ADAM STEER, HOST: Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has been a proponent of the voice. Senator, thanks for your patience this morning and welcome back to the program. How important is this vote to you personally?
NT SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Oh, very important. I've certainly walked with this journey from 2017 with the Uluru statement from the heart. I wasn't at Anangu country when that came together. But when they did deliver that, we were in opposition at the time. And certainly Linda Burney, Pat Dodson and myself encouraged our side of politics to support this very important request from the First Nations people that gathered there. So it has been a fair while in coming. But on another level, as a Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from the Gulf Country, I've seen many things occur across the Northern Territory, both, you know, in politics and out of politics. And I do believe that we are on the cusp of an important change for our country. And I sincerely hope we can take that next step in terms of 'Yes'.
STEER: We're going to hear after 9:00 this morning about why the polls might be completely misleading. But what's your reaction to the polls at the moment? Because they're not looking particularly favourable for the Yes campaign.
MCCARTHY: I've been out on the ground across not only the Northern Territory but across other states as well, Adam. And I've had nothing but warm hearts, you know, welcomes. People want to know more. They're excited. You know, I remember just in Shepparton where they've had many issues over the years and they see this as pivotal listening to other stories. So I get a very different feel when I'm on the ground and it's that face to face contact with people. I'm conscious with the polls so that, you know, I reflect on the fact that we went to the 2019 election and everyone said we were going to win. And to wake up the next day and we didn't. So I've learned from those experiences that the only poll that really does matter is the one that actually occurs on the day.
STEER: Yeah. And interestingly the younger voters are those 35 and younger don't have landlines. They're unlikely to pick up strange phone calls and so they're not going to get scooped up into the polls. So we'll see what happens. But the big question, though, and we just heard it, we heard an easy example of it when journalist Cameron went out and just asked some locals whether they were voting yes or not or had they decided. It's clear that for a lot of voters, they don't feel they have enough information to make a decision. How are you going to address that?
MCCARTHY: Well, we've stepped up into 5th gear Adam, in terms of the prime minister's announcement of the referendum. And we have no other chance now but to make sure that people do get the information. And I would just urge your listeners to either ring my office or go on the Australian Electoral Commission website. Go on the NIAA website, go on the Yes23 website. There is information out there and I just urge your listeners to have a look. This is about our democracy in action and referendums are very rare in our country. They are very difficult to win. And I just urge your listeners to get as much information as they can because it is out there. But I did hear I think it was Jo and yourself mentioned that that Jade Ritchie and others will be speaking. I mean, Lawson Broad will be part of that. There will be forums here in Darwin with Rachel Perkins. Please go to those events. They'll be the same in Alice Springs. You'll now see public forums where people can go and ask publicly those questions as well.
JO LAVERTY, HOST: Yeah, and make sure whichever way you end up going, whether it's yes or no, make sure you are informed that you've done the research. You haven't just listened to your uncle on Facebook, you haven't just listened to the mainstream media. You need to really go and get that information yourself to make your own decision.
MCCARTHY: I totally agree. And I urge all Australians, but in particular our Territorians, that your vote does matter. You know, I've heard different people saying, oh well, the territories vote doesn't count. Please let me tell you it matters very much in the overall count of votes across the country and get yourselves informed. We are a democracy and that's a wonderful thing about our country and this is our opportunity to to make our vote count.
LAVERTY: Senator McCarthy, perhaps I can put you some of the worries and the criticisms and you can address it. So Bill has already sent a text in saying 'I'm absolutely voting no. Everybody in this country is equal'. What do you say to that?
MCCARTHY: Well, that's the reason why we are going to a referendum. We have the greatest disadvantage for First Nations people. I've been working with Closing the Gap for just the last 12 months in government and prior to that in opposition. And we just cannot seem to shift the dial on the livelihoods for First Nations people to empower them to be at the table. So clearly what we're doing is not working, and I would respectfully disagree.
LAVERTY: One of the people that Cameron Carr spoke to in the mall said, I just want to know where all the money is going to be going and coming from. So is there money tied to this, senator?
MCCARTHY: Well, there will always have to be some kind of support for a voice like a secretariat of some kind. But I think what we have to realize is there's significant funds that go in now and we need to make sure that it's cost effective. And that's what I'm saying at the moment. I'm traveling with my health hat on, looking at, you know, locating 30 dialysis units of four chairs across Australia. We shouldn't even be dealing with the fact that people are suffering from renal disease at an early age of 12, 15, 17 people who are dealing with diabetes, heart failure, suicide rates at phenomenal rates. So a lot of our cost goes in the after care of people who are already down the track. And if we can turn that around at the front end, that will be a significant improvement.
LAVERTY: But how will a voice do that?
MCCARTHY: Well, this is where empowering the First Nations people to give advice to the parliament, irrespective of who's in government, is quite significant. This is about the structural change to the way the Westminster government works or how the Westminster system of Parliament works. It has not included First Nations people per say. It certainly includes Australians. But when we look at the Closing the Gap figures and those figures are not closing, we have had here a request from First Nations people to go down this path and we believe in it. We took it to the election last year. We took it as a mandate, as part of winning government and we're following through and keeping to our word to take it to the referendum and ask the Australian people what they think.
LAVERTY: Well, Senator McCarthy, it's action stations now. Campaigning really begins. Good to speak with you. Go well in your fifth year.