1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,279
Speaker 1: And we know that. Marian Scrimdaw earlier this week became

2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,120
Speaker 1: the first Aboriginal person to chair the House of Representatives

3
00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,240
Speaker 1: chamber as a member of the Speakers Panel. Scrimdaw, the

4
00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,200
Speaker 1: Member for Lingiari, said it was a huge moment for

5
00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,040
Speaker 1: the Parliament and a message to young Aboriginal people they

6
00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,919
Speaker 1: deserve to be in every chair at every table. The

7
00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:27,440
Speaker 1: Member four Lingiari and Special Envoy for Remote Communities, Marion Scrimjaw,

8
00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,880
Speaker 1: joins me on the line. Good morning to you.

9
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,800
Speaker 2: Marian's good morning, Katie. How are you.

10
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:39,199
Speaker 1: I'm very good, congratulations, thank you. How did how did

11
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,080
Speaker 1: you feel becoming the first Aboriginal person to sit in

12
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,600
Speaker 1: the Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives as a

13
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:47,960
Speaker 1: member of the Speakers Panel.

14
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:54,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think you know, you often get into

15
00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,200
Speaker 2: to this place and I said this in my opening

16
00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,640
Speaker 2: speech to Parliament that my father was from the Stolen

17
00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,880
Speaker 2: Generation and I was now a member of the Commonwealth.

18
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,600
Speaker 2: That was part of his removal many years ago, and

19
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,760
Speaker 2: you know it's always, you know, it plays heavily on

20
00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,319
Speaker 2: me and it's you know, I just thought, wow, you know,

21
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:23,280
Speaker 2: getting to this point, if I can use that role

22
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,240
Speaker 2: and my role as an example to say to Aboriginal kids,

23
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,160
Speaker 2: no matter where they are, whatever their background, that they

24
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,640
Speaker 2: too can you know, to achieve this. I'm now you know,

25
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,360
Speaker 2: talking to the Speaker of the House Melton Dick and

26
00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,640
Speaker 2: I are now talking about how we do some civics

27
00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,680
Speaker 2: training and doing a tour around the Northern Territory and

28
00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,680
Speaker 2: to try and you know, target our young people to

29
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,760
Speaker 2: be more engaged in you know, the parliamentary process, but

30
00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,080
Speaker 2: also to look at those positions they're really important for

31
00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,040
Speaker 2: the nation and how to be part of that. So

32
00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,480
Speaker 2: looking forward to that side of it, Katie, Yeah.

33
00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,440
Speaker 1: I reckon that's a really good idea. I would like

34
00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,000
Speaker 1: to see, you know, our young people right around Australia

35
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,320
Speaker 1: more engaged when it comes to politics. And I think,

36
00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,760
Speaker 1: you know, it's more important than ever as well with

37
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,960
Speaker 1: the emergence of social media and you know, people not

38
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 1: really being sure where they're getting their information from. So

39
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,519
Speaker 1: I think it's really important that our young people are engaged.

40
00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know we've got to see that increase

41
00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,600
Speaker 2: in we watch whether it's local government elections, whether it's

42
00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,000
Speaker 2: state elections, whether it's federal elections. We can see that

43
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,680
Speaker 2: there is a whole cohort of people that are disengaged

44
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,240
Speaker 2: in that process. Look, I'm going to use, you know,

45
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,080
Speaker 2: my various roles to really target and hone in on

46
00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,600
Speaker 2: that because I think it's critical for our young people,

47
00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,200
Speaker 2: whether it's Aboriginal kids, whether it's non Aboriginal. No, it doesn't.

48
00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,320
Speaker 2: I think we're just got to try and get our

49
00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,480
Speaker 2: young people re engaged in our political systems and to

50
00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,200
Speaker 2: you know, see the importance of our democracy and why

51
00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,960
Speaker 2: it's important to protect that, because that's what it is about, Katie.

52
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,280
Speaker 2: It's about the governance and the you know the importance

53
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,960
Speaker 2: of our democracy. If we look elsewhere overseas, there are

54
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,480
Speaker 2: many countries who they don't have the same freedoms that

55
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,920
Speaker 2: we have, and I think it's really important that we

56
00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,239
Speaker 2: protect what we've got, but we also make that clear

57
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,520
Speaker 2: so that the next generation can carry that through.

