WEBVTT - Why Albanese sacked two ministers

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<v Speaker 1>You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker

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<v Speaker 1>the news from the Australian. From the Australian, here's what's

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<v Speaker 1>on the Front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Monday, July twenty nine.

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<v Speaker 1>Nursing homes have lost five billion dollars in the past

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<v Speaker 1>five years, and three quarters of them face sustained losses

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<v Speaker 1>without a new funding model. That story is live now

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<v Speaker 1>for ours subscribers at the Australian dot Com dot a you.

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<v Speaker 1>Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is out and so is Home

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<v Speaker 1>Affairs Minister Claire O'Neill as Anthony Albanesi tries to regain

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<v Speaker 1>control of border policy, plus a new Indigenous Affairs minister

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<v Speaker 1>rises Today Anthony Albanese's big Cabinet reshuffled and what it

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<v Speaker 1>tells us about the looming election.

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<v Speaker 2>Anthony Albanesi has put his government on an election footing

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<v Speaker 2>by removing two underperforming ministers while putting one of his

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<v Speaker 2>most senior lieutenants into the key Home Affairs ministry.

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<v Speaker 1>In federal politics, some portfolios are much tougher than others. Immigration,

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<v Speaker 1>you need nerves of steel and the ability to sail

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<v Speaker 1>past allegations of heartlessness. You're in charge of the overall

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<v Speaker 1>migration mix, deportations and offshore detention. What could go wrong?

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<v Speaker 1>Right Home Affairs you carry the care for border protection,

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<v Speaker 1>counter terrorism and cybersecurity. When a boat full of Shri

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<v Speaker 1>Lunkan or Pakistani asylum seekers lands in remote wa you

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<v Speaker 1>get the call. When Anthony Albernezi came to government in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty two, he chose two newby ministers. Immigration went

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<v Speaker 1>to a member of the PM's own left faction, Andrew Giles,

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<v Speaker 1>a lawyer, and Home Affairs to a member of Labour's

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<v Speaker 1>right former Victorian local mayor and management consultant Claire O'Neill.

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<v Speaker 1>They have struggled, not necessarily because of personal failings, but

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<v Speaker 1>because these are hugely challenging jobs for first time ministers

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<v Speaker 1>or anyone. Now both their jobs have been handed to

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<v Speaker 1>one of the most powerful people in government, Tony Burke,

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<v Speaker 1>from Labour's famously ruthless New South Wales right faction. Burke

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<v Speaker 1>takes pretty much all their responsibilities except AZIO, the nation's

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<v Speaker 1>spy agency that's moved out of Home Affairs and to

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<v Speaker 1>the Attorney General's Department. Greg Brown is the Australian's Canbrook

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<v Speaker 1>Bureau chief.

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<v Speaker 2>Tony Burke will be the Minister for both Home Affairs

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<v Speaker 2>and Immigrations, so he's doing two former ministers' jobs in one.

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<v Speaker 2>He's also looking after multicultural affairs, which I think is

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<v Speaker 2>critical given he's a Western Sydney MP with a high

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<v Speaker 2>Muslim population. He's also the Minister for the Art. He's

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<v Speaker 2>also the Minister for Cybersecurity, which comes under Home Affairs,

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<v Speaker 2>and he's also the Leader of the House, which is

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<v Speaker 2>kind of like the government's key strategist. Now. I think

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<v Speaker 2>a key takeout from this is that this is the

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<v Speaker 2>appointment that Anthony Albaneze he made two years too late

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<v Speaker 2>upon coming into government. He should have treated Home Affairs

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<v Speaker 2>and Immigration seriously. Instead, he knew no one wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>do either. It's always poisoned for an ambitious labor politician

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<v Speaker 2>to take those portfolios. So he put in Claire O'Neill,

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<v Speaker 2>someone who here I don't think as a particularly close

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<v Speaker 2>relationship with He put her into Home Affairs, and then

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<v Speaker 2>he put his very good mate Andrew Giles into Immigration

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<v Speaker 2>because he knew that Jiles, being very loyal to him,

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't say no, and wouldn't be angry with him about it.

