Minister for Indigenous Australians
STEWART BRASH, HOST: We're joined now by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. Good morning, Senator. How do I find you this morning?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, Stewart. Just like everyone, wanting to see calm restored here, deeply aware of the trauma that so many families are going through, but also just the community of Alice Springs. I've been so incredibly proud of Alice Springs this past week and I think last night was certainly a reminder of how much emotion there is in all of this.
STEWART BRASH: What have you been told about what happened last night? We just heard from Matt Garrick who was on the scene, but it sounds like 400 people, and we sometimes use the term riot too lightly, but it does sound like a riot. How do you see what happened last night?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I'm here in Alice. I certainly am aware of what happened last night. We know that emotions flow over. I see it a lot in many other communities, certainly not to the extent that we saw last night as a country here in Alice Springs. But I think today is about trying to bring about calm, Stewart, and realising that when the town came together in such an incredibly significant way this week, everyone is feeling it and we all need to be able to move towards what kind of counselling and support that we can do, whether from a cultural perspective, whether it's in language with the peacekeepers. We need to bring Elders together and just bring calm because Mr Lewis is now under arrest, in custody and there has to be a process now for the investigation to occur. And just so it isn't jeopardised in any particular way that that can be conducted as it should. But at the same time, we have a mum who needs to bury her baby and we need to be there for her.
STEWART BRASH: I know. And that's the terrible thing about the events of last night. It overshadows a town trying to come to grips, a region trying to come to grips with a terrible event. And yet we have to deal with the aftermath of, is there any, can you in any way legitimate what happened last night? Because, you know, police car torched.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: There's no, no, no, there's no. The police have been at the forefront of this every single day. I've been speaking with them there at the search with the volunteers. I know that many of them are deeply feeling all of this as well. They're human, just like us and they have been there, but they've also got to protect the person that they're here to protect, and that was the person in custody. And so it is difficult for police officers, I know certainly for the Aboriginal police officers and liaison officers, this is the real wrestling that they have. But the reality is, is that we have to have calm, we have to have peace on the streets and people have to do their job and the police still have to do their job, and that is to go through this investigation and we need to give them the space to do that.
STEWART BRASH: Now, what happens today? Because we need to hear leadership from everyone on this front about what happens now, because we heard from Robyn Lambley before seven. Now, Robyn said maybe we need have out grog restrictions today, for the moment. What are your thoughts on actual actions on the ground which need to happen?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I think it's quite possible all of those things need to be canvassed today. But first we had to de-escalate the situation and I think it's important that the Police Commissioner has said that Mr Lewis has been relocated out of Alice Springs to Darwin for the investigation. I think that's a good thing, Stewart. Now, what we need to do, and I'll certainly be doing today, is working with the Aboriginal organisations and the leadership groups, but also making sure that the whole of Alice Springs gets the access that they need to be able to talk about this in a way that allows them to come through the other side of this in a peaceful way. So, those things, and what Robyn's mentioned, I'm sure the police are also considering that. So, we will come together as a community. I've seen that, seen how strong Alice is and felt it. And we're going to get through this as well.
STEWART BRASH: Yeah, I mean, it's unfortunately one of those touchstone events and we think about over the years and I'm thinking of the death of Rosemary McIntyre back in '95. It's. It's sort of. Yeah, one of those moments.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Oh Stew. Yeah, I know, I know. And this is, this is what, what I love here and about the Territory is, we know we can come together and we will and we will endure.
STEWART BRASH: Yeah, I'd like to be positive. It's hard on a day like today.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I'm with you, Stew.
STEWART BRASH: Senator, I'll let you go. You'll be meeting with people today across the day on these issues.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: I'll be here. I'm here in Alice, I'm going around. I want to see the hospital staff, I want to see the business. I want to just be here for people. So, please reach out.
STEWART BRASH: Thanks so much.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Okay. Thanks, Stew.
STEWART BRASH: Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. And, yeah, I'm feeling it. You're all feeling it, I can tell.
