GREG JENNETT, HOST: Well, our first guest today will be involved in that (referendum) working group meeting tomorrow. And like Natasha Fyles, Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is on the move to take part. She's Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Malarndirri McCarthy joins us live now from Sydney. Very important round of talks, Senator. Can I ask exactly what we should expect to come from what I understand to be one of the presumed to be one of the final meetings of the working group? Will it answer timing and refined text for the referendum question?
NORTHERN TERRITORY SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Hello Greg. Good to be back. Look, I wouldn't say it's the final meeting. I would say it's the very first of an important year of meetings for the working group and the engagement group as it continues to reach out to Australians right across the country, Greg. I think it's really important that the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accepted the invitation and and we warmly welcome that. And of course Julian Leeser, it is important that they are able to interact with the members of the working group but also listen and ask questions that they wish to of the working group. We are very, very determined to keep working with all, all parties.
JENNETT: So that sends a very positive and constructive attitude to adopt on the way into it. I guess there are no surprises really in the questions that Peter Dutton and Julian Leeser may put to you, all those of you involved in the round of discussions, because they've been put publicly and in letters to the Prime Minister, 15 in total. What have you done in advance to try to prepare some answers and if not you then others on the Referendum Working Group?
MCCARTHY: Look, we have a great group on the working group and I know they've prepared very well. Professor Megan Davis, Professor Marcia Langton, Noel Pearson, just to name a few, have prepared well for this gathering in Canberra with the Opposition Leader and with Julian Leeser, but also with obviously Linda Burney and Pat Dodson. So this is actually about having the conversations that perhaps Peter Dutton hasn't had the chance to have, and I think that's going to be an important moment for our country. This will be a critical time where they can see and when I say they, the Opposition can see that there has been a great deal of work done and this is the time to hear.
JENNETT: You make it almost sound like with the right attitude from all parties, this could be a bit of a swing moment. One way of bipartisanship. Do you honestly think bipartisanship could be locked in tomorrow?
MCCARTHY: Oh, look, I am firmly an optimist, Greg. Always have been throughout my life remain so on this journey. I firmly believe this is a beautiful thing for our country. If we can walk this the right way with good hearts and open hearts with the fact of asking questions respectfully and knowing that if we don't agree, let's come back to the table and work out what that is. And if we can maintain those values, it will be so much better for our country.
JENNETT: Would it be fair to say that some of those questions, despite your best endeavours, may be unanswerable tomorrow? Who will be eligible to serve on the body? How much will it cost taxpayers annually? We haven't seen anything in the public domain that suggests they're even prepared yet, let alone addressed.
MCCARTHY: Well, you wouldn't say that in the public domain yet, because the working group is doing exactly that, Greg. I mean, we really have only had six months to try and get the working group together and the engagement group, and they've met a couple of times. So there has been a need to obviously set up this system to prepare for the referendum. But can I also add firstly, we've got to also deal with the legislative needs of the machinery of the referendum, and that's a piece of legislation we're going to talk about in the next sittings of Parliament about running a referendum in this century, which is very different to the last.
JENNETT: Yeah we're actually going to have a discussion on this program today with Anne Twomey, who has been offering some public advice on that. I want to wrap up on The Voice very shortly and then take you to some Northern Territory matters. Malarndirri McCarthy, Tony Nutt, an influential Liberal figure in his day, former chief of staff to John Howard and Liberal Party director. He's announced today that he's joining the Board of Australians for Constitutional Recognition. What significance do you think that might carry? I'm not asking you to be liberal commentator but within the sort of broader conservative side of politics, getting a figure like him on board.
MCCARTHY: There is no doubt. Greg, We have to reach out to conservatives across Australia, whether they're in the Conservative Party or whether they just generally conservative as Australians. And we know that our country is pretty much conservative in terms of change and we've got to really work with all people to try and encourage them to feel courageous in that change and unafraid to take the steps because this is a significant moment. So whether it's Tony, whether it's other people who want to come on board, I certainly welcome that.
JENNETT: Yeah, that was a significant development, I suppose. Came out just this afternoon. Why don't I take you over to Alice Springs now? Malarndirri McCarthy, Have you been briefed? Have you been briefed so far on the contents of the Darrell Anderson report?
MCCARTHY: I am waiting for an opportunity to read the report. I understand that the Prime Minister is going through that as well as the Indigenous Affairs Minister, Linda Burney. So I'm hoping tomorrow that Marion Scrymgour and myself will be able to go through that. And I'd just like to say to your viewers that whilst people are on their way to Canberra, I'm actually returning to Darwin because I need to also speak with organisations in the Northern Territory about this particular report before going to Parliament next week. So I'll be joining the working group and the referendum group via Teams from, from Larrakia Country.
JENNETT: Oh, okay, thanks for clarifying that. We knew you're on the move, but not in which direction.
MCCARTHY: I often wonder where I'm going too Greg, dont worry.
JENNETT: Exactly. All right. So what's been done? Short term respite measures were announced last week. That's how they're being described. How quickly will you, following a reading of this report or a briefing on it, need to outline more permanent measures, especially, but not restricted to alcohol?
MCCARTHY: Well, quite immediately, in my view, Greg, obviously others will have different views, but the issue is urgent, has been urgent. And we've seen that with the the recent or the current alcohol restrictions. But it is more than alcohol. We know that it's about the families, the young people and the work with those organisations around Alice Springs and Central Australia to have the capacity to be able to assist them. So this is going to be important in coming out of this report. I certainly want to see an outcome too that as soon as possible.
JENNETT: Now, as we said in preamble to an earlier piece of tape involving Natasha Fyles, she's still backing the idea of ballots, community by community on alcohol management plans. Where do you stand on that? Noting as we do that there's going to have to be federal territory consensus on nearly everything around these issues, is it feasible?
MCCARTHY: Look, I understand the Chief Minister has to have a plan and perhaps a long term plan, but in my view, we recognise that alcohol is a real scourge and not just in Central Australia but right across the Northern Territory. We've heard from other local government areas who've raised the concerns in the Northern Territory and whilst there may be an opportunity in the long term for any kind of ballot, I think in the immediate instance there has to be something else done. People need reprieve now, they need circuit breakers and they need resourcing.
JENNETT: She also seems, Natasha Fyles not to be inclined towards, although she says it's on the table, Territory wide alcohol bans, citing the fact that when they were in place before the Racial Discrimination, Anti Discrimination Act had to be suspended to make that happen. Does that sound like a negative argument? Is it that complex legally in your view?
MCCARTHY: Look, I do believe that the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly does have sufficient powers to enable those communities across the Northern Territory to be dry. There are already numerous communities that are dry, but the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly does have the capacity to do it, Greg. And this is where I think the pressure has to be applied. I know in my conversations with the Chief Minister and with the Attorney General of the Northern Territory that I've expressed that. So I do believe that other steps can be taken immediately, right now.
JENNETT: Okay, we'll wait for those, you know, perhaps as early as tomorrow. You've got a bit on your plate right now, Malarndirri McCarthy but clearing out a few minutes for us with some pretty frank views there. Really appreciate that. We'll talk again soon.
MCCARTHY: No worries, Greg, Thank you.