Radio interview: ABC Radio Darwin Mornings

NAIDOC Week; Closing the Gap. LARA STIMPSON, HOST : You are listening to the live broadcast from the 2026 NAIDOC celebrations in Darwin, right across the Top End on the TEABBA network and on 1057 ABC Darwin. It's so good to be with you this morning and with me right now in the TEABBA truck, ‘Ms Jedda’, is NT Senator and Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy, a proud Yanyuwa and Garrwa woman from Borroloola, a very good morning to you.

MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS : Oh, top of the morning to you, Lara and a huge shout out to families right across the Northern Territory and Australia on this incredibly beautiful, beautiful NAIDOC Day. : It's a fantastic day. You've just come from the march and we were talking before and you reckon, and a few people have said this, the biggest NAIDOC March you've seen in Darwin before? : Absolutely.

There must be well and truly over 6,000 – 7,000 here. I haven't seen that many in a very long time. And I think it's a testament to how First Nations families, but supporters around the country, are feeling in terms of First Nations issues and our place in Australia. : What do you think that feeling is?

One of celebration, of pride, of resilience and a lot of love and support in very difficult times, Lara, especially difficult times because here in the Northern Territory we still see high rates of incarceration, we still see high rates of removal of First Nations children. And there seems to be this spirit through the crowd that says we're not going away and we are strong and we know that we can find a better way forward. : And I want to talk to you about what going forward means in a moment.

But for those unfamiliar with your story, I think it's important on this 50-year celebration, 50 years ago you would have been a little tacker, I'm imagining. I don't want to age you. I can talk about 50 years ago, but it might be a bit blurry for a little tacker. : How is it that a young girl from Borroloola might find herself in a position today, 50 years of deadly, as the Minister for Indigenous Australians? : Well, just over 50 years ago, I was put on the back of a truck from Borroloola and sent down to Alice Springs for school.

Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be in this position in our country. I'm enormously grateful to the people who've been so much a part of my life over many decades and that includes my mum and dad, my own aunties, my grandparents from Borroloola, who've loved and supported me. And I've just come back from Borroloola, actually, Lara.

We've had enormous sorry business and still going in Borroloola with funeral after funeral and the grief has been quite profound and traumatic. I took the time to just be with family and sit amongst the Elders and on Country and felt the strength of why we continue to survive. We have a lot of love for one another and a love for our Country and that's what keeps us going and it certainly is what keeps me going even through such difficult times. : I can hear, Minister, the heaviness in your voice as you reflect on that and what these past periods have been for you.

It is this challenge, and we've been talking about it and you've sat in this chair that I'm in in previous times, how you reflect times like this that are of such great celebration, but also don't exist without struggle and without the foundations of what this week is, which is it began as a protest, as a recognition of the great wrongs that were committed against our First Peoples.

How do you hold both of those things? We must never forget where we come from. It's something I tell my kids and grandkids, stay true to who you are and know that you're learning, always learning from others as well.

The journey that I've had through those decades is as a storyteller, the chance to listen to stories. In my previous work as a journalist, to keep telling the stories of Yanyuwa and Garrwa peoples and knowing that our story goes back thousands of years. Even with our international trade with the Yanyuwa and the Makassans, we traded very normally with the Makassans of Sulawesi.

And a lot of our language is shared between here and Indonesia. So, we know our stories in that regard. It's not new to us as diplomats, if you like, both internationally, but also with other clan groups around the country.

Stepping into politics more broadly has helped me to learn more about other cultures; the Greeks, the Italians, the Filipinos, the Chinese, the Muslims, different religions and I embrace that because that's our country today. We are incredibly multicultural and that respect for that is really important and I certainly hold that deeply. : You're hearing from NT Senator and of course, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy this morning on 1057, ABC Darwin.

I'm Lara Stimson and we're broadcasting right across the TEABBA network into remote parts of the Top End today, Borroloola included. So, a big hello to your mob at home today. : Absolutely, a big hello to all the Borroloola families. : This is obviously a very exciting affair, celebration and a lot more casual than the Cabinet table, which you spend a lot of time around, as a Cabinet Minister.

