VIRGINIA TRIOLI, HOST: It is Reconciliation Week, and you may have heard this morning that the Prime Minister gave the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration in Adelaide last night. Malarndirri McCarthy is the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and the Labor Senator for the Northern Territory.
NT SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Good morning Virginia, and good morning to your listeners. And can I just reach out Virginia, after listening to your previous interview to Leanne and Matthew, but also to all the families around the Hamilton community on such a deeply, deeply sad time. The tragedy there has touched all Australians, and my sincere condolences to all of you.
TRIOLI: I want to talk to you about Reconciliation Week, but just on that issue, because I know that would be this would be a top of mind issue for people like you, too, particularly coming from the territory. The idea of of gathering up, you know, young, potentially bored teenagers who are seeking adrenaline rushes and the like and and the temptation of taking that car out on that long, straight stretch of road. You must be gravely concerned for members of your young community as well. What are the steps that communities like yours are taking to try and gather those kids in and take them off that path?
MCCARTHY: Oh, look, that's, you know, front of mind for us here Virginia in particular, as people would have seen earlier in the year, the concerns that we had around Alice Springs, in particular with a lot of our young people, and we've had to work very closely with organizations on the ground in Central Australia. And, you know, there's always that fear for families and youth that working with schools, with teachers, with the people who are with our young people every single day, aside from families. So this is a constant reminder that we've got to keep teaching them.
TRIOLI: The Prime Minister gave the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration last night in Adelaide, and he was speaking about how confident he is. He says that the 'no' campaign is underestimating Australians in the lead up to the voice referendum and he believes, he used the phrase the Chicken Littles of this world. He doesn't believe that Australians will fall prey to that kind of fear mongering is how he phrased it. What do you think?
MCCARTHY: Well, I reflect on many of the battles we've had in the Northern Territory. For example, you know, the handing back of Uuru to the Anangu people. And at the time there was all sorts of things being said, and this was in the 80's, Virginia. And then of course, more recently with the closure of the Uluru climb and all the horrible, horrible things were said which made really that reference that the sky was going to fall in if any of these things occurred. And none of that has happened. And the Prime Minister, I believe, is absolutely correct when he says that, you know, Australians are being underestimated. I do believe in the goodness of our country and that people will see through a lot of the distraction that's going on at the moment.
TRIOLI: This is part of the Prime Minister's Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration last night. The Prime Minister speaking. Have a listen.
PRIME MINISTER GRAB: And what shines so brightly at the very core of its gracious request is the desire to bring us all closer together as a people reconciled and to lift our great nation even higher. This will be about recognition of this continent's first people in the nations birth certificate .
TRIOLI: The prime minister speaking there about bringing people together. Do you believe as an indigenous woman, do you believe it's possible to bring together those quite high profile other Indigenous Australians who are spearheading the no campaign and come closer together in mutual support for recognition? And what follows afterwards as well? Is there some meeting of the ground here? That's possible.
MCCARTHY: I have a great deal of hope Virginia you know, I've been around for many decades and I do firmly believe you've got to keep working on those relationships. We stumble a bit and we might fall down, but we can never give up. One of the wonderful things I've always found working in politics and you do have to look for that bright light, is my love for democracy and the importance of being able to speak. Put your arguments, but you must also do so in a respectful way. And I still firmly believe that there is so many people out there who want to believe in this, and we've got to keep reaching out to them.
TRIOLI: I think it's possible to. But I can also tell you that on a program in a station like this, Malarndirri McCarthy, that I'm seeing the messages now coming in suggesting that the kind of recognition that is being proposed in the establishment of a voice puts one part of the community on a higher pedestal than the other, that the Constitution actually doesn't recognize people on an ethnic or race basis. And starting to do this for them is problematic. What would you say to that?
MCCARTHY: I would say to those listeners that. Let's remember, this is an advisory body. Let's remember that this is about First nations people who have not had that voice to be able to advise on issues in matters and pieces of legislation that impact them. I can speak about the Northern Territory intervention here when that occurred without any consultation whatsoever, and it's had a profound impact, traumatic in so many respects for so many people here in the Northern Territory still, and we carry the effects of that. So this advisory body to your listeners, if I may, this is an opportunity for our country to say no more to not listening to First Nations people. Let them have their voice, let them have their say on pieces of legislation and policies that will impact them and their descendants.