The First Nations Reference Group for the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program held its fifth meeting today in Sydney.

The $707 million Remote Jobs and Economic Development program announced in February 2024, will create 3,000 jobs in remote Australia, to help close the gap in employment outcomes, boost economic opportunities and invest in cultural authority.

KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Emergency responders, volunteers and support workers who were on the frontline of the February-March 2022 flooding disaster will become eligible for formal recognition. The National Emergency Medal recognises the efforts and sacrifice of those who respond to nationally significant events. The Governor-General has agreed to declare the 2022 floods, which devastated much of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, an emergency event so responders can be commended.

ANIKA WELLS, MINISTER FOR AGED CARE AND MINISTER FOR SPORT: I'll begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the lands on which we gather this morning the Turrbal and Jagera people. Together, we stand on the shoulders of 1600 generations of First Nations people and that is our shared history. I am welcoming Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman, to the magical kingdom of Lilley this morning for a very special announcement about the National Emergency Medal.

Frontline emergency responders, volunteers and community support workers involved in the February/March 2022 flood events in northern New South Wales and south east Queensland may now be eligible for the National Emergency Medal.

The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) agreed to a recommendation from the Government that the floods be declared a nationally significant emergency for the purposes of the medal.

The Albanese Government has committed up to $19.995 million for Western Australia as part of a joint effort to contain and eradicate the current outbreak of Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borers (PSHB).

The State Government has also invested $4.7 million to the national response, which is being driven by more than 160 full time local employees.

PSHB (Euwallacea fornicatus) are tiny beetles that bore into living trees where they deposit a fungus which disrupts the flow of water and nutrients, leading to the plant’s death.

The Australian Government congratulates Ms Natasha Stott Despoja AO on her re-election to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

The committee is made up of 23 independent human right experts from around the world that monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Joining me now Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman, who's sadly not with Jason Falinski this week, he's in the US. We decided didn't we Patrick that getting him on at midnight or a bit later might be dangerous for Jason, meanwhile –

SARAH ABO, HOST: We'll Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock has issued a fresh warning to Aussie mortgage holders, revealing she isn't ruling out further interest rate hikes, if it means curbing inflation. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate. Good to see you both this morning. Malarndirri, I'll start with you, the warning comes off the back of these new GDP figures, which show economic growth really is not going anywhere. It's sunk to 0.1 per cent.

Hello to all in Naarm!

I begin by acknowledging the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.

Elders past and present.

And to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gathered from across the continent.

To Gail and Kaleb Mabo -

My good friend, Dr Lynette Riley and Leila Smith – thank you for your leadership.

To Ngarra Murray, Rueben Berg, Andy Gargett from the First Peoples' Assembly

And Leonard Hill and Jodie Sizer from AIATSIS thank you for bringing together this amazing summit.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: I'm here today to help Peter Dutton. What we know is that for at least 10 weeks, if not longer, Mr Dutton has known exactly where he will locate his nuclear reactors. But he's been having some trouble telling the Australian people exactly where they'll be. So I'm going to help him out today. What we've got here is a map of Australia. I'm sure Mr Dutton would recognise it.