Subjects: Closing the Gap
LARA STIMPSON, HOST: In the last Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report released in July of last year, only four of the 19 national socio-economic Closing the Gap targets were on track to be met, with rates of adult incarceration, children in out-of-home care, suicide rates and childhood development expected to worsen. In an attempt to address this, the Commonwealth will today release their 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Implementation Plan for Closing the Gap. And some of the big announcements that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make at 12pm today - that's east coast time, of course, so 10:30 ours - include a full rollout of remote food subsidies and an increase in childcare subsidies for First Nations children from three days to five days a week. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the Minister for Indigenous Affairs. She joined me earlier this morning.
To this report today and the latest on the Closing the Gap targets, Minister, I mean, are you satisfied with the results shown in this latest report, given so many targets are still failing to be met?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: This report today is about the Commonwealth plan going forward, but it's also about what we've done in the last 12 months. And I think it's important to just remind your listeners that the actual targets themselves and the work that's done about what's happening in that space will be revealed later this year. What we wanted to point out is what we're doing at the Commonwealth level to improve the lives of First Nations people and that is doubling remote jobs, doubling the rangers, making sure there's more housing, especially across the Northern Territory in remote and regional areas, making sure that our food is being supplied in a way that cost of living support is available to all residents in many of those stores in our communities, and good food at that. So, we have provided that plan and we're going to continue to do that into 2026.
LARA STIMPSON: There is a lot in this report, in this plan, that is doubling things that already exist. Is there anything new that you're adding to the list of measures to try and get on top of the enormous gaps that we still have in this country between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: One of the things we recognise is that investment is critical, provided it's investment that is resulting in good results. And we can see that with the employment sector. So, we're rolling out 1,500 jobs at the moment. We're going to be increasing that up to 6,000 remote jobs across Australia. A lot of those jobs will be in the Northern Territory. And this is what the Prime Minister will announce today at midday in the House of Representatives. That's critical. We know if you have a good job, you're able to, with wealth, be able to provide for yourself and your family. It is important to really do that and do that well and give people dignity in work.
LARA STIMPSON: Now this is the Remote Australia Employment Service, which has replaced the previous CDP which became a bit of an infamous acronym, I believe, in the past. What evidence do you have that this new plan, or this new sort of model that you've replaced that with that you're clearly expanding in quite a big way today, is leading to those long-term employment outcomes that you want in this space?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: That's a really important question. It is about how is that impacting and this is what we want to see roll out in terms of the longevity of these jobs and how people's lives are changing for the better. Obviously, there are people listening to this interview who will know family members who've got good jobs who are working and their lives are changing. But we have to ensure that it's not just a six month job, it's an enduring job; that they have long service leave, that they have holiday pay, that they have superannuation, all the entitlements that come with any Australian in terms of having a good job.
LARA STIMPSON: With the expansion, it's quite a big expansion, you know, up to 6,000 jobs, and you say a large part of those will be in the Northern Territory. I mean, what industries are we talking about here? Is this an element of job creation or just finding, you know, random jobs that exist in industries that we've already got here?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It will be a combination of all of that. I'm certainly conscious that the local government regional councils have certainly advocated for more work in those spaces. I'm conscious that there is a need in those areas, especially in the remote and regional parts of Australia, but especially there in the Northern Territory. I'm conscious of all of that. So, this has to happen at the local level. People know what they can do. But also, of course, when you have big companies coming in, for example, the solar farm down near Elliott, when you do have big industry coming in, I want to make sure that the local people living in the region are also having the opportunity to work there as well.
LARA STIMPSON: How does that practically look? Is that agreements with each of those individual companies and organisations?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, it depends on what the company might be. So, in the example of SunCable, they've obviously worked in agreement through the Northern Land Council. I was there when they signed off on that with the Traditional Owners of the region. It is important that younger people have an opportunity and feel that this is an avenue for them, but it may not be. Some people may choose another form of work, like joining the rangers. I've been rolling out ranger jobs across the country. I've wanted to see at least 700 positions for women, for Indigenous women rangers, because I'm conscious of gender parity as well as the need for employment, and this matters. So, even there in Elliot, we've rolled out the ranger program supporting the local ranger group. So, it's starting to change.
