I began writing this on the 25th day of January.

It's 10.30am in the Coronary Care Unit of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Eora country, and the room where my son laid in, is empty.

Since after Boxing Day, he has battled his way through a heart attack, angiogram and now to this moment. Surgeons are implanting a defibrillator on him to keep this young Yanyuwa Kuku-Yalanji man of 25 years, strong of heart.

I sit in the waiting room as the clock ticks by with my youngest son in the operating theatre.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Being Friday, it's Falinski/Gorman time, I'm going to truncate that introduction, because Joe Biden's taken up a lot of our time. So let's get straight into it. Gentlemen, Patrick, I'll start with you. You like to be a bit of a diplomat, but when is it time for the Labor Party to stop saying, 'well, Paul Keating was a great Prime Minister,' and just say, 'yep, he's got no idea about foreign policy anymore.'

ANDY PARK, HOST: Australia Day means different things for different people. For some of you, it's about becoming an Australian citizen. For others, it's a holiday, a day to celebrate a chapter of this land's history. But for some of you, this is a day of mourning and a reminder that this country's journey to reconciliation with First Nations people is a long one. For Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. Today, the 26th of January has suddenly had a new meaning for her. A personal meaning, if you like. And she says she feels gratitude today because her son is okay.

CO-HOST: Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is with us, Senator, how would you describe what January 26th means to Australia in 2024?

SARAH ABO, HOST: Welcome back. Well, annual inflation has cooled to a two-year low, raising hopes that interest rates will steady and dare we dream even fall in the second half of the year. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and 2GB's Chris O'Keefe. Good to see both. Senator, we'll start with you. It's been a tough two years for so many as we know. Does this give us a little bit of breathing space?

GREG JENNETT, HOST: Now, Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is also assistant minister for Indigenous Australians. Her work, has brought Senator McCarthy back to Canberra, here in Parliament House today. She joined us a short time ago. Malarndirri McCarthy, you're back with us for 2024. A pleasure and welcome as always. Why don't we start out with stage three tax cuts since most of the nation is talking about that. So I imagine there'll be more winners than losers on the dollars in the Northern Territory where you come from.

KATIE WOOLF, HOST: If we have a Labor minister on the show, we don't often then have a Labor senator on the show. But this morning we are catching up with Malarndirri McCarthy, and rightly so, because there is so much happening on the federal stage. And she joins me on the line right now. Good morning to you.

MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Oh, good morning, Katie. And good morning to all your listeners.

CHRIS MITCHELL, HOST: We've been hearing a lot from the Productivity Commission saying government's commitment to the agreement, that closing the gap agreement has been weak, contradictory, uncoordinated, and slow, among other things. Joining us now live on the program, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians. Hello to you and thanks for joining us. It is pretty scathing. What's your reaction.

ADAM STEER, HOST: Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the ALP senator for the Northern Territory and the Assistant minister for Indigenous Australians. Senator, welcome back to the program. Happy new year.

MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Good morning, Adam, and good morning to your listeners. Thanks for having me on.

STEER: The report has shown since introducing Closing the Gap in 2007, little has changed across the priority areas that include health, finance, governance, justice, and education. What's going on? Why is that?

KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Before we get to the Voice and the debate around the points Father Frank made. This really sad, horrific story out of Darwin. And in fact your colleague Linda Burney was there at the hotel when a 51 year old woman came for assistance. She'd been stabbed. She subsequently died. A number of Linda Burney's staff also tried to help. But Minister, it's another reminder, isn't it, of the stark reminder of the violence suffered by Indigenous women.