58
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,600
Speaker 1: Marian, what do you reckon your dad would say about

59
00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,080
Speaker 1: you stepping into that chair?

60
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:47,160
Speaker 2: Oh, look, I think he'll be And same with my mum, Kadie.

61
00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,440
Speaker 2: You know, as I said, I was one of eleven

62
00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,280
Speaker 2: kids growing up. Both of my parents worked really hard

63
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,840
Speaker 2: and they you know, we had simple, a simple upbringing,

64
00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,760
Speaker 2: both in Darwin, but also on the here we Isreland,

65
00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,880
Speaker 2: and I think they'll both be chuffed. I think it's

66
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:09,160
Speaker 2: but you know, the the I think the point of

67
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,480
Speaker 2: all of that, Katie, is one thing that my father

68
00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,000
Speaker 2: was really strong on was the need for an education

69
00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,760
Speaker 2: and the need to go to school every day. And

70
00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,000
Speaker 2: you know, I remember him saying to us, you know,

71
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,920
Speaker 2: over and over again, right up until he died. I

72
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,320
Speaker 2: you know, I'm not a rich man. I'm not going

73
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,960
Speaker 2: to leave you wealth. But the one wealth I am

74
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,920
Speaker 2: going to give you is the education that your mother

75
00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,440
Speaker 2: and I have pushed you to achieve. And it's true,

76
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:45,359
Speaker 2: it's the education key that we need to make sure that,

77
00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,359
Speaker 2: you know, our young people see the value of education

78
00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:56,000
Speaker 2: and how that can unlock those doors to greater opportunities.

79
00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,200
Speaker 2: And you know, I'm a testament of that. There are

80
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:04,200
Speaker 2: many of us have achieved that because not because you know,

81
00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:09,039
Speaker 2: we thought education were sexy. It had to we had to.

82
00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,600
Speaker 2: It was, it was composed, and we knew that we

83
00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,440
Speaker 2: had to learn to go yep, We've got to We've

84
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,719
Speaker 2: got to put back and and you know, try and

85
00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,479
Speaker 2: get our young people to see the value of that.

86
00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:24,320
Speaker 2: I was lucky. I had parents who stare that value.

87
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,800
Speaker 2: They didn't have an education like I had, and they

88
00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,040
Speaker 2: wanted to instill that in all of their eleven children.

89
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:36,320
Speaker 2: And that's what we you know, we we certainly you know,

90
00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,560
Speaker 2: and it's something that you know, I certainly want to

91
00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,120
Speaker 2: be able to work through fire Gray.

92
00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,800
Speaker 1: Now, Marion, I want to ask you. We know that

93
00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,880
Speaker 1: that the latest Closing the Gap report has been released.

94
00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,800
Speaker 1: The Productivity Commission says the latest report on Closing the

95
00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,320
Speaker 1: Gap showed mixed progress. How do you reflect on the

96
00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,920
Speaker 1: data and what do you know, what do you think

97
00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,600
Speaker 1: we need to be doing different here in the Northern Territory.

98
00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,920
Speaker 2: Look, I think we can't keep going through productivity report

99
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,320
Speaker 2: after productivity report to tell us that things are dire. Katie,

100
00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,680
Speaker 2: you know we're still not achieving the outcomes that we

101
00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,240
Speaker 2: should be achieving. And I know that Minister McCarthy, I'm

102
00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,560
Speaker 2: working with her very closely my role as a special envoy.

103
00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,720
Speaker 2: We'll start looking at advising you know, the Prime Minister,

104
00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,159
Speaker 2: Minister McCarthy, but all of the ministers of the federal government.

105
00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,559
Speaker 2: There needs to be a greater collaboration and are working

106
00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:40,080
Speaker 2: together with the Northern Territory government. I'm urging Chief Minister Finocchiaro.

107
00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,159
Speaker 2: You know, we've seen the comments from Minister Kale in

108
00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,960
Speaker 2: terms of the domestic violence and the coronial which I

109
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,520
Speaker 2: thought was disappointing. And you know, I think that, you know,

110
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,560
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory Government needs to come to the table

111
00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,720
Speaker 2: because the closing the gap is getting you know, we're

112
00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,799
Speaker 2: not closing the gap, it's getting wider. But it's only

113
00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,760
Speaker 2: going to close with all levels of government working together

114
00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,400
Speaker 2: because you know, as I said this morning on the

115
00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,040
Speaker 2: floor of the you know, the House of Representatives, Katie,

116
00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,520
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory Government's revenue is dependent on Commonwealth funding.

