LAVERTY: We all know hospitals at the moment are pushed to the brink and it is not a problem unique to the Northern Territory. This is being experienced right around Australia and indeed the world. But some of the pressures on our Territory hospitals are unique. This week experts have spoken about the high levels of renal failure caused by unmanaged diabetes, which they say are at absolutely unprecedented levels. And the thing is, there really is something that can be done about this. Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health. And Senator McCarthy, you are no stranger to the devastating impacts of renal failure. Just how big is this problem?
MCCARTHY: Well, it's quite a serious area of concern and good morning, Jo and good morning to your listeners. Thank you for having me on. Yeah look, you know, chronic disease in particular, renal failure is a major scourge for first nations people, not just in the territory, but right across the country. And we've got to do quite a fair bit of work in that area. And one of the things that I've been doing is traveling across the territory, but also Australia in terms of looking at rolling out more renal dialysis chairs. So we have to obviously tackle it at both ends, try and have the preventative end as much as the actual chronic disease end of treating renal failure.
LAVERTY: So we'll get through diabetes treatment in just a moment. But can you explain why it's so prevalent among indigenous communities in particular?
MCCARTHY: A lot of the factors relate to poverty, the inability to have access to the appropriate foods, but also overcrowding in housing does not help in any way. That in itself produces all sorts of health issues as well as social issues. So we really do look at the root cause here that we've got to improve the lives of First Nations people in terms of their own ability to create wealth and be able to step out of poverty.
LAVERTY: How does overcrowding contribute to diabetes among indigenous people?
MCCARTHY: Overcrowding brings about the possibility of all sorts of diseases. And we've seen just in terms of hospital admissions, you know, septicaemia, you've got scabies, which is a form of sickness that really we should not have in this country. But we do.
LAVERTY: But the diabetes isn't communicable.
MCCARTHY: No, but you do have other diseases that impact on you. And as I said in my previous answer around poverty and the access to foods, all of this and healthy foods, I should say, and healthy living contributes to a an easier road, if you like, if you can call it an easier road towards having a chronic disease. And that's what we've got to do, really tackle it from all of these areas, from prevention in the first place in terms of awareness and education, but also in terms of what we do when people actually are at critical points of needing dialysis and needing that assistance. Many of the clients in our Aboriginal hostels across the Northern Territory are renal patients. Many of them bring their families in for their support. It's hard for them to get home. You know, as part of rolling out the renal chairs I've announced three areas in the Northern Territory Ti Tree, Haasts Bluff and Borroloola as places that we want to put renal chairs to enable families to go back home.
LAVERTY: Well, you're the Assistant Minister for Indigenous health and you've already said we've got scabies, which we shouldn't have. We've got diabetes, which are really of some of the worst in the world. How much responsibility should the federal government be taking for this?
MCCARTHY: Well, health is a state and territory jurisdictional area. What we do at the federal level is try and assist in terms of funding to try and make it a lot of a simpler road. We just saw the National Cabinet met yesterday in terms of Medicare and the 1.2 billion that will go towards assisting to try and reduce the issues and the problems with our hospital systems, but also to improve areas by having the urgent care clinics. We've already opened one in Alice Springs to assist there. We've got one in Darwin. This is to relieve the pressure on our hospital systems.
LAVERTY: So the Northern Territory Government should take responsibility for having things like scabies, which we absolutely shouldn't have in this country, by your own admission, and diabetes, which is an entirely treatable condition.
MCCARTHY: Let me clarify that, though. Health is everyone's concern. We have the Aboriginal community medical sector in the Northern Territory. We have a very good Aboriginal medical sector with Congress in Alice Springs, with Danila Dilba in Darwin and Anyinginyi in Tennant Creek and many others in Katherine. There are some that need a lot more assistance than others, but we are all responsible for trying to create a better understanding and awareness of a healthier life.
LAVERTY: If communication is part of the key to better diet and staving off Type two diabetes and allowing people to make healthier food choices. That seems like a pretty easy thing. Why can't why hasn't that been achieved so far?
MCCARTHY: Yes, you'd think so, wouldn't you? But when you do look at the fact that jobs is an issue in our communities, we're certainly looking at the Community Development Program to try and improve that across northern Australia with 40,000 participants so that they can have access to good wages, to superannuation, to long service leave, to sick leave. These are areas we're working on in terms of that particular program. But yes, you're right, there's a lot to do. And that's why Closing the Gap is such a fundamental part of what the parliament is trying to do. And we've got a report coming on that in coming months.
