spirit of Coalition and trying to keep things calm, she agreed to sit with the National Party.
'But that was not her preference, and it was always the case that she would seek to join the Liberal Party when she had the opportunity to do so, and we welcome her to Liberal Party.'
Senator Paterson said his colleague was 'an extraordinary political talent' and that the Liberal Party was 'very proud to have her'.
After her defection, Senator Price backed Angus Taylor to lead the Liberals and announced her candidacy as his deputy.
She withdrew her deputy bid after Sussan Ley won the leadership vote last week.
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