117
00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,680
Speaker 2: You know, the government most of that comes from the Commonwealth.

118
00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,720
Speaker 2: We all need to work together. It's not about stopping

119
00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,880
Speaker 2: the funding to the Northern Charity government. It's about recognizing

120
00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,840
Speaker 2: that everyone has a role here and we all need

121
00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,640
Speaker 2: to work together for the betterment of the Northern Territory

122
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000
Speaker 2: and the good governance of the Northern Territory. You know,

123
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,160
Speaker 2: I recognize and I respect as the Chief Minister and

124
00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,320
Speaker 2: the COLP of the government, but there has to be

125
00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,080
Speaker 2: a working together with the Commonwealth government so that we

126
00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,240
Speaker 2: can achieve better outcomes and what we're seeing and the

127
00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,320
Speaker 2: Closing the Gap report, we can't have another one that

128
00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,760
Speaker 2: says it's still getting batter but we still do the

129
00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,080
Speaker 2: same thing over and over again. Things have got to change.

130
00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,000
Speaker 1: Well and this, you know, this is a problem and

131
00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:08,720
Speaker 1: this is what a lot of people in the Northern

132
00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,200
Speaker 1: Territory are feeling at the moment, as you know, and

133
00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,640
Speaker 1: I mean we talk about closing the gap, we obviously

134
00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,240
Speaker 1: talk about meeting those different targets, but here in the

135
00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,720
Speaker 1: Northern Territory we know that you know, we are suffering

136
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,880
Speaker 1: through some really bad crime and have done for a

137
00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,360
Speaker 1: number of years. I mean, we talk about the number

138
00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,760
Speaker 1: of people that are incarcerated, but quite often we don't

139
00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,360
Speaker 1: talk about the crime statistics and and you know the

140
00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,080
Speaker 1: impact that it's having on the community. I know that

141
00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,200
Speaker 1: for us. Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen

142
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,360
Speaker 1: some really bad issues in Catherine and that is indeed

143
00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:48,559
Speaker 1: an electorate that you are the federal representative for Marian.

144
00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,680
Speaker 1: Have you had much of a discussion with people in

145
00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,000
Speaker 1: Catherine about some of the issues that they're battling at

146
00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:53,440
Speaker 1: the moment.

147
00:08:54,240 --> 00:09:00,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, and we've when I finish parliament, see, so

148
00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,840
Speaker 2: we finish our this last two weeks today, Katie, and

149
00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,320
Speaker 2: then I could go back to Alice Springs and then

150
00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,840
Speaker 2: I head back up the top. I'm going to try

151
00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,400
Speaker 2: and organize a number of round tables. One of them

152
00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,520
Speaker 2: so I want to get to Catherine and to meet

153
00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,440
Speaker 2: with the business community, but the community of Catherine to

154
00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,679
Speaker 2: look at. I know, I went to Happy Corner, so

155
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,520
Speaker 2: the Corner store last time I was there, and they

156
00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,440
Speaker 2: were showing me, you know, what measures they had to

157
00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,080
Speaker 2: put in place and how you know both I've known

158
00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,320
Speaker 2: Anna and her husband for a long time and I

159
00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,600
Speaker 2: used to work in Catherine and to know that they've

160
00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,760
Speaker 2: had to move into their shop and to you know,

161
00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:48,600
Speaker 2: to camp there so that they could protect their shop inside.

162
00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:53,520
Speaker 2: She had been badly assaulted, you know, and the villificate

163
00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:58,120
Speaker 2: like the vile language that's been expressed. I mean, none

164
00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,559
Speaker 2: of us think it's okay. We do need to work

165
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,360
Speaker 2: through with the community. But again, Katie, it does need

166
00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,760
Speaker 2: that leadership. It needs leadership from the NT, but it

167
00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:13,680
Speaker 2: needs all of us, including myself, to work through with

168
00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,880
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory Government, the police, with all of these

169
00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,680
Speaker 2: systems and to try and get a better outcome for

170
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,920
Speaker 2: you know, the Catherine community, for Tenant Creek, for Alice,

