Minister for Indigenous Australians
Subjects: Diphtheria, Kumanjayi Little Baby
EMMA REBELLATO, HOST: We want to get you more on the diphtheria outbreak. Most of the current cases are in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, joins us now from Sydney. Minister, welcome.
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning. Lovely to join you.
HOST: Can you tell us a bit about the government's support package to try and contain this outbreak?
MINISTER: We're very concerned in terms of the diphtheria outbreak across Australia, in particular though the Northern Territory, Western Australia and areas of South Australia and Queensland. We are announcing today a package, in terms of support over $7 million, towards two things. One is the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre to now become fully engaged in the Northern Territory with the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector and also a governance body that will include the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, plus the health officers across those jurisdictions I've mentioned, and of course, the Aboriginal community-controlled sector.
HOST: How quickly will this support package get rolled out and will we be seeing a difference on the ground?
MINISTER: Immediately. This is not new in terms of the health fraternity. They have been aware of this in the past month and we have certainly been working with them. I've been in Alice Springs talking to Congress and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory. We have seen programs rolling out in places like Yuendumu in language. We know that we've got over 100 Aboriginal languages. We need to ensure that the communication is there, not misinformation. We certainly saw that through Covid and we need to ensure that the right information is getting out to our remote and regional communities.
HOST: Minister, how did we get to this point? I mean, did health authorities know that vaccination rates weren't what they should be? How did we get here?
MINISTER: Well, it's more around the adults, in terms of ensuring that boosters are being taken. We know that the immunisation rates have been there for our children. We've certainly seen in the recent budget, in the federal budget, an enormous support in terms of childhood immunisation. Our call is really to adults to not think that you are immune, make sure you're getting checked. So, it's really important that adults also know that this isn't just about children. This is actually all people of all ages.
HOST: The Prime Minister yesterday met with the family of Kumanjayi Little Baby. I understand you were there as well. Can you tell us a bit about that meeting? What happened?
MINISTER: It was really lovely for the family, in particular the mum and the grandparents, to have some time directly with the Prime Minister. It was a really important moment to be able to witness that and to hear the conversation. Both Marion Scrymgour and myself were there, as well as the Member for Gwoja, Chansey Paech, who helped coordinate this meeting. It was an opportunity for the Prime Minister to not only meet the families, but also the emergency personnel who were part of the search and to thank them personally on behalf of the nation for the work that they did in trying to find a beautiful little girl, which unfortunately didn't end up the way that everyone had hoped would happen.
HOST: We know there were meetings as well with representatives from the council, which manages more than a dozen town camps, with health officials, police. Is the federal government looking at taking action in this area?
MINISTER: Well, there were a lot of things happening throughout the day. Clearly, the primary focus was the Prime Minister giving his time, out from the budget across the country, to have some time with the families, and I certainly was appreciative of that, as was Marion. What also took place in the last week or so was meetings with the Northern Territory Government that I've called for, to work with my counterpart, in terms of the Indigenous Affairs Minister, Steve Edgington in the Northern Territory, to work with the Aboriginal community organisations in Alice Springs. And both Minister Edgington and myself and Marion Scrymgour, as the Special Envoy for Remote Communities, met with not only Tangentyere, but also with the Aboriginal organisations in Alice Springs. We recognise that this has to be a combined effort. It's not just on one organisation. This is incumbent on the Northern Territory and the federal governments to really work together, and we've committed to do that, to make sure that we don't see these sorts of things happen again.
HOST: But how will that happen? What things will you be doing? Will you be looking at bringing into place?
MINISTER: Well, I've said on the ABC, I think it was on 7.30, that I wanted to meet with the Aboriginal housing organisations of the town camps. There are 17 town camps. There are 15 Aboriginal housing reference groups and organisations. I will be meeting with them, along with Minister Edgington. There are issues around leasing, who owns what lease. There are some technical issues that we do need to go through. We need to look at the repairs and maintenance. We also commit to the Northern Territory, the $4 billion housing program for remote communities. How much of that will be in town camps? Not just Alice Springs, but there are over 40 town camps right across the Northern Territory. I also have carriage of the Aboriginal hostels, we have five Aboriginal hostels in the Northern Territory. Recently I was able to include an expansion of one of those hostels near Old Timers. I want to be able to see what we can do with the Aboriginal hostels as well.
HOST: Minister, I think a lot of people when this happened, I mean, we know people were so shocked at what happened to Kumanjayi Little Baby, a lot of people were also shocked to see the condition that many people live in in these town camps. Will we be seeing real change there to see improvement in the lives of Aboriginal people?
MINISTER: There's certainly an absolutely concerted effort to do that and I do appreciate that Minister Edgington from the Northern Territory was with me. What makes it difficult, though, Emma, is that there are other things going on with the Northern Territory Government in terms of the Aboriginal childcare placement policy that they're taking to their legislation or legislative changes in the next week or two. I certainly need to meet with Minister Robyn Cahill. While I'm working with Minister Edgington in terms of housing and Indigenous issues, Minister Cahill has responsibility for the care and protection of children. And there is real concern amongst Aboriginal organisations about that Child Placement Principle being removed. And I would certainly say to the Northern Territory Government that you have to work with Aboriginal families. You cannot impose these things. Aboriginal organisations are here at the table, working with us in terms of the town camps. Please work with them in terms of our children.
HOST: So, are you against this decision by the NT Government to remove the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle?
MINISTER: Well, we know that the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle is a critical principle that has worked right across Australia. This is not the time to get rid of a principle when we know that there are far deeper issues at play here. I would say to Minister Cahill, I do look forward to the briefing with your office, and these are certainly conversations I want to have directly with her.
HOST: Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, thanks for your time this morning.
MINISTER: Thank you.