LAVERTY: The Federal government has invested in a number of remote renal chairs which we were just outlining earlier. This is tackling it at the wrong end of the problem, though, isn't it? So what are you investing in prevention?
MCCARTHY: Yes. It's not so much the wrong end of the problem. We just know that that is a problem and we need to have support for those renal patients who are at that end. But naturally, we've got to also put in programs at the front end. This is really important. I mean, in September last year, I announced a life changing treatment for chronic kidney disease, Forxiga, which was made available to thousands of Australians on the PBS. I mean, that medicine is the first new treatment added to the PBS in more than 20 years for Australians living with proteinuric chronic kidney disease. And this is a chance to get into the proactive space so that people are testing themselves and able to make sure that they don't become a chronic disease patient. So that's that's just one obviously the subsidies that we put on for, you know, medications, we know that people need to keep taking certain kinds of medication to try and prevent them going on it. I'm on a particular medication at the moment to try and prevent me from having to go on, you know, the kidney chair. But probably one day I may possibly get there.
LAVERTY: We only just heard yesterday about the passing of Territorian born and bred Desmo Lewis, who's left everybody in her wake who loved her and celebrated her life. She's died and she died with kidney disease, waiting for a transplant. So has the system failed people like Desmo Lewis.
MCCARTHY: Well, firstly, to to all the family of her, that was a really sad outcome. And it was something that caught all of us by surprise at the suddenness of that. She was just a most outstanding person to all of us and family members indeed. And you know, my heartfelt thoughts there, especially for those of us very close to her. But yes, we have to be mindful that we're losing way too many people, Jo. You know, I've heard patients tell me that when they are diagnosed with this, that they feel it is a death sentence for them. So we have to look at this. It is a chronic disease. It is an absolute concern right across northern Australia in particular, but right across the country. This impacts not just first nations people. And that whole issue of kidney transplants is absolutely critical, too. We've seen some successes. We've also seen some real failures in that area. But what we have to improve is the ability, certainly to first Nations people, to have access to that should they wish.
LAVERTY: On ABC Radio Darwin. This is Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. This week the Federal Government passed new water trigger laws. What are they?
MCCARTHY: Oh yes. So look, this is a significant step in terms of the Pepper Inquiry that was that released its report in 2018 into hydraulic fracturing in the Northern Territory. And one of their recommendations, one of their many recommendations was that a water trigger be implemented in the Federal Parliament. We've seen water triggers for coal seam gas, but we certainly have not seen it for this form of gas in terms of the federal parliament. So that came through on Tuesday night I believe, Jo, we were able to pass that through agreement with crossbenchers. This was quite a significant achievement to ensure more accountability around any planned process with fracking in the Northern Territory.
LAVERTY: And how will they impact those who want to frack the Beetaloo, for example?
MCCARTHY: Well, it just means that they have to ensure that the concerns around water are met as far as the Federal environment minister is concerned. And Tanya Plibersek to her credit, is the minister that made sure this came through. With the assistance of people of the Northern Territory who've lobbied persistently since 2018 to see that the Commonwealth did keep up its end of the bargain as part of the Pepper inquiry. The previous Coalition government did not do that, and we have been able to do that.
LAVERTY: There is going to be a Senate inquiry into the $1.5 billion that the federal government and taxpayers, in fact are putting toward Middle Arm. The inquiry has had more than 100 submissions from industry, government organizations and individuals, some of them pro development at middle arm, some of them very much against. When are those hearings expected to start.
MCCARTHY: Well, I would certainly say to your listeners that committee is no doubt having a look very closely at a lot of the submissions. And I understand that there will be hearings held in the Northern Territory around April, Jo. And can I just remind listeners that this has been an ongoing process. When we had the Beetaloo Inquiry, the Senate inquiry a couple of years ago, which one of its recommendations was to ensure that there was a follow on inquiry, which now is occurring with Middle Arm. So I think for those people both, you know, on all sides of the debate, need to make sure that they are being heard and that their submissions are in and I encourage them to get on to the Senate website.
LAVERTY: Senator, thank you very much for your time this morning.
MCCARTHY: And Jo, just before I go, could I wish you all the best and we're going to miss you very much, listening to your voice in the morning but yep all the best in South Australia. And thank you for having been with us all these years.
LAVERTY: Oh, thank you, Senator. And you've always been very accommodating whenever we ask you to come onto the radio, whatever the topic may be, no matter how difficult. We appreciate your time. Thank you.