FLOYD DOYLE: Speaking about being ready, I wasn’t even ready for what has just happened here at CAAMA radio. You wouldn't believe who's just walked into my studio, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. How are you, my friend? I haven't seen you for a long time.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, and good morning to all your listeners. I thought, yeah, look, I'm just going to drop in and see what you're doing and hang out for a little bit.
FLOYD DOYLE: Yeah, good to see you. Okay, now you're in town here, and that's the most important thing and you've launched a few things in regards to budgeting for Central Australia. Can we go through those? Now there's a community led safety patrols. Why was the funding boosted?
MINISTER McCARTHY: You're coming up to summer, and one of the things that I'm really conscious of is we need to have programs for our young people across Alice and Central Australia. We don't want what we saw over the last few years to happen again, and I'm certainly investing in our organisations here in Alice Springs and across the region to give you the support to try and see that our youth, in particular, and their families are okay, and that all families can enjoy the Christmas holidays.
FLOYD DOYLE: Okay. And you mentioned there about other programs and that. Will there be more activities, like, say, that funding could go into the remote communities? For an example, you know, because some communities say the small programs aren't running anymore, they weren't running anymore – like basketball, for the kids.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Yeah. It's really important to also acknowledge the Central Desert and MacDonnell Regional Councils as well. You know, there are so many staff who are trying to do their best in each of our communities in the central region. So, they are very much thought of in terms of the funding that we've provided, and the staff at the National Indigenous Australians Agency is certainly working on that on my behalf. And if there's any issues, if I can just say to your listeners, please reach out. I'm always available, if not through my office, then through the NIAA, so you can always speak to one of my staff about what's going on in your community and if you're feeling that way. I actually met with the Youth Roundtable yesterday, and one of the youth representatives from Titjikala said that, you know, they're really keen to see some more support for their youth hub and their youth centre. And I think those sorts of – that kind of advocacy is really important, so I'm hearing you, and I certainly love hearing from our young people and what they have to say about the things they need.
FLOYD DOYLE: And the thing that the people here from the Northern Territory understand, and they know, is you're from the Northern Territory, see, so they know they've got a sister girl sitting right there, you know, so we could try and get a hold of her and ask her some questions. There's also some funding in regards to boarding schools.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Yeah, that's right. So, one of the other areas we looked at with the Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, he came here earlier this year and last year to look at the educational side of the concerns that families were raising and organisations were raising about getting kids to school, and then one of the things we did was have a review of the education system in Central Australia, and what came through was the need for more support for boarding schools, along with schools themselves, of course. So, we provided $18 million that schools could tender for if they needed to either establish a boarding school or revamp their boarding school. So, we had quite a few tenders put in. And the successful ones are Yirara College, which will receive $10 million to refurb and do the work that is required for its boarding facilities. St Philip’s will get over $1 million for its facilities, and Yipirinya College will get $6.3 million.
FLOYD DOYLE: Yeah, great news. And you said like in the future if other schools wanted to, you know, set up a boarding facility, they could approach you guys on that as well.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Well, that was really important to get a sense from the many discussions we had across Alice Springs and across Central Australia was around education. You know, everyone's really concerned that unless our kids have a good education, then they just don't really have much of a chance, and I'm so conscious of that. I went to boarding school here in Alice Springs. We, all of us kids from Borroloola, we'd just get on a bus and come down. Some of us went to St Philip’s, I went to the old OLSH Boarding College before they shut that down and opened it up as a new secondary school for the Catholic schools. So, you know, it's important that we all have access to some good education somewhere, whether it's in our community, in our homelands, here in Alice Springs, or in a boarding school.
FLOYD DOYLE: That's interesting how you just said there before that you're listening to what the community's saying, and that sort of thing. Now since the defeat of the Voice to Parliament, what are Labor doing to address the concerns from remote voters who overwhelmingly voted ‘Yes’ to the referendum? Because you said, well, you're actually listening.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Yeah, that was a really difficult time for our country and for people who voted ‘Yes’ in particular, especially for First Nations people and families. I travel the country quite regularly really now, and at the time, not long after the referendum, there was a real sense of despair and deep sadness. For many there was a lot of anger as well. And I think with the referendum anniversary this week, it really was a time to just say let's dust ourselves off now and just get on with the job. We know as First Nations people, we've had lots of disappointments over the years – over the decades probably, and centuries. But you know, we're still here, we're resilient, we don't give up. We might have a bit of a rest for a little while, but we'll get back up again. And that's exactly what I'm doing. I mean I – pretty much after the referendum, you know, we accepted the outcome, the Australian Government. We accepted the outcome, the people have spoken, we were disappointed with the outcome, but I've just had to get on with it.
FLOYD DOYLE: Yeah, I think for the Minister for, you know, Indigenous Australians and that, because of what happened with that referendum, you may have taken it personally, and actually you're going to go out there and do it yourself, sort of thing, and speak to the remote people all around Australia.
MINISTER McCARTHY: And that's my job. So, I'm – and I love it, you know, I love getting out and about everywhere and just listening to people and having a few laughs too. You know, I think we've got to remember that we can laugh, and that's one of the things that I do love about our mob – we know how to have a good laugh, and especially in amidst some real sad times, you know. We're at funerals a lot, we're dealing with difficult situations with family members, it's hard yakka, you know. There are policies that don't work in our favour at times, but there are policies that do work in our favour, and I reach out to all people and say, look, let's try and rise above some of these things and get on with it and work together. You know, it's really important to me to try to work together, and I do do that in the Parliament, try and reach out. It's really hard, of course. You know, we don't all think the same as politicians. But I do believe that in terms of Indigenous issues and the absolute poverty and disadvantage that many face, I do ask politicians to try and work together.
FLOYD DOYLE: Yeah, and as you've said, and as we all know, being Indigenous people ourselves, is that our mob is very resilient, hey, when it comes to adversity.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Very much so, very much so. And we probably see way too many, too much of our share of sadness and despair, but I am proud as a Yanyuwa-Garrwa woman to be in this role to keep trying to encourage people to get up and keep going, you know, link arms, we can do this, and we can rise above this.
FLOYD DOYLE: Well said. Now just finally now, what's your thoughts on the new Territory Government's youth laws that they've tabled this week there in Parliament, like lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10?
MINISTER McCARTHY: It's very disappointing that the piece of legislation had to be rushed through as it did, there was really no need for that. Of course, the government had flagged that they were going to do this piece of legislation, but they haven't given it the time that was required. In terms of a responsible time, they could have tabled, they could have introduced the legislation and then had a conversation across the Territory about it through their committees of Parliament, and then maybe debate it in December or early next year and just give people in the Northern Territory a chance, especially those advocates who work in the youth space, a chance to speak and have their voices heard. It's very disappointing.
FLOYD DOYLE: Okay. Well, I'd like to thank Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians and Senator for the Northern Territory, dropping in to have a Breakfast in the Desert here on CAAMA Radio, mate.
MINISTER McCARTHY: Love it. Thank you. Enjoy your day and enjoy your day to all your listeners.
FLOYD DOYLE: And thank you very much.