EMMA REBELLATO, HOST: Let's get some more reaction now to one of the big stories from yesterday, this is the resurfaced comments by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson about First Nations Australians that have been widely condemned as racist. Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy joins us now from Canberra. Minister, thanks for your time this morning.
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning Emma.
HOST: What was your reaction when you heard and read these comments?
MINISTER: Well, as I said, it was totally outrageous to see and hear those comments. This isn't the Australia that I know. We have young children, we have old people who are really struggling with their sense of place in Australia as First Nations people. We don't need the leaders of political parties or any parliamentarians to talk them down. It was an absolute disgrace. And I do call on Senator Hanson to apologise. I mean, she is the Senator for Queensland. Queensland does have First Nations people all the way, Emma, from the Torres Straits all the way down to the Gold Coast. There are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland. And I do call on the Senator to apologise.
HOST: Do you think you'll get that apology?
MINISTER: Well, I think in the interest of the Australian people and in the interests of the fact that she is there to serve all Queenslanders as Senator for Queensland, I would expect that she would. It would be the decent thing to do.
HOST: In this podcast, she also questioned why school children had to learn about Australian First Nations history. What do you say to that?
MINISTER: Well, look, I thought it was interesting yesterday, Emma, that the Coalition Senators, in Senator Nampijimpa Price and Senator Liddle, also came out calling the comments appalling. And I do welcome that joint criticism from the Coalition and also Senator Thorpe, who also stands fiercely against any racism in this country. And those comments have been seen as incredibly hurtful. So, I just want to put that on the record, if I may, that for the first time, you have seen four Indigenous Senators from across the aisles come together united on this. And I think that speaks volumes as to why Senator Hanson should apologise.
HOST: Should Pauline Hanson face any other consequences for this? For instance, a censure in the Senate?
MINISTER: Well, look, let's see if she does apologise, Emma. Clearly the Senate can act, but I am personally calling out to Senator Hanson saying this is important. What you've said is deeply hurtful. It's completely wrong. We have First Nations people right across Australia who've achieved tremendous skills, who've ran for Australia, fought for Australia in the wars, who've excelled in the arts, in the music, in all sorts of spheres, in terms of fashion. Those comments were completely baseless. They harm. They dehumanise First Nations people in Australia. And I do believe the Senator can apologise. And I think if that apology is done in the correct way, I'm sure it will be well received.
HOST: Minister, I want to turn to a couple of other issues now, if I may. One of them is what's happening in Western Australia. The state's Child Protection Minister has flown to the Pilbara following accusations the Child Protection Department has failed to respond to reports of 15 children living unsupervised in a house in South Hedland. Is this what's happening there?
MINISTER: I have reached out to the WA Government through my office, to my colleague, in terms of Indigenous Affairs Minister Don Punch. I do want to know what's going on. I am conscious it is a state matter, but I'm also very aware that in my role as Co-Convenor on the Joint Council for Closing the Gap, that I do try to keep across what's happening in each state and territory jurisdiction. And the best way to do that is through my colleague, in this case, Indigenous Affairs Minister Don Punch.
HOST: It must worry you, though, to hear about these reports.
MINISTER: Well, clearly, that's what Closing the Gap is all about, Emma. It concerns me deeply, right across the country, whether it's in Port Hedland, whether it's in Tasmania, Victoria, Cairns, Northern Territory. It concerns me deeply the welfare of our children. We know that we should expect all children in Australia to be safe. Through the Closing the Gap agreement we focus specifically on the issues facing First Nations people. And yes, it does concern me.
HOST: Minister, also last week we saw the annual report released by the Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner. It showed the number of First Nations women killed by a partner is increasing. Rates of violence against First Nations women and children are also going up. Why is this still happening? Why isn't government action and government measures working?
MINISTER: Well, I think we've seen many people comment on this last week, Emma. It is an area that all of us have to be a part of. Governments can contribute so much in terms of funding and resourcing, but when I work, for example, in the Northern Territory, we have a shelter in the Northern Territory called YiSSA, where we've had 300 people in that shelter who are now being forced to move out of that shelter because the Northern Territory Government wants to end it, yet has no transition plan as to where some of those families will go. And some of those families are victims of domestic and family violence. So, there are decisions around the country that do impact people's lives and all governments of all persuasions need to be very conscious of the decisions they make.
HOST: Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, thankyou.
MINISTER: Thankyou.