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STEWART BRASH, HOST: Well, late last week with the news that Linda Burney was stepping down as the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, the pundits quickly promoted NT Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy as the front runner to take over the job. Come Sunday, PM Anthony Albanese made the call and Senator McCarthy was duly announced as the holder of one the toughest portfolios in the Federal government. Now, this means both the minister and shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians both hail from here in the Northern Territory, with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price holding the portfolio, of course, the shadow portfolio for the Coalition. Senator McCarthy, Yanyuwa Garawa woman hails from the Gulf country, educated in part here in Alice Springs, a respected journalist also serving some time here at ABC Alice Springs before heading to NT politics and finally entering the Senate in 2016. Malarndirri McCarthy good morning. Congratulations.

MINISTER MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Good morning Stewart and good morning to your listeners.

HOST: How significant do you think it is that we have a Minister who has deep roots into remote Australia, has deep roots here in the Northern Territory when it comes to this portfolio?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, I can certainly say from my perspective, Stewart, it’s incredibly humbling, but deeply important that we do have, as the people of the Northern Territory, a voice at the cabinet table. It’s something that I’m very grateful to be a part of, but also very determined to put the issues and push the issues very hard, and not just for the Northern Territory, but obviously a lot of our remote regions across the country in terms of Indigenous affairs.

HOST: What do you think they will mean to how you actually do the job? Because I can’t remember the last time we had a minister, if indeed we have had a Minister for Indigenous Affairs who is so very rooted more in remote Australia than, say, urban or regional Australia.

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Look, it’s a it’s an important balance that I’m going to have to be conscious of as well though, Stewart, whilst it’s a positive, on one one hand, I’m also conscious that you’ve got the largest Indigenous population in places like New South Wales, so I have to be across the issues of, you know, the, sort of the cities, the eastern states as well. But I can certainly guarantee that the issues of the Northern Territory will always be right there at the table.

HOST: What change will you bring to the portfolio, and what are the issues which are going to be front of mind for you when you do take having taken this position?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, it’s about a values base for me, Stewart always has been, I guess in terms of the journey to even get to this point. It’s about fairness. I just see the absolute inequality and disadvantage and poverty across Australia, and certainly with First Nations people, and not just First Nations, but in the Territory, we have incredible homelessness, and I just think we’ve got to be able to see that turn around. I know that many people have tried, and now I have an opportunity to really be a strong voice at the table for the people of the Territory

HOST: But will you do anything specifically different from what Linda Burney was doing? We’ve seen the continuing failure of closing the gap and that, you know, look at the Productivity Commission reports. You look at where we’re faring with all the indicators, I think, what is it five? we’ve actually seen progress in at the moment. I mean, where were you focus on given there is so many issues and so many challenges?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Yeah. No, absolutely. Today we’ll have a lot of briefings. Closing the Gap is clearly one of them. It does disturb me. The figures that we keep seeing and hearing in terms of those figures not moving as far as we’d like them in a positive direction. So I will be focused on that. But I’m also conscious that we have to keep this at the forefront of the Australian Parliament. Stewart. I’d hate to think that the Closing the Gap target was ever removed, before, you know, the parliament, because this is about keeping it in front of every politician here, not just the Minister for Indigenous Australians. So that’s one thing.

HOST: And it’s not just federal parliament. I mean, it’s also the failure of state and territory governments as well.

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Absolutely, And I mean that collectively, in terms of keeping it in front of politicians, because once you remove it from debate and from the public eye, it doesn’t get as dealt with as it should, in my view. But these are the things I’ll get briefings on today. I’m certainly looking forward to speaking with Pat Turner and the Coalition of Peaks. I’ve got a lot of people to catch up with directly. In my previous role, I was working more in the health sector, but now clearly I have to cover so much more in Indigenous affairs.

HOST: What impact was the failure of the yes vote on the Voice to Parliament last year? What impact does that failure had on your government’s efforts to fix Indigenous disadvantage and exactly what comes next?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, it certainly does show a couple of things, excuse me Stewart, one thing is that I know for First Nations people, especially in northern Australia, who voted overwhelmingly in many of our communities, that they’re obviously still dispirited, despondent and wondering what the future might look like. And that’s important for me to be able to get out to them and really see what we can do going forward. This weekend in Garma is going to be clearly important, to regather, reset and regroup with so many First Nations people across the country, but especially from around the Northern Territory.

