Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the amendment before the Senate and thank Senator Nampijinpa Price for bringing forward the amendment. I know it has been a very difficult time—a very difficult week and a difficult six months—as we all try and dig deep on an issue that requires us to use our conscience and reflect deeply on what matters in why we stand to speak for what we do, to support what we do and to say no to what we don't support. I respectfully say to my fellow territory senator that I don't support her amendment. I do believe, as I said in my previous statements not only in this debate but over so many years that we have raised it here before the Senate, that it is about the rights of the people of the territories. It is about the rights of the people in the ACT and the Northern Territory. To look at this amendment now, in my view, would only repeal what it is that we are here to do.

Senators, it is very clear what the territories are asking us to do tonight. I take this opportunity to acknowledge former Chief Minister Marshall Perron—it's good to see you—and Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Listening to some of the speakers, I think it's really important to point out that yes, we do have a small population in the Northern Territory, but we have good hearts. We have great thinkers. We excel at so many levels.

We only have to look at the COVID pandemic, when we were so fearful for the lives of First Nations people in this country and when we were so fearful for the lives of First Nations people in the Northern Territory. Since the former Chief Minister introduced the bill in the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory has grown exponentially in those skills, that knowledge and the ability to make its own decisions. We have 13 Aboriginal controlled health sectors across the Northern Territory who ensured, through all of those practitioners, that they could go out to each and every Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, along with the health practitioners of Northern Territory Health.

It was the people of the Northern Territory who put their hand up to support all Australians, and the first planeload that needed help, from China, landed in Darwin. It was our health professionals who carried the load for our country. It was our health professionals, through the AUSMAT team, who reached out to Christmas Island, where the first couple of planeloads went, to treat our Australians who were fearful of having COVID. That in itself, senators, shows the incredible weight that we carry as a small jurisdiction and a small population, and our ability to do what we believe we should do to help others. So why is it that we are constantly told we cannot make any decisions for ourselves—that we cannot have even the opportunity to debate an important decision?

I want to take this opportunity to bring to the debate the voices of two former Indigenous politicians who, in 1995, spoke about voluntary euthanasia. One of them was the late Wes Lanhupuy, the then member for Arnhem. He said in his speech on this debate:

Like other members, I have taken the issue up with many people in my electorate, not only with Aboriginal people but also with communities such as Angurugu on Groote Eylandt whose residents indicated their views to me. If we are to mature and accept responsibilities, such as statehood … I have had close personal experience of terminal illness and I can express a personal view as to its effects and what is involved in that traumatic period when seeing someone undergoing a very hard time in their life and facing a tragic end.

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Mr Speaker, I can assure you that, in the 11 years that I have been in this parliament, this is the most difficult bill that I have ever had to examine and ponder on. I have had sleepless nights over it for a whole range of reasons, not the least being my personal feelings towards it because of the personal tragedy that I mentioned earlier. At the time, I expressed my thanks to you, Mr Speaker, the Chief Minister and many others who helped me through that period. It was a very difficult time.

He said: 'I have never had the opportunity to raise those questions in my life.' He went on:

I for one would like to see this bill supported because I believe that I have been given the right to express my view in this case.

That was the late Mr Wes Lanhupuy, the member for Arnhem.

Then you had the late Mr Maurice Rioli, the member for Arafura, who spoke in that debate. He said:

Since the member for Fannie Bay gave notice of his intention to introduce voluntary euthanasia legislation into the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, people have been polarised in relation to the issue.

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I have received nothing but indications of overwhelming opposition to this bill from constituents in my electorate of Arafura which contains 8 major Aboriginal communities and many outstations. Most of these communities have written and spoken to me about their concerns in relation to the bill.

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At Nguiu on Bathurst Island, we heard from representatives that they were brought up by the missionaries. They said that they have strong Christian beliefs as well as their own cultural and traditional beliefs, and that they do not support the bill.

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As a Tiwi person, I am all too familiar with death and dying … I understand my stance here today will be seen to be against the rights of individuals, but I cannot walk away from my beliefs or those of my electorate. I do not support the member for Fannie Bay's bill.

Senators, I give you two examples—one for and one against. I give those examples to you because I have heard senators stand up here and speak as though we are incapable in the Northern Territory of being able to have a mature debate on all sides of politics. That is what tonight is about. Tonight is about the Northern Territory saying to the federal parliament: please, do the right thing. Let us make our own decisions. Rightly or wrongly, they are ours. Most jurisdictions in this country have done it, after the Northern Territory had led the way. Senators, I call on you to not support this amendment and please support the people of the Northern Territory.