GREG JENNETT, HOST: Now, Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is also assistant minister for Indigenous Australians. Her work, has brought Senator McCarthy back to Canberra, here in Parliament House today. She joined us a short time ago. Malarndirri McCarthy, you're back with us for 2024. A pleasure and welcome as always. Why don't we start out with stage three tax cuts since most of the nation is talking about that. So I imagine there'll be more winners than losers on the dollars in the Northern Territory where you come from. But at the same time, Territorians are pretty notorious for their blunt messaging and feedback. What blowback have you received for the Broken promise element of this?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Interestingly enough, Greg, we've been really focused on the fact that we've had severe flooding, in the Northern Territory, in particular from the Stuart Highway up to the west of the territory. So there's been a large focus on just the day to day at the moment. So with, the cost of food, the ability to get food and, you know, freighted there. But we have been able to indicate to Territorians that, you know, we're looking saying, for example, in Darwin and Palmerston, over 50,000 people who will benefit. And that may not sound like a lot of numbers, nationally, but for the Northern Territory and in particular, the capital city, this is really important. People see the tax issue as one that will matter, will make a difference. And with the low inflation rate and the announcement of, where we're hopefully heading in that direction in terms of the economy, it's just given some real encouragement.
JENNETT: Okay. So it's been coupled with, unfortunately, the flooding, the fact that there are 50,000 people better off. Are you saying that has muted any negative feedback to you?
MCCARTHY: Look, I have only received the positivity. In fact, if there's one thing that has been coming through my inbox, it has been the gratitude around the change in the tax. I haven't, as opposed to what the opposition are saying, and some elements of the media, haven't received any real concerns whatsoever around, the Prime Minister's statement on it. It's more about the fact that it's going to make a real difference to people's lives.
JENNETT: Interesting. All right. Thanks for that. Medicare. Its anniversary today. It turns 40 years old. I suppose it's fine to celebrate something that has probably enhanced the lives of millions of Australians over the years. But on indigenous health specifically, which is your day job keeping an eye on, there's really not much that has changed, is there, over the last 40 years. Stubborn gaps of disadvantage are still there now, if not worse in some cases than they were 40 years ago. Are you comfortable with this celebration?
MCCARTHY: Well, let me talk about Medicare first. Yes, you know, happy birthday! 40 years. I think it's a policy that we are very proud of. And the fact that it still exists, even though it has been threatened, at various times when, the Coalition, were in government. Greg, it's been important to maintain that, but not only maintain it, we've tripled, you know, the (bulk-billing) rates around Medicare to enable people, especially in regional and remote Australia, to have the access to GP's to be able to do this without worrying about their health and their ability to pay for it. So I find that, it is worth celebrating. We are very proud of Medicare, and we want to see people being able to access it wherever they are.
JENNETT: But even correct me if I'm wrong, but in the most remote of indigenous communities, perhaps even the most disadvantaged of them, it's not so much a Medicare service that's provided as a fully salaried, clinic and health service provided by government. Does more need to be done on that front or what are you doing on that front? As we celebrate 40 years of that.
MCCARTHY: Well, let me certainly remind your viewers that, as a result of being able to have Medicare, we can have more access to GP's, to doctors in our remote regions, that our Aboriginal community medical centers across Australia, are able to work, because of the funding that comes through in this area. And we are able to do those things. What I'm going to look at this year, Greg, in terms of indigenous health, is I want to see the rolling out of our renal dialysis units. We're going to roll out 30 units of four chairs, across communities, over the next couple of years, we made that commitment in the last budget. We're also going to see, 500 Aboriginal health clinicians trained. There's, you know, over 100, 150 so far, close to that we'd like to announce at a certain time. So we are pushing in the health space, and obviously there's still more work to do. We've got rheumatic heart disease, which is a disease that we shouldn't have in this country. And also in terms of trachoma, we want to eradicate that.
JENNETT: All right. Well, you have a specific agenda there which you have outlined. Can I get you to broaden out indigenous policy in general after the failure of The Voice last year? We spoke about this throughout the year and again at the end of 2023. I know that you're heavily responsible for leading the reset or the rebuild. Where are you to.
MCCARTHY: Well, we've got Parliament starting next week, Greg, as you know, and then the following week of Parliament will be, the Closing the Gap day and also the Stolen Generations in terms of the apology to the Stolen Generations in the Parliament. So that will come up. And in that we want to look at, the next steps forward. I'd like to say-.
JENNETT: Will there be specific announcements about a direction or new policies around those two occasions?
MCCARTHY: Well, I'd like to certainly say to your audience that, it is around jobs- we want to see, with the improvement in the economy, with what we're doing in the tax space, with what we're doing with cheaper childcare, cheaper medicine that we want to see the jobs on the ground for First Nations people, and there will be an absolute focus on that.
JENNETT: Just explain that. How do some of those policies you just referenced, which in many ways I suppose are cost of living policies?
MCCARTHY: So, well, for example, if you look at a community in the Northern Territory, we have the aged care sector. What we did last year was increase the wages in terms of the care sector. We have childcare. We obviously want to encourage, more children into childcare, more families ensuring that their children not only go to childcare, but then go on to school. In the Northern Territory, you have the Families as First teachers program, which begins as babies. And so we want to see that progress forward. There can be jobs in all of these spaces, and we'll obviously be looking at the community development program as one of those.
JENNETT: All right. Bit of momentum being developed there in the Northern Territory, which you represent. There was a bit of a setback, for Tiwi Islanders and others who have been fighting in the federal court for quite a long time. A Santos gas project known as Barossa. Now, earlier this month, the court was highly critical of cultural evidence presented in this Timor Gas project. What are the implications for indigenous communities? It sounded like there was quite a rebuke there for mounting challenges with these sorts of evidence. Do you think it will deter them from doing so in future?
MCCARTHY: Well, I certainly think that in that particular case, integrity in the work that people do, irrespective of who you are and what organization you work for, is absolutely critical, Greg. And we expect that, of ourselves, in this Parliament, and we certainly expect that, on the ground with people who are working, whether they're working with Aboriginal communities or families, whether they're working with other organizations. That's an expectation that I think, should always be met.
JENNETT: Does it mean communities are sometimes exploited by assistance in this case, witnesses in these sort of cases who who lack that integrity?
MCCARTHY: Look, I haven't had the opportunity personally to speak to the Environmental Defenders Office or any of those involved. I would just say from the outset that, no doubt it would have been very disappointing, for those involved in the case, and I'm sure they are having a good look at what occurred and how to best move forward from that.
JENNETT: All right. We're going to wrap up shortly, but, I can't let you go Malarndirri McCarthy, without a question about the search for a new Governor-General. The country needs one by the middle of next year. Prime Minister Albanese took a question on it again today. Are you getting any correspondence making the case for an indigenous head of state?
MCCARTHY: No, I haven't received anything in my inbox Greg, and then I was wondering maybe would you like that position, Greg? Haha. Not that I can offer it but anyway.
JENNETT: But you are a proud Indigenous woman, and this is a historical gap, many might say in that high office. Is it time to be filled by a First Nations person.
MCCARTHY: Oh, look, I have no doubt, that there'll be many Australians of good quality who would be interested in that position. And I'm sure the Prime Minister, in due course, will go through the appropriate, processes, to enable that appointment to occur and whoever it may be, I certainly know that, they will serve this country very well.
JENNETT: All right. Well, he and you will be in the same vicinity roughly next week when Parliament resumes. You could possibly put in a quick and polite word to the Prime Minister. Malarndirri McCarthy. Great to catch up and we'll do it throughout the year.
MCCARTHY: Lovely to see you. Greg. Thank you.