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<v Speaker 1>Taking Burke's previous job. Is another winner from the reshuffle

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<v Speaker 1>the left factions. Murray What. He is the widely respected

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<v Speaker 1>Minister for Agriculture who's being promoted to Employment and Workplace Relations,

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<v Speaker 1>a big cabinet job.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a big promotion for Murray What. He's one of

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<v Speaker 2>the key figures of the Queensland Left and he's got

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of union backing, factional backing. But he's also

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<v Speaker 2>a very good performer. So I think this is alb

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<v Speaker 2>and easy shoring up some of his internal support by

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<v Speaker 2>people that are close from the United Workers' Union, a

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<v Speaker 2>key union, but also rewarding Senator What for his very

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<v Speaker 2>good performances. Doing so, though, it does risk putting regional

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<v Speaker 2>Australia offside, and that is really something that Labor traditionally

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<v Speaker 2>struggles with.

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<v Speaker 1>Andrew Giles has been dealing with a nightmarish unintended consequence

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<v Speaker 1>of a labor policy Labour inherited from the Coalition a

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<v Speaker 1>tough regime of deporting convicted criminals who are non citizens

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<v Speaker 1>of Australia, But early in its term, Labour decided to

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<v Speaker 1>introduce a new rule called direction ninety nine, which allowed

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<v Speaker 1>the tribunal that rules on these cases to consider the

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<v Speaker 1>length and depth of a criminal's connection to Australia when

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<v Speaker 1>deciding whether to let them stay. Surprise, surprise, this led

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<v Speaker 1>to hardcore convicts whom the government wanted to deport being

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<v Speaker 1>allowed to remain in Australia. The government had to frantically

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<v Speaker 1>dump that policy. Claara O'Neill's tenure and remember she was

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<v Speaker 1>in Chine of Borderforce has seen an optic in what

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<v Speaker 1>the government calls unauthorized maritime arrivals. Both people, more than

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred and fifty potential irregular immigrants that's another government euphemism,

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<v Speaker 1>have arrived and all have been either turned back to

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<v Speaker 1>their country of departure or taken to the processing center

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<v Speaker 1>on Nauru. Last month, twelve people were turned back, thirty

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<v Speaker 1>seven went to Nauru, five went home from Nauru to

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<v Speaker 1>their own countries, and five voluntarily left Australia. So it's

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<v Speaker 1>a trickle, not the kind of flood the opposition predicted

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<v Speaker 1>when Labour came to power. Here's O'Neill in April.

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<v Speaker 3>Operation Sovereign Borders is a sacrisant part of Australian public

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<v Speaker 3>policy it's something that I spend a lot of time on.

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<v Speaker 3>It's something that we've devoted additional resources to. I've been

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<v Speaker 3>a bit disappointed in recent days to see people that

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<v Speaker 3>I actually respect in the opposition coming out and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>telling untruths about this and pulling into question aspects of

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<v Speaker 3>this policy. The Commander offerin sovereign Borders has been really

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<v Speaker 3>opened that provides an alternative narrative for people snugglers, and

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<v Speaker 3>I asked them to stop doing it Jesus.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're talking about a few one hundred asylum seekers,

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<v Speaker 1>not tens of thousands. So why is Clara O'Neil facing

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<v Speaker 1>the chop.

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<v Speaker 2>I think she's very much seen as part of the

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<v Speaker 2>problem with While it may have been delegated to Andrew Giles,

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<v Speaker 2>the fact is she was the senior minister in those portfolios.

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<v Speaker 2>She should have been ensuring some of those mistakes weren't made.

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<v Speaker 2>She should have been asking more questions of her junior

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<v Speaker 2>minister about Direction ninety nine. Quite frankly, I think that

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<v Speaker 2>she's got off pretty lightly with public criticism because so

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<v Speaker 2>much of it was born by Andrew Giles.

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<v Speaker 1>O'Neil and Giles were jointly assigned to handle another migration headache,

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<v Speaker 1>a High Court decision to release scores of stateless detainees.

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<v Speaker 1>The High Court ruled they couldn't be held in custody indefinitely.

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<v Speaker 1>Some had been convicted of serious crimes. Since they're elief,

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<v Speaker 1>some have allegedly committed more violent offenses. But Greg, to

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<v Speaker 1>listen to Anthony Albanezi, you'd think Immigration and Border Protection

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<v Speaker 1>was not the dumpster fire it seems to be.

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<v Speaker 2>Then why did you move Andrew Giles from the portfolio?

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<v Speaker 4>Because there's a reshuffle.

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<v Speaker 5>What we had to do, what we had to do,

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<v Speaker 5>what we had to do. What you do when there's

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<v Speaker 5>a reshuffle is that there is a change that then

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<v Speaker 5>has a knock on effect.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, the PM sounded pretty defensive in his Sunday

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<v Speaker 1>press conference.

