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

Today we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers right across Australia. This is their particular day, when we look at what they do in terms of assisting our families and communities across Australia. Whether they're in the Aboriginal community health sector or the public sector, these are workers who are in our remote and regional parts of Australia and in our capital cities.

I want to reach out to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers across the country—this is your day, and we certainly appreciate the work that you do, day in, day out—and, in particular, the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, who are there as an overall support for all of these workers across the country in the medical space. Throughout COVID, we saw the ACCHOs lead the way, along with NACCHO, in trying to ensure vaccinations were taking place, communication was taking place and information was going out right across the country.

On a very personal note, I'd like to acknowledge two women in particular: my aunties the Timothy sisters, who were our Aboriginal health workers in Borroloola as I grew up. My Auntie Mavis is still with us today, in retirement. I think of them and the role models they were to me and my brothers and sisters and cousins as we were growing up, not only in the Borroloola region but in Alice Springs. With their complete dedication, care and compassion and their belief in caring for one another, whether it's in the workspace or the health space—getting up every single day and getting out there and looking after your families—they certainly gave me something to aspire to. I congratulate all health workers across the country.