43 Facts About Malarndirri McCarthy

Malarndirri McCarthy is the Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Albanese Government since 29 July 2024.

Malarndirri McCarthy previously served in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.

Malarndirri McCarthy was re-elected unopposed in 2008, and was appointed to the ministry by Paul Henderson.

Malarndirri McCarthy held a number of portfolios over the following four years, but lost her seat in Labor's landslide defeat at the 2012 election.

Malarndirri McCarthy subsequently returned to the media as a presenter for NITV and SBS News.

Malarndirri McCarthy re-entered politics as Labor's lead Senate candidate in the Northern Territory at the 2016 federal election.

Malarndirri McCarthy was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians in July 2024 after Linda Burney announced her retirement from parliament.

Barbara Anne Malarndirri McCarthy was born in 1970 in Katherine, Northern Territory, the daughter of Limandabina Charlie and John Malarndirri McCarthy.

Malarndirri McCarthy grew up "with a deep respect both traditional Indigenous and Catholic values".

Malarndirri McCarthy was raised mainly by her father, but was always encouraged to stay connected to her Aboriginal culture; she later said she was brought up on two-way learning, although it was not so named at the time.

Malarndirri McCarthy attended school first in Borroloola, on the McArthur River, and then at a Catholic primary school in Alice Springs.

Malarndirri McCarthy worked across Australia as a news and current affairs television and radio reporter.

Malarndirri McCarthy spent 16 years working for the ABC, first as a reporter behind the camera, and then as newsreader.

Malarndirri McCarthy then set up her own media consultancy, called Malarndirri Media.

In 2005, Malarndirri McCarthy was preselected as the Labor candidate in Arnhem to replace the retiring member Jack Ah Kit.

Malarndirri McCarthy was one of five Indigenous candidates elected, properly reflecting the population ratio of Indigenous people in the Territory.

Immediately following her re-election, Malarndirri McCarthy was promoted to the ministry and, from August 2008 to November 2009, was the Minister for Children and Families, Child Protection, Statehood, Women's Policy, Senior Territorians, Young Territorians, and the Minister Assisting the Chief Minister on Multicultural Affairs.

Malarndirri McCarthy called for a public inquiry into the NT's child protection system, and drove reform in this area as well as the homelands policy.

At the 2012 election, Malarndirri McCarthy was defeated by Country Liberal Party challenger Larisa Lee amid Labor's collapse in the remote portions of the Territory.

Malarndirri McCarthy then returned to journalism, working for National Indigenous Television and SBS until 2016.

Malarndirri McCarthy won the 2013 Journalism Story of the Year Deadly Award for her story on two Noongar brothers, the Thorne Brothers, who were in Saudi Arabia.

In 2013, Malarndirri McCarthy write a story on Mercedes-Benz, which filmed its advertisement at Wave Rock in Western Australia, a place of deep cultural significance to Aboriginal custodians.

Malarndirri McCarthy was a journalist and presenter at NITV and SBS News.

Malarndirri McCarthy headed a team of journalists as executive producer of NITV National News, until the program was cut in 2015.

Malarndirri McCarthy was presenting NITV News Week in Review later that year.

Malarndirri McCarthy was endorsed as the Labor candidate despite not being enrolled to vote in the Northern Territory.

Malarndirri McCarthy went on to win a Senate seat at the 2 July 2016 federal election, bringing a much higher primary vote and a swing of nearly 7 points to the Australian Labor Party.

Malarndirri McCarthy was the first federal politician to list ownership of traditional Indigenous lands as part of her declaration of interests.

Malarndirri McCarthy was Temporary Chair of Committees from October 2017 until July 2019, when she was appointed as Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate.

Malarndirri McCarthy has been vocal on issues such as domestic violence and alcohol abuse in the NT, and has fought for better representation in the Senate for all territories.

Malarndirri McCarthy has opposed the permanent introduction of the cashless debit card to the NT, and believes that the territory needs a remote program that creates jobs with proper wages and conditions.

Malarndirri McCarthy was unable to attend the first swearing-in ceremony of the Albanese ministry owing to having COVID-19, but was sworn in separately on 16 June 2022.

Malarndirri McCarthy has maintained a focus on Indigenous health, including the high incidence of kidney disease among Aboriginal Australians, especially in the NT.

Malarndirri McCarthy said that she would be focused on these targets, and hoped to work on Indigenous affairs in a bipartisan manner.

Malarndirri McCarthy attended the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese within a week of being sworn in as minister, and while there gave her first television interview since her appointment.

Malarndirri McCarthy would take boys to stay in the NT, which she described as a "deeply spiritual experience for [her]".

In 2018, Malarndirri McCarthy was invited to give the Kerferd Oration, which is held in Beechworth, Victoria each year since 2003.

Malarndirri McCarthy gave the Venerable Mary Aikenhead Oration 2024 at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney on 25 July 2025.

Malarndirri McCarthy's topic was "Improving health and education outcomes for Indigenous Australians".

Malarndirri McCarthy has been a member of Emily's List and Women's Network NT.

Malarndirri McCarthy has been a guest on ABC Television's Q+A panel show several times.

Malarndirri McCarthy won a scholarship to play wheelchair basketball for the University of Texas.

Malarndirri McCarthy was diagnosed in 2015 as suffering from polycystic kidney disease, which she inherited from her mother.