LARA STIMPSON: On ABC Radio Darwin and the Northern Territory, you are hearing from the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, this morning, talking about this report and address, a plan to address Closing the Gap targets that will be delivered by the Prime Minister today at 12pm. Getting you some of those details nice and early about the government's plan to get on top of what are some significant gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and ones that we see play out here every day here in the Northern Territory. Some of the other things that you're expanding as well are a number of different subsidies. Those childcare subsidies for First Nations children, also the subsidies that you've got in place for food in remote communities to make it cheaper. I mean, are subsidies a sustainable way of maintaining this progress in the long term? How long can you subsidise something before you've just created a new system of how things work, I suppose?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: We obviously have to monitor that, Lara. It is an important question. I guess from the beginning, what we had to do was actually look at the fact that most First Nations families have incredible health conditions, whether it's chronic kidney disease, whether it's heart failure or rheumatic heart disease. And so, we do have very, very vulnerable and sick people in our communities. We needed to ensure that through the foods that are supplied, we've got to look at healthy living and healthy foods, but the availability to also buy the food in terms of the cost of it. So, these subsidies have worked, are working. We've got over 50 stores. Well, we've actually got 61 stores in the Northern Territory alone that have agreed and signed up to this program to ensure that there are at least 30 items of food product that are much cheaper and allow families in those communities to be able to have a healthy way of life.
LARA STIMPSON: The Productivity Commission says that ‘tough on crime’ policies are directly undermining Closing the Gap targets. And the latest annual data shows that rates of adult incarceration continue to worsen and youth detention rates soar in the NT. I mean, is it difficult for you to sincerely address this particular target and I understand that this is, you know, we've got a plan today, not necessarily some of that latest data, when it would seem the CLP Government's policies here in the Territory are so at odds with that particular goal.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It is really tough. There is no two ways about it. The fact that the Northern Territory Government chooses to look at jailing as opposed to more programs to assist prevention is really, really complex. And I've spoken with the Chief Minister on this on many occasions, but also the Attorney-General and the Indigenous Affairs Minister, they realise that we do have to work. They do look to the Commonwealth for further support. But I'm also saying to them that you've got good programs. On Groote Eylandt, for example, where the Commonwealth has invested in Groote Eylandt, you have a justice reinvestment program there where the Anindilyakwa people have lowered, in fact almost non-existent, young Groote Eylandt people going to jail, because the local Groote Eylandt mob have worked out how to work with their young people through their justice reinvestment program there. The same at Maningrida. We've invested in Maningrida with its justice reinvestment program there. And I'm saying to the Northern Territory Government, you actually have very positive examples in the Northern Territory. You know, emulate that across the Northern Territory, instead of jailing people.
LARA STIMPSON: The fact is, I think, that their interest in that is waning and that the solutions that they're seeing are more productive, in their view, when you are jailing those people as opposed to those longer-term things that like you see in Groote Eylandt. So, I suppose, the thing is, is that the longer that that is delayed, do you believe that we will be able to make any sort of material changes to that particular target and to the disparity with Indigenous people in our prison system?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It is absolutely tough, Lara, there's no doubt about it. But I'm firmly determined to keep pushing all jurisdictions in lowering that target in terms of the incarceration rate for First Nations people.
LARA STIMPSON: Just finally, this week also saw the rollout of the Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices, a 10-year plan to end family domestic and sexual violence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the first plan specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this case. Does this include needs-based funding for the Territory, given that both the NT Government and the sector have long maintained that without needs-based funding, you will not make a significant dent in the scourge of domestic violence that we see here in the Northern Territory?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I know that the Northern Territory Minister has worked with the Federal Minister, Tanya Plibersek, who has the lead in terms of this plan. And in terms of the kind of funding that needs to roll through the Northern Territory, that would have to be a conversation with Minister Plibersek. But I would say this, that our plan is also very, very well focused on working at the grassroots level with First Nations organisations and families. We know that there is this scourge of family and domestic violence, in fact, right across Australia, not just with Indigenous people. And we, as a government at the Commonwealth level, are saying, enough is enough. This has to stop.
LARA STIMPSON: That was the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, who joined me nice and early this morning in the midst of a busy day here in the Territory, but also, of course, in Canberra, where there is a lot going on.