Minister for Indigenous Australians
Topics: 50th Connected Beginnings site for First Nations children, Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, Closing the Gap.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO, ABC KUNUNURRA: Why are you here in Kununurra today?
MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS, MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Well, certainly here to support Minister Anne Aly with the launch of the 50th Connected Beginnings site in Australia. This is incredibly exciting. It's an opportunity for our babies, our little ones, to have a special place to come together in terms of their learning and development. And it's a strong initiative, led by Minister Aly and our government, to ensure that First Nations children have a good start in life.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: And you also looked at jobs as well. So, can you tell me what is the difference between this remote jobs program and the CDP?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: We came to government saying that we would abolish the Community Development Program and that is exactly what we are doing. We want to roll out, and we're in the middle of doing that, the remote jobs policy, because we want to see dignity in the workplace, in the workforce, by having good pay, long service leave, superannuation, sick pay, all the entitlements that ordinary workers in Australia get. It is important that our communities across Australia have the ability to offer these jobs where people feel proud to work.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: And unemployment rates in this region are quite high, especially among Indigenous people. So, do you think this trial can change that? And can it create jobs that are sustainable long term?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I visited Lily Lagoon Resort this morning and was heartened by what I saw there. We have 17 employees there as part of this whole initiative. I know that it is very possible in all communities across Australia to do that. I spoke to participants who said that it made them very happy to get up in the morning, jump out of bed, get to work. That's the kind of inspiration we need to see for all Australians, and in particular First Nations people in our communities, who all have been asking to just have good and decent jobs.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: Kununurra is a remote town, but WA also has some of the most remote communities in Australia. Places like, you know, Tjuntjuntjara, Warburton, Balgo. Have you visited these communities and if so, what have you heard from people there?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I've certainly spoken to representatives from those communities in terms of general meetings in Perth or whether they've come to Canberra to see me and lobby for their particular communities. I know that jobs, jobs, jobs is our mantra and it certainly is theirs as well. First Nations people do want to work. They want to have the opportunities. They want to be able to care for their family on good pay, decent pay. They want to be able to have their own homes and be able to afford these things, like any other Australian. And our government is firmly behind rolling out these 3,000 jobs.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: And those communities obviously have a unique set of challenges. Do you plan to maybe visit them in the future as well?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Look, there's challenges right across Australia. There is no community without its own story, without its own history. But I am firmly of the view that every Australian in this country wants to see a better place and is filled with hope for themselves and their family. And that's what our government is doing, is providing that in all these initiatives.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: Also, the Liberals would like to see the cashless debit card reinstated. What are your views and what have you heard from people in different communities?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: We came to government with the firm policy of abolishing the cashless debit card. We know that that was really important to do. But at the same time, we've invested, in particular here in the Kimberley, $13 million in services. Like today, for example, with the Connected Beginnings, like the jobs program, like the housing program. We're rolling out a thousand rangers across the country, many of them here in Western Australia. We're also rolling out 500 participants in the health practitioner space, many of them here in WA. This is what our government is about. Real jobs, real policies. Not like the Coalition, who just want to take us back to the dark ages.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: And you spoke about services, which is one of the things that people ask for a lot. So, if you were to be re-elected, what more would you tell people that your government could do in this space?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: We would like to be re-elected; to keep doing the good work we're doing in our communities across Australia. We are about jobs, jobs, jobs, and providing for families in safe places across the country. That's why we want to be re-elected.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: Maybe one more if it's okay. So, the poll results show that actually the Kimberley was in support of a Voice to Parliament. So, how are you going to move forward from that, you know, more than a year later?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: We accepted the decision of the Australian people. What we are doing here today with Minister Anne Aly is on the request of the people of Kununurra and the Kimberley, so their voices continue to be heard. We are working on closing the gap and today's step is one of those strong initiatives.
GIULIA BERTOGLIO: Thank you so much.
