Topics: Government response to Senate Inquiry into murdered and missing First Nations women, NT Coroner’s findings.
SABRA LANE, HOST: This next interview might be distressing, as we're going to discuss system failings and what it will take to change it. First Nations women are seven times more likely to be murdered than non‑Indigenous women, with three out of four killed by a current or former partner. The Federal Government has just responded to a two‑year parliamentary inquiry into the issue. That coincided with the Northern Territory Coroner yesterday handing down findings into the deaths of four First Nations women.
Malarndirri McCarthy is the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Minister, welcome to AM.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, Sabra, and good morning to your listeners.
SABRA LANE: Indigenous women make up 16 per cent of Australia's murder victims, yet they're two to three per cent of the adult population. They are 20 per cent of those reported missing each year. The Northern Territory Coroner said yesterday it is a national shame; you say that as well. Many will wonder, why haven't we stopped this already?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It's horrific, absolutely, and I recognise that the many families who gave evidence to the Senate Inquiry over three years also felt the same, Sabra, in terms of their voices needing to be heard about their family members missing and murdered. This has gone on way too long. But I do commend the Senate, and Senator Dorinda Cox in particular, for bringing this forward to the Parliament. It was certainly championed by Linda Burney while we were in Opposition. This time the Australian Parliament is taking notice. It is a long time coming, Sabra, but we have to act, and that's the clear message that's come through, not only this Senate Inquiry, but consistently over the last number of years.
SABRA LANE: The Northern Territory Coroner yesterday said racist attitudes and stereotypes meant that violence against Indigenous women was minimised or dismissed because of an attitude that violence against women is an Aboriginal problem. Does that sum up why this is a national shame?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well I see it as a lived reality, as a Yanyuwa Garrawa person myself, Sabra, I've seen it with my own family members, my aunties, my cousins who experience horrific forms of violence. There is something in the system in Australia that seems to just go, "Mmm, that's okay." But it's not okay, and people who work in the family and domestic violence sector, incredible staffers, women who lead these shelters, I've been speaking with them, they break down, because they feel that the system isn't changing. And I do believe that the work of this Senate Inquiry has certainly brought it to the forefront for the Australian Parliament to the point where the Australian Prime Minister brought all the Premiers and Chief Ministers together to say, "enough". And so at the national level, this has now been heard.
SABRA LANE: You paid tribute to Senator Dorinda Cox, but she says that she is disappointed that the Government's only addressed two of the recommendations out of 10 recommendations.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I spoke with Senator Cox in the lead up to delivering the report. I mean I speak to her quite regularly. She is a champion for Western Australia in terms of the family domestic violence space and children. I know that there will always be an expectation for more to be done, but I will say this, Sabra, I met with the Indigenous Affairs Ministers just recently from around the country. We have placed those issues of policing and justice on the agenda firmly of First Nations Ministers across the country in terms of our roles and responsibilities, of the high incarceration rates, how can we look at remand, being other avenues in terms of accommodation; these are things that those ministers are tasked with to take back to their Cabinets.
SABRA LANE: States and territories, as you've pointed out, are responsible for the policing. How will you hold their feet to the fire and ensure that they actually are accountable?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: This is the challenge, isn’t it? We've seen two areas of the country, jurisdictions, Queensland and the Northern Territory change. When I did meet with Ministers from around the country, the Queensland Minister was an apology, but I did work closely with even Tasmania, I know that they are Liberal Governments, but this is above politics. And this is what I've been urging from the moment I stepped into this portfolio, that we have to rise above this. This is too critical, we are losing too many First Nations people.
SABRA LANE: There’ll be a new partnership in place from July next year, more funding for legal services from July next year. The Shadow Minister says that doesn't reflect the urgency of the situation, describing it as a crippling epidemic. How do you respond to that?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, I would certainly say to the Shadow Minister, they had nine years to do this Sabra. This has been going on for as long as that. My question would be to them is that your responsibility in this space was vacant. I would urge you to come on board now and assist us to get this on track and to talk to your counterparts in the jurisdictions where there are Liberal Governments, to actually put their feet to the fire to make these recommendations come forward.
SABRA LANE: Most of the families of those murdered and missing have no meaningful accountability for their loved ones. Will they ever get it?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: This did come through in the Senate Inquiry in terms of families' experiences. There was certainly a request for recognition of what has happened in their lives, and what can the Parliament do, and this is something that we saw in the recommendations. I would say to each and every one of those family members who are listening, thank you for sharing your story. The Australian Parliament has listened to you, we have heard, and we are acting.
SABRA LANE: But they've got no accountability.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: We have to keep working with those jurisdictions in those relevant places. One of the areas that I certainly know very closely was Bowraville, Sabra, when I was working as a journalist and covered the stories of those three beautiful children who went missing in the 1990s. They are still looking for justice and for peace, but also, what about their children?
SABRA LANE: Malarndirri McCarthy, thanks for talking to AM.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Thank you, Sabra.