171
00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:30,120
Speaker 2: even with what's happening in and around Darwin, but across

172
00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:34,280
Speaker 2: our remote communities as well, because you know, we've got

173
00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,800
Speaker 2: to stop shifting the chairs on the Titanic and removing

174
00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:42,120
Speaker 2: police out of those remote communities and moving them into

175
00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,760
Speaker 2: our town. So I think there's a whole lot of

176
00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:50,640
Speaker 2: discussion that we need to have, and I'm certainly up

177
00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:55,360
Speaker 2: for going to Catherine and sitting down with you know,

178
00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:01,000
Speaker 2: whether it's a business community meeting with you know, the

179
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,440
Speaker 2: other community members, to look at what do we need

180
00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,120
Speaker 2: to do and how do we get commonwealth support like

181
00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,440
Speaker 2: we did with Alice Springs and can increte.

182
00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,160
Speaker 1: I mean, one of the things that people are starting

183
00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,280
Speaker 1: to ask as well, Marian, I'm keen to get your

184
00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,520
Speaker 1: take on this is people are saying, you know, we're

185
00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,160
Speaker 1: some of the Aboriginal leadership in these instances as well

186
00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,560
Speaker 1: when you have got unfortunately, you know, and this is

187
00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:29,920
Speaker 1: something you and I have spoken about before in Alice Springs,

188
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,240
Speaker 1: but in Catherine at the moment, young Aboriginal men breaking

189
00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,199
Speaker 1: into homes and assaulting women.

190
00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,880
Speaker 2: And look, it's not on Katie. Look, none of us

191
00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,560
Speaker 2: think that it's okay, and it does need the Aboriginal

192
00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:47,760
Speaker 2: leadership to come to the table. I will certainly be

193
00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:52,720
Speaker 2: talking to some of those leaders, some of the native titleholders,

194
00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,800
Speaker 2: and to try and facilitate a you know, a round

195
00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,920
Speaker 2: table discussion. Bring the police, you know, the government, bring

196
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,200
Speaker 2: everyone together to try and look at what do we

197
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,560
Speaker 2: need to do to push this through. We've also got

198
00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,600
Speaker 2: to look at I think we did a lot of

199
00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:15,040
Speaker 2: investment and work with Alice Springs. We've done that. You know,

200
00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,880
Speaker 2: there's been the Barkley Regional deal, but there's been a

201
00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,720
Speaker 2: review and that's about to be handed down. So there's

202
00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,040
Speaker 2: been investment down in the South. We have to do

203
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,640
Speaker 2: that same investment in and around Catherine. And I think

204
00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,320
Speaker 2: that it's important because some of those organizations are stretched

205
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,440
Speaker 2: as well, and this will need the same level I

206
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,680
Speaker 2: think of, you know, elevating the importance of trying to

207
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,840
Speaker 2: deal with this stelf in Catherine as we did with

208
00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:44,600
Speaker 2: Alice Springs.

209
00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,760
Speaker 1: Marion. Another quick one just before I let you go.

210
00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:53,080
Speaker 1: We've got people in Catherine contacting us about doctors and

211
00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:57,800
Speaker 1: bolk billing in Catherine, also questioning if there is going

212
00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:02,200
Speaker 1: to be a Medicare urgent care clinic in Catherine. This

213
00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,479
Speaker 1: person says that one was promised throughout the federal election campaign.

214
00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,000
Speaker 1: What is the situation.

215
00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we're working through. I'm working through with the

216
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:16,040
Speaker 2: Health Minister, Katie. I'll when I go to Catherine, I'll

217
00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:22,559
Speaker 2: certainly talk through with those individuals about Catherine does need

218
00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,719
Speaker 2: an urgent care clinic. Absolutely, I don't disagree with that.

219
00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:33,480
Speaker 2: I'll talk to the federal Health Minister and I'll let

220
00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,760
Speaker 2: you know as Sinners, I've had those conversations and what

221
00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:37,800
Speaker 2: that timeline is.

222
00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:42,680
Speaker 1: Well. Marion Scrimjaw, the Member fort LINGIARI and Special Envoy

223
00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,040
Speaker 1: for Remote Communities, good to speak with you this morning.

224
00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:45,600
Speaker 1: We'll talk to you.

225
00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,680
Speaker 2: Soon, no worry. Thank you, Katie, thank you,