Prime Minister unveils plan for ‘long-term prosperity’ in Indigenous communities

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Indigenous leaders at the Garma festival in north-east Arnhem Land are urging a rethink on solving critical problems facing First Nations communities. Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy spoke with Bridget Brennan in Gulkula in north-east Arnhem Land. She began by reflecting on the strength and power of the Yolngu people.

Transcript

00:00Resilience is an incredibly significant word

00:05when you think of where First Nations people are today

00:09in terms of, I think, the words of Jawa.

00:12We just keep moving forward.

00:15And when you come to Gorkula,

00:17that's exactly what you see here and what you hear here.

00:2025 years is an amazing achievement,

00:23just built from a family camp to what we see now.

00:26Why do you think ministers such as yourself

00:29and my ministers have felt such a connection with this place?

00:34Yes, it is remarkable.

00:3625 years.

00:37In fact, I remember coming probably my first time around 20 years ago

00:42and it's certainly changed and evolved over that time and much bigger.

00:49What was important for this trip for me in particular

00:53as Indigenous Australians Minister was to have my colleagues here.

00:58It's an incredibly difficult challenge that I have

01:02with regards to the national agreement on closing the gap.

01:06But I have emphasised not only to my colleagues

01:10but state and territory cabinets

01:13that it's their responsibility as well.

01:17Not every Indigenous Australians or Indigenous Minister across Australia

01:22should be the one to solely carry that burden.

01:24It has to be a shared one because the agreement was a shared agreement.

01:28So they're really shouldering that weight

01:30and is that a refreshed message in this Chamber of Parliament as well?

01:34The one I brought in when I came specifically into the role 12 months ago now

01:39to reach out across the parliament to all parliamentarians from all persuasions

01:45irrespective of their beliefs or views.

01:48I reach out because I believe the issues impacting First Nations families

01:53in this country are so dire around justice and our health.

01:59They should be above politics and that means reaching out to everyone

02:04and that's what I do.

02:06And it's my nature I guess.

02:08But it is incredibly difficult at times.

02:11Like here in the Northern Territory when you see pieces of legislation come in

02:16that really does deeply impact particularly on First Nations children.

02:21What's the significance of the Prime Minister's announcement on economic development?

02:25It feels like he's really put the meat on the bones

02:28to the announcement he made last year here at Ghana.

02:30Absolutely.

02:31I mean one of the things that Australians can see with our Prime Minister

02:34is that this is a man who was committed and is committed

02:39to improving the lives of First Nations people.

02:42He became Prime Minister with the commitment of the referendum

02:46and he took our country to a referendum.

02:48And as you heard Jawa Yunupingu say there today,

02:51as did the late Mr Yunupingu, that the Prime Minister kept his promise.

02:56And he did.

02:57We didn't win that referendum but again as Jawa said today,

03:01we keep moving forward and that's what we do.

03:03Yeah, no regrets on the timing of the referendum.

03:06Do you ever wonder now in this term of parliament with such a big mandate

03:10whether now would have been the time where it could have been won?

03:13Oh I'm sure people sit around the fires at night and reflect on all of those things

03:18but in our position we just have to get on with the job.

03:21This is where we are, this is where our country's at

03:23and we're incredibly grateful for the support of all Australians around the nation

03:28to put us overwhelmingly back into the Australian parliament for the 48th parliament.

03:33Yingyi Gayula earlier today gave a very powerful and emotional address

03:37where he said Aboriginal people right now fear the NT government.

03:40Are you hearing that sentiment also?

03:42I hear a lot of things, a lot of things and a lot of concerns

03:47around where the direction of the Northern Territory government is going.

03:51I do want to meet with the Chief Minister.

03:53I have some important conversations to have with her

03:57and I do look forward to having those.

03:59Have you heard back? Is she open to meeting with you?

04:02Well I'm certainly pushing for a meeting and I've requested one

04:06and I certainly hope I will have one in coming weeks

04:09now that our federal parliamentary sittings is over for a little while.

04:13Does it trouble you that there are children in watch houses being held

04:16in solitary confinement with the lights on sometimes for 48 hours at a time?

04:22I've been to the prisons in Alice Springs and in Darwin

04:26and spoke with the corrections staff as well as the prisoners as well

04:31and also with the Northern Territory Police Association.

04:35I am deeply troubled by what I've seen and what I've heard

04:38and this is a conversation I'd like to have directly with the Chief Minister.

04:42Could you, as the Productivity Commission suggested on ABC News,

04:47consider reducing funding to the Northern Territory Government

04:50or tying that funding to better outcomes for Aboriginal people in the justice system?

04:54I spoke in the Senate this week about what we're trying to do at the Commonwealth level.

05:00It is important to be very aware of the fact that nearly 80% of the funding

05:07of the Northern Territory comes from the Commonwealth

05:10and that's not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or projects.

05:14That's actually for all citizens of the Northern Territory.

05:17So we have to be very responsible at the Commonwealth level

05:21about how we respond to those requests.

05:25And also in terms of the federal funding agreements of states with the Commonwealth,

05:31again I would seek input from my colleagues

05:35who I'm really pleased to see have joined me here

05:38so that this is something that we can all work together collectively on as a Cabinet.

05:43You said on News Breakfast that you were considering the findings of the York Justice Report

05:48so ground-breaking the work of the Commission.

05:51Can you see a federal truth-telling Commission in this term of Parliament or into the future?

05:56I think it's absolutely amazing what the Europe Commission has done.

06:01It's wonderful to see the Commissioners also here at Gulkala as well sharing their stories.

06:07Victoria gives you a lot of hope, even though I know they have their own challenges.

06:12Then when you see what's happening in New South Wales, Bridget, as well as South Australia,

06:17these are important journeys.

06:19I would say to your viewers that I am absolutely open to hear what we can do going forward.

06:26The primary concern right now, though, is the concerns around justice

06:30and the high incarceration rates.

06:32But hey, we're a smart country. I'm sure we can do both.

06:36What gives you a bit of hope for your final question with us?

06:39What gives you hope? Because we are facing many challenges as a people

06:43but you continue to push on with a lot of optimism.

06:48What gives me hope is when I travel out across Australia to our communities,

06:52whether they're remote or whether they're in the capital cities,

06:55I see our young people coming through and our policies working.

06:59You know, the ranges that I'm rolling out across the country,

07:021,000 ranges, 700 of whom I want to be, you know, given to women

07:08to see more of our women in positions.

07:10The food security policies so that we've got over 70 stores that we're targeting

07:14with another 70 on top of that going forward to make it cheaper

07:19in terms of cost of living for First Nations families, that's working.

07:24We had 500 health traineeships that were rolling out.

07:27We've got every single one of those traineeships appointed now

07:30and over 100 have graduated.

07:33This gives me absolute hope.

07:35It shows that the kinds of policies we're putting out there are working.

07:39It takes a bit of time.

07:41But gee whiskers, you can see it moving now.

07:44Malin Derry-McCathy, thanks so much.

07:46Malin Derry-McCathy, thanks so much.

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