HOST: Are you going to back the Greens on truth telling and their commission? That’s what they’re pushing for. Is Labor going to back that?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: The Greens have a bill before the Parliament. So we have agreed to support the inquiry Stewart. So what’s happening now is the inquiry is taking place across the country and we’re taking part in that. And we obviously want to see what, what Australians have to say.

HOST: Closer to home since January last year and you and I spoken about this before, you know, your government’s rolled out something like $300 million to tackle the problems we’ve seen in the streets of Alice Springs. But beyond that, across central Australia, what confidence do you have that that $300 million is actually making a difference. And a lot of people still question the impact that’s having, if indeed it’s having the impact which is desired.

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, I’m very confident it’s having an impact. We have rolled out so much in terms of support for Central Australia, but it is a four year plan Stewart. Education is the key here. The fact that we can support our schools, support the teachers, keep those kids at school, get them educated so they have an opportunity going forward is clearly one we have to continue with. But I will be going obviously back and forwards around Alice Springs and the Centre, and I just did a drive through a couple of weeks ago from Alice up to Darwin, just talking to communities, and now I’m now I have this role, I obviously, I want to see that we keep things going.

HOST: A lot of people listening will say, well, we’re not seeing the changes. Are you saying we need to wait for years to see change in Alice Springs? As you and I know how acute some of the issues we’re seeing, you know, we’re still seeing offending and people see that, you know, as the pointy end of what’s going on or kids on the street and neglect. I mean, how long do you expect Alice Springs and the region, it’s not just Alice Springs. We know there’s been major problems in communities right around central Australia. How long does this region have to suffer being the poster kid for dysfunction? Because that’s what we are. I mean, every time something, someone does something in central Australia we are splashed across the national media.

MINISTER MCCARTHY: I grew up in Alice Springs Stewart, loved it. I went to see Alice Springs like it always has been. So I have those very strong views in terms of wanting to see a short term plan, and a long term plan, and that is that we have to give people hope.

HOST: Do we have that hope because a lot of people aren’t feeling it right now?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, that’s what I’ll certainly be working with them on Stewart. And I can certainly tell the people of Central Australia that I look forward to doing that.

HOST: Quick question from the text, what’s happened to the expanded push for more NT senators? Yeah. What has happened to that?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Yes, that has, that requires bipartisan support. And clearly, the Minister responsible, Don Farrell, has recognised that can’t be pursued at the moment. We still need to do a lot of work. But from my perspective, can I just reassure your listeners I will keep fighting so that we do have extra senators here in the Senate?

HOST: I’ll finish with this. Your opposite number is CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Do you see much common ground with the Senator on Indigenous advancement and ask you in the context of what she recently wrote in The Australian, where she called for an end to an implied acceptance of cultural payback, arranged marriage, apportioning tragedies and mishaps to sorcery and other practises that are anathema to modern culture. Now she wants to pursue what she says a second way for Indigenous advancement real recognition and integration. Do you accept? Do you have any common ground with where the Senator is going with what she’s saying?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: I’ll certainly be reaching out to Senator Nampijinpa Price. I want to see this rise above politics. I think there’s been a lot of things said that don’t need to be said. But I will say..

HOST: What sort of things do you think have been said which shouldn’t be said?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Oh, well, as we’ve talked through the referendum, I know a lot of people were hurt on both sides of what happened there. And so this is an opportunity for me now to try and reach out to not only Senator Price, but to many other senators and even in the lower house, others to say, we have to rise above this because First Nations people in this country just don’t deserve to be treated as a political football.

HOST: She does say, and as I said, an article which you wrote in the Australian points to elements of traditional life which she thinks are holding Indigenous Australians back. Do you agree with her on that front?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Well, First Nations people live very strongly in different parts of the Northern Territory in culture, you know, from the Yolngu in north east Arnhem Land. It’s not for me to define or determine how people want to live culturally. I support that wholeheartedly. I just think we have to be careful with the use of our words and not damage it.

HOST: Do you think sometimes, though, that attachment to some elements of culture does hold people back?

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Not at all. People need to feel strong in their culture, and we’ve seen that over and over again. With the high rates of removal of First Nations children. We’ve seen it with the Stolen Generations, where we’re giving apologies to people who’ve been removed because they feel grieved at not knowing their culture. So we have to be really careful with the language that’s used here.

HOST: We’re running out of time. I’ll let you go. Malarndirri McCarthy. Uh, we’ll keep an eye on things. And of course, we’ll talk again.

MINISTER MCCARTHY: Thank you.

HOST: Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, now the Minister for Indigenous Australians speaking to us there.