LIZ TREVASKIS, HOST: Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the NT Labor Senator and Minister for Indigenous Australians. I spoke to her earlier today.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Hello, Liz. Good to be with you, and hello to all your listeners.
LIZ TREVASKIS: For those struggling to afford doctors visits, and we heard from listeners yesterday for whom this is the case, this is great news, but we are crippled by staff shortages in the Territory and we don't have enough GPs. This is something that came up from local medical professionals yesterday about that need. How is that going to be met?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It's critical that we focus on the health and wellbeing of all Australians, Liz, and we're certainly very aware of the concerns around staff shortages. What we want to do through the announcement that the Prime Minister made on the weekend around the $8.5 billion investment into Medicare is actually also about investing in our GPs. We recognise the shortage is there. Even in Darwin with the Charles Darwin University, Luke Gosling and I have worked closely with the new medical school that we want to see up and running next year. So, we have been working in that space and also what Flinders have been doing to deliver and teach doctors across the Northern Territory.
LIZ TREVASKIS: It's one thing to train doctors and it's great that that could be happening locally. What incentives are there though, for GPs to move to the Territory, to make this place their home and then to keep them here?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: There's probably a couple of ways to look at that. One is obviously lifestyle. I mean, I think the Northern Territory is a remarkable place to live and to be able to work with people of First Nations backgrounds, of multicultural backgrounds and just the absolute geography of the location of the Territory. So, there's probably a personal attachment to encouraging people to the Territory. But most importantly, to get to the nub of your question, this investment of $8.5 billion is also about incentivising GPs to take up bulk billing across Australia. But in particular in the Northern Territory.
LIZ TREVASKIS: One thing that was highlighted again yesterday by multiple local GPs is that GPs are incentivised for shorter minutes. 15-minute visits are still more lucrative for GPs. Local doctors made that point yesterday. Peter Breadon from the Grattan Institute has pointed it out. How does Labor plan to address this and encourage GPs to see patients for longer? We know with an ageing population, older patients, even those in their 40s like myself, I often need a double appointment. How does the Labor plan encourage GPs to see patients for longer?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Our Labor plan is about making it accessible for all Australians, Liz. I think this is really the critical point first. Yes, it is about incentivising to have GPs to certainly increase the number of the workforce, but most significantly, it is about the health of Australians. And that is what this announcement is about. We know that if we can not only incentivise to keep GPs in the jobs themselves, in terms of bulk billing, it is primarily about the care, the health and care of all Australians. Wherever you are, no matter how much you earn or don't earn, you are entitled to this program to have good health in our country.
LIZ TREVASKIS: Are there plans to look at how Medicare and bulk billing works though to maybe tweak things? Robert Parker from the AMA in the NT yesterday said this is a program that was designed back in the 1980s, and the health needs of Australians have changed greatly now. Patients need longer visits at the GP. Is this something that can be tweaked? Is there a way to encourage GPs to see patients for longer?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I'd certainly say to GPs who might be listening to this interview, Liz, this is an extraordinary amount of investment that's going into Medicare in nearly four decades, since Prime Minister Bob Hawke and even Whitlam looked into the health policy sector of all Australians. And we are incredibly proud to do that. We know there has been an issue in the nine years that the Coalition were in government where there was a freeze, and we knew that we had to fix a lot of those issues. And this is what this announcement's doing. We see that in the Northern Territory, you have an additional 72,000 people bulk billed at GP visits so far -
LIZ TREVASKIS: You say that this is an issue in terms of funding that has been needed over many years and hasn't been allocated. Labor has been in government for three years now. Why wait until the eve of an election to make an announcement like this? You could have done this three years ago.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: We've been working on this throughout our term. The first thing we did was work on Medicare. Last year we certainly did the incentivising for GPs in terms of tripling the bulk billing opportunities for them. What we've done on the weekend is now create this opportunity for all Australians to receive support when they go to the GP. Last year's announcement was just for children and for those in the elderly age bracket. What we did on the weekend was open this up for all Australians.
LIZ TREVASKIS: $8.5 billion over four years. How will this be funded?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Again, we've been able to do that through the work over a number of years in government now. In terms of having the surpluses that Treasurer Jim Chalmers has provided, we've been able to budget this in preparation, knowing that we want to see good health opportunities for all Australians going forward.
LIZ TREVASKIS: On other health matters, Senator, former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry has once again today flagged the mental health crisis facing our young people. With two in five young Australians suffering prolonged mental health issues and there is no doubt that these are issues plaguing the Territory. If Labor wins the election, how are you going to improve mental health services for Territory kids?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Look, I'm certainly acutely aware of that concern, even with Closing the Gap for First Nations families Liz, we made the announcement just a fortnight ago in the Parliament around wanting to support at least 150 psychologists in the First Nations space in terms of being able to provide culturally appropriate care because of the high rates of suicide or attempted suicides that we see. And I'm mindful as well that Emma McBride, who is the Minister assisting in mental health, has been working in this space more broadly across Australia because we recognise the issue of mental health is an important one.
LIZ TREVASKIS: And I've just got time to ask one last question of you before we have to wrap up, and it's something that's getting a lot of local attention today. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro not acknowledging Traditional Owners at the Bombing of Darwin ceremony. She has said today that over-acknowledging is divisive and that people are sick of having it rammed down their throat. We're not talking about welcome to countries here but acknowledgement of Country. What do you make of those statements from the Chief Minister?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I was certainly at the Bombing of Darwin ceremony and appreciated greatly Barnaby Joyce in his commentary on the Larrakia people and their work in supporting and protecting Darwin during the Bombing of Darwin. And I thought that was a significant and appropriate thing to do, as were the other speakers who spoke. I think it's unfortunate that the Chief Minister chooses to go down this path. It's certainly not a path I'd encourage. I would say that there is nothing wrong with being proud of our First Nations people.
LIZ TREVASKIS: Can it be overdone though? Repetition can become meaningless and tokenistic can't it? Like if people are parroting a line just because they think it's the woke thing to do without really to stop to think about what it means or connecting to the message. Can it be tokenistic acknowledging Country, if you don't really believe in or connect to what you're saying?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It's all about respect, Liz, isn't it? It's about respect. And I would say to your listeners, please remember that it's always about respect.
LIZ TREVASKIS: So, do you think that the Chief Minister should have acknowledged Country?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I would urge the Chief Minister to reconsider her position and always show that respect.
LIZ TREVASKIS: Alright. Malandirri McCarthy, Senator for the Northern Territory. I really appreciate your time this afternoon.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Thanks, Liz. Thank you and your listeners.