Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is a Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from the Gulf country in the Northern Territory.
She first entered the public sphere as a journalist with the ABC and then later with SBS/NITV.
Senator McCarthy was elected to the Northern Territory Assembly as the Member for Arnhem in 2005. During her seven years in the Assembly, she held the Ministerial Portfolios of Local Government, Regional Development, Indigenous Development, Tourism, Women’s Policy and Statehood.
She was elected as Senator for the Northern Territory and Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands in August 2016.
Her experiences bring unique perspectives to the role of Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, with a familiarity of challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous Australians and people living in rural, regional and remote areas.
Senator McCarthy’s focus is to bring communities together and ensure more Indigenous Australians can live longer, healthier and happier lives.