I wonder what the responsibility is like when you sit at that table, then come back here and all these people know you and they must expect a lot of you. To have to go back and deliver what they feel is right for them, for their people and for their First Nations Australians more broadly. What is that responsibility that you feel? : Any leadership role has enormous responsibility that comes with it, whether it's in a political position, whether you're a head of a business, an organisation or head of your family.

There are enormous responsibilities and high expectations. Most of the time you do the best that you can and there are certain circumstances where it's not easy and it's difficult. But what I find is I have to be straight with people.

I've just got to say, yes, I can do that. No, I'm having some real difficulty in doing that and this is why. I've always found throughout political life that when you talk straight with people and let them know, they may not like what they hear.

But I have often found that speaking that truth and letting them know helps the situation. Doesn't mean I give up. It just means maybe I can't do what they ask of me right then.

It just means we've got to keep trying. : One of those things that is difficult is the Closing the Gap targets. It's not just your government that’s struggled to achieve them. A number have.

But at the moment, the reality is that only four of them are set to be met by their deadline. What are you doing about that? : This is where relationships matter. I find that my role as the Federal Indigenous Australian Minister means I must work with each state and territory government because they need to also feel that responsibility of Closing the Gap.

I can't do it for everyone. It's also about the Coalition of Peaks and the First Nations organisations across the country who are our partners in this and about them taking that responsibility. It's a shared responsibility and when it does work, it's incredible.

We can really move mountains. I'm very proud to keep pushing that and building those relationships. We have about five years, four to five years left on this agreement, and as the Prime Minister said in February, failure is not an option.

So, that in itself tells you, from the Prime Minister of this country, that we will not give up. : Got a lot of work to do. : Work's not the problem. I think the issue is about relationships. Hard work's not the problem. : I’m probably reading between the lines a little bit, but do you have a good partner in the Northern Territory Government on this? : Look, I certainly work very well with Steve Edgington, as the Indigenous Affairs Minister, with a number of issues that I've had to deal with him on and that assists.

But what I've always said to all the Indigenous Affairs Ministers is they're not the ones responsible to just close the gap. It's every single cabinet Minister around every single table in this country with each state and territory jurisdiction. And therein lies the challenge. : Indeed.

Before I let you go, we're building a hall of fame today, so I'm going to get you to put one person, if you can try. It's proved very difficult for everybody to just pick one person to put in this hall of fame. But one of the other big celebrations in the Northern Territory that we have is the Garma Festival.

And we learned today that the Prime Minister, for the first time since he was put into that office, won't be attending Garma. Is that disappointing to you? : I know that he's trying to get to quite a few communities across Australia and I know it's disappointing for the Yolngu representatives and YYF in Garma, but I am incredibly pleased that we've got Senator Penny Wong coming.

I have to say, she's one of my favourites, and no disrespect to you, Prime Minister, but I think it's wonderful that the Foreign Minister is coming and certainly we've got so many Ministers coming. And I love the fact that there are more cabinet Ministers coming each year and that assists me in trying to close the gap. : Your Senate sister there with you. Now, one person to put on our hall of fame for Deadly. : I'd love to give a couple, if that's ok? : You can do that. : Two amazing people from Borroloola, my aunt and uncle, Jeanette Charlie and Noel Dixon.

They have raised over 12 children and so many grandchildren that are not theirs, over many decades. I grew up watching them do this and to this day, they are still there, looking out for their families and I think they're the quiet achievers. The ones who aren't in the public limelight and yet, day in, day out, give so much love to our children. : Legends.

And we've got some little ones here. : Yes, Ebony and Indi. : Hello. Happy 50 years of deadly. I'm going to get you to bring that mic nice and close to you.

How does it feel? How do you feel today? It feels really great that we get to celebrate how many years Aboriginal Australians have been alive for. : I can see the glow on your face.

And what about you? What does it mean to you to be here today? I actually really like it that you get to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. : I hear lots of people say it's like Black Christmas.

Does it feel like Christmas to you today? : Ha. No presents. : Yeah, well we might have to sort that out maybe, Minister? : Thanks ABC and TEABBA. : You're so welcome. Thank you so much for dropping in.

You've got some official business to do now but it's been a pleasure to chat. Thanks so much. : Happy NAIDOC. Subscribe and stay up to date Connect with us PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community.

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