SARAH MORICE, HOST: Now, if you live in a regional or remote part of Australia, getting around to carry out everyday tasks like grocery shopping or getting to school can be a bit of a logistical ordeal. That's probably an understatement. But for those living with serious and complex health issues, distance and wild, unpredictable weather can make the difference between life and death. And so the Federal Government is announcing three new renal dialysis units in remote Queensland and Western Australia to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with severe kidney disease better access to life saving treatment closer to home, closer to family, closer to community and Country as well. Indigenous Australian adults are twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to have chronic kidney disease and almost four times as likely to die from the condition. Malarndirri McCarthy is the Assistant Indigenous Health Minister and she joins us now. Hello, Minister.
ASSISTANT MINISTER MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Good morning, Sarah, and good morning to your listeners.
HOST: Let's talk about renal dialysis and having those machines close to home. How vital is that?
McCARTHY: Absolutely critical, Sarah. This is a scourge of a disease that impacts so many First Nations families right across Australia. I was just in the Torres Straits recently and there were Elders from Badu Island, one of the furthest islands in the Torres Straits, who came to meet with me at Thursday Island, really calling for help. They said that a lot of their family members go to Cairns for renal dialysis and pretty much they prepare for them to come home in coffins.
HOST: Oh, gosh, that's sad, isn't it? And so is the ability to get quick treatment so vital or is it the ability to be able to live near where you have to be for that treatment?
McCARTHY: It's about the quality of life, Sarah. You know, people on renal dialysis normally have to travel a long way from their home community and ultimately can never really return. And as that Elder said, a lot of them return to pretty much die on country.
HOST: Malarndirri, you've got some personal experience when it comes to dialysis. You cared for your mum for ten years while she was going through treatment. What was that like for you and your family?
McCARTHY: Well, that was certainly a blessing to be able to have mum for that extra time. The challenge, of course, was that she was relocated 1000 kilometres from her home country of Borroloola and we looked after her in Darwin, where she had to have access to the renal dialysis units and the chairs and the specialists and the dietitians and every other expert that you need to try and keep you going. But ultimately, you know, we never were able to return her home to live on Country. And I think when I travel Australia now to listen to the stories of First Nations families asking for these chairs in their remote areas, I can certainly understand fully the importance of that request.
HOST: I guess we all, when the time comes, want to die with our loved ones around us, ideally somewhere where we call home. But how important is it for Indigenous people to die on country?
McCARTHY: Well, I think, firstly, First Nations people want to live Sarah, you know, this is really the scourge of this horrible disease. We want to look at the proactive beginnings of trying to prevent First Nations people having this scourge of a disease. But ultimately, we know that those who actually are in the chronic end of kidney disease, we want their life to be comfortable. And for places like Badu Island, now, we've been able to announce that we can deliver four chairs on that island. We're going to be able to do it in the Pilbara, at the Aboriginal Health Alliance there at Tom Price, and we're going to do it at Ngangganawili in Wiluna in Western Australia. So, I am mindful that the importance of being on Country matters.
HOST: They are very remote communities for people who might not be quite across the geography. Can you explain to us just how remote they are and how this changes the game for those people that need that treatment?
McCARTHY: Well, let's take the Torres Straits, for example. Many people have to go to Cairns for treatment there. I did visit the Cairns hospital and certainly listened to the staff there and the issues they had with some of the patients that needed care in Cairns in terms of accommodation, in terms of treatment. But there is treatment also on Thursday Island with one or two renal chairs there. But they do need extra support in the Torres Straits. In Western Australia, the Pilbara, as many Australians would know, is a vast area of land, quite remote, and the access to having renal dialysis chairs is scarce, and many people would have to go to Perth. We've also announced previously, you know, dialysis chairs in the Northern Territory where normally people would have to go to Alice Springs or to Katherine, but now they can perhaps go to places like Ti-Tree, which is where we're hoping to have our chairs developed. And I'm also hoping to see one in Borroloola as well.
HOST: Yeah, of course, that one would mean quite a bit to you. I mean, it's extraordinary to think that there are some people in Australia having to travel by boat to get this sort of treatment, so we can understand the need for it. But while I've got you here, I also wanted to touch on another topic. Your government is reportedly preparing to appoint an independent administrator to overhaul the CFMEU. This, of course, in the wake of the allegations that criminal people have been infiltrating some projects with the CFMEU and government projects at that. The NSW Premier, Chris Minns, has taken steps to suspend the CFMEU from the Labor party and certainly suspend any political donations. What steps should the federal Labor Party be taking and should you guys also be suspending political donations?
McCARTHY: Well, we've certainly seen the Minister for Workplace Relations come out this week and say that all options are on the table, Sarah, in terms of dealing with this matter. And obviously when Tony Burke has those options before him, he will speak when appropriate. But may I also add, though, just having read some of the newspapers in Victoria this morning, I noticed that the Yoorrook Truth and Justice Commission in Victoria is also going to probe its own inquiry. And I am concerned about the allegations against First Nations workers as well in amidst all of this. So, it's important to be able to see what's actually happening in that space and I'll certainly be following up on that.
HOST: Indeed it is. I thank you for your time this morning. Much appreciated.
McCARTHY: No worries, Sarah. Thank you.