GREG JENNETT, HOST: Well, the final parliamentary sitting week before the referendum comes to an end tomorrow, mercifully, some might say perhaps because of that, it has been tetchier than last week was on The Voice, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy has been keeping a watch on it, as she always does, and the most recent flare ups to around professor Langton. Welcome back senator. Marcia Langton I think could be described as a respected and fearless thought leader for Indigenous Australians, maybe even a friend and colleague in your case, did she err in using the labels base racism and she is stupidity against no campaigners? I emphasize not no voters, but no campaigners.
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Well, I would certainly say that Professor Langton is an outstanding Australian and I have mentioned that before. In fact it was her report, Greg, that has really led us to where we are as well. In terms of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, when the Coalition employed both Professor Langton and Tom Calma to conduct their report in regards to The Voice. But I would say this, that, you know, it's been a very, very long journey and no doubt whether it's Professor Langton or others, many people on all sides of this debate can reconsider all sorts of commentary. But I do know that Professor Langton has come out and said that her comments were misquoted, certainly in terms of the context in which she was speaking. And I'm sure she'll be able to speak for herself further in terms of where this goes forward. But I do remind your viewers, Greg, that this is actually not about one or two people. This is about all people across Australia. And I want us to really get back to that.
JENNETT: Do you agree with or see merit in the substance of the broader point that Professor Langton made in Bunbury, that no case arguments being deployed are, well, to put it mildly, substantially wrong, if not wildly misleading. Is that your belief?
MCCARTHY: Look, what I would say is this: that there has been many comments throughout this whole year of this debate. I mean, we could go to Gary Johns and what he said, comments that were never rejected by the opposition and never rejected by Peter Dutton. What I've always cautioned throughout this campaign, even prior to it, Greg, as you well know, is respectful debate. Where we are now is a critical time. There has been selective reporting in terms of commentary and as I said from the outset, I'm sure Professor Langton will deal with those in her own way in terms of the commentary. But I just want to go to the broader issue here is that we've only got one more day of parliament, we're no doubt going to see more things happen and before the referendum. And I would urge Australians to look beyond the conversations here in the Parliament and look with your heart.
JENNETT: So is this an exaggeration? Do you think of the arguments that we're seeing magnified on the floor of the Parliament?
MCCARTHY: Absolutely it is. You know, I reflect back on when Uluru, for example, was handed back to the Anangu, people then said that the sky would cave in, that if you were to ask traditional owners to look after that country and Anangu looked after it for thousands of years. And for that to occur in the 70s was a wonderful thing. We are seeing much similar direction of debate and identity, you know, sort of focus on people's language and use of words, which are important in this. But I have to say that for the tens of thousands of volunteers that are out there doorknocking, talking to Australians, reminding them that this is simply an advisory body, it is simply an advisory body that we're asking Australians to consider and the sky won't fall in.
JENNETT: I know we've spoken on multiple occasions about this sort of ever receding moment or so it seems, anyway, when formal politics, elected politicians in this building are somehow removed or downplayed in the campaign and real people, for want of a better expression, engage on the referendum. In your own mind, does it recede again? And does it happen after Parliament rises for the last time before the referendum tomorrow afternoon?
MCCARTHY: Every time I travel across the country and have the conversations with ordinary Australians, they are listening, they do want to see recognition of First Nations people. They do want to see that support for the voice and there is genuine engagement and support for that. What they don't like is most ordinary Australians don't like is the back and forth tit for tat here in the Parliament. And I'm very relieved actually, Greg, that tomorrow is the final day before we go out on three or four weeks of the final campaign and I call on Australians to really look through what's been going on here.
JENNETT: As levels of frustration rise and they obviously are. I think Professor Langdon's remarks might be a symptom of that. Is it necessary for campaigners and I won't ask you to comment on the No side but your colleagues on the Yes side to suppress those frustrations, so rather than using expressions like base racism, sheer stupidity, do you encourage them to sort of suppress those frustrations?
MCCARTHY: I have walked through this year with with the utmost hope and belief and firm faith that if people look at the clear question here, it is about an advisory body to the parliament, to the executive and advisory body of First Nations people. That is all it simply is and recognition of First Nations people who've been here for thousands of years. And that's a beautiful thing. Greg, I and I find that when it wanders off into all of these other spaces, I like to just bring it back to the simplicity of the question.
JENNETT: Yeah. Well, that is simple enough. Other campaign techniques, I haven't had the chance to ask you, but there've been those reports yesterday about Advance and Fair Australia. They have a coaching manual, if you like, for those who phone people and try to sway them towards the no side of the argument, does any of that cause you concern, failure to identify who they're working for? And can you be certain that none of that occurs on the Yes side?
MCCARTHY: Look, one of the things we've been certainly trying to do here is it's about truth telling. You know, tell the truth throughout this whole campaign. You know, be honest with the Australian people. Certainly be very clear. I think that methods of deceit, of deception are not the Australian way. I certainly am reaching out to people with an open heart and saying, you know, this is a wonderful time in our country if we can say yes to this and move our country forward.