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<v Speaker 4>We have been the most experienced incoming labor government in history.

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<v Speaker 4>We are considered, things are orderly, policy processes are right.

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<v Speaker 2>Well. I think it was a bit of a bizarre explanation.

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<v Speaker 2>I agree with you, Claire, because you think if you're

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<v Speaker 2>moving on ministers in high profile portfolios where there are

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of problems, he's moving them on and then saying, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>but they didn't do anything wrong. They did a great job,

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<v Speaker 2>so there's actually no explanation to the electorate as to

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<v Speaker 2>why it's happening, so it doesn't seem to pass the

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<v Speaker 2>pub test. Really, I think nearly all of it as hr.

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<v Speaker 2>I think the retirement of a couple of ministers gave

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<v Speaker 2>him the opportunity to make a couple of these key changes,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think it's more about the sales peach than

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<v Speaker 2>the policy.

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<v Speaker 1>Both O'Neill and Giles have been reappointed to new jobs.

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<v Speaker 1>Giles will take on Skills and Training and that portfolio

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<v Speaker 1>has been dumped from cabinet, so he'll be in the

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<v Speaker 1>outer ministry ouch. In Clara O'Neil's case, it's Homelessness and Housing.

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<v Speaker 1>She remains in cabinet, but it's a much less important role.

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<v Speaker 2>They did need more energy in housing. I think they're

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<v Speaker 2>facing a lot of pressure from both the Coalition and

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<v Speaker 2>the Greens on that portfolio, so I think they're hope

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<v Speaker 2>it will be more within like it does suit her more.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming up after the break, a new Minister in Indigenous

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<v Speaker 1>Affairs to take on center Numpi imp Price. The Australian

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<v Speaker 1>has all the best political commentary by none. You can

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<v Speaker 1>read our experts analysis of all this, plus be the

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<v Speaker 1>after the break. Mullinderry McCarthy is a young ule woman

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<v Speaker 1>and former journalist, born in Katherine in the Northern Territory.

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<v Speaker 1>She's been a Territory MP and since twenty sixteen a Senator.

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<v Speaker 1>She's a passionate advocate and has spoken of how John

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<v Speaker 1>Howard's emergency intervention in remote communities, sparked by reports of

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<v Speaker 1>rampant child sex, offending and substance abuse, left her deeply saddened.

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<v Speaker 1>Now she's Minister for Indigenous Australians, taking the portfolio from

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<v Speaker 1>Linda Bernie who's retiring.

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<v Speaker 2>It's extremely tough after the mishandling of that Voice referendum.

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<v Speaker 1>The twenty twenty three referendum defeat Australians voted no to

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<v Speaker 1>enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait island of Voice in

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<v Speaker 1>the Constitution left Labor promising to forge a new path

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<v Speaker 1>ahead towards reconciliation, but it's been light on detail so far.

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<v Speaker 2>Senator McCarthy I think will be in a very tough

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<v Speaker 2>spot because she'll have the indigenous leadership pushing for new architecture,

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<v Speaker 2>things like a legislated voice, which could have been done

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<v Speaker 2>without a referendum already, things like a Macart commission, making

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<v Speaker 2>movements on not just truth telling but treaty. However, I

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<v Speaker 2>think there's such little appetite to go down this path

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<v Speaker 2>within the government at the moment that I don't think

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<v Speaker 2>she'll be given a whole lot of lee way from

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<v Speaker 2>I'm the Prime Minister to do things other than the

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<v Speaker 2>sort of old fashioned things that governments have done with

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<v Speaker 2>Indigenous affairs, which is the practical stuff, education, crime and

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<v Speaker 2>these sorts of things. I'd be pretty staked if she

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<v Speaker 2>oversaw an ambitious new architecture for Indigenous Australians, but that

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be I think a key point of

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<v Speaker 2>tension between her and the Prime Minister.

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<v Speaker 1>Greg Brown is the Australian's CANBRA Bureau chief. Australians off

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<v Speaker 1>to a flying start at the Olympics in Paris. Just

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<v Speaker 1>ask our sports reporter Julian Lindon, who's been fullside in Paris.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not about who's the fastest, it's about who's the toughest,

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<v Speaker 1>and no one is tougher than Ari auntis. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>have to wake up at four am to enjoy the

0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:54.480
<v Speaker 1>reflected glory. We'll serve up the highlights each morning over

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<v Speaker 1>breakfast at the Australian dot com dot au