Malarndirri McCarthy
Counted against the divisions held while they sat, not the whole parliament. Absence from a division is not abstention: pairing arrangements, leave and parliamentary duties are not distinguished in the official record. How these figures are computed.
Background
| Born | 1970, Katherine, Northern Territory |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 2 Jul 2016 |
| Parliaments | 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Honours | Received a Logies nomination, 2015.; Received a Walkleys nomination, 2014.; Awarded Journalist of the Year at the Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards (MIMA), 2014.; Received the Inaugural Deadly Award for Journalism, 2013.; Received a Walkleys nomination, 2013. |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance journalist | Malarndirri Media | 2016 |
| Presenter | SBS/NITV News | 2012 – 2016 |
| Journalist | ABC News and Current Affairs | 1989 – 2005 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Indigenous Australians | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 29 Jul 2024 | current |
| Cabinet Minister | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 29 Jul 2024 | current |
| Temporary Chair of Committees | current | ||
| Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health | Albanese Ministry | 1 Jun 2022 | 29 Jul 2024 |
| Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians | Albanese Ministry | 1 Jun 2022 | 29 Jul 2024 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Capital and External Territories Joint Standing | Member | 28 Jul 2022 | current |
| Environment and Communications: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 24 Jun 2021 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 16 Mar 2021 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 16 Mar 2021 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Aboriginal Flag Senate Select | Chair from 4 Sep 2020 to 13 Oct 2020 | 3 Sep 2020 | 13 Oct 2020 |
| Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda Senate Select | Member | 22 Jul 2019 | 28 Apr 2021 |
| Community Affairs: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 2 Jul 2019 | 16 Mar 2021 |
| Community Affairs: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 2 Jul 2019 | 16 Mar 2021 |
| Stillbirth Research and Education Senate Select | Chair from 6 Apr 2018 to 4 Dec 2018 | 28 Mar 2018 | 4 Dec 2018 |
| Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2018) Joint Select | Member | 26 Mar 2018 | 29 Nov 2018 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Member | 14 Aug 2017 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Member | 20 Mar 2017 | 9 May 2017 |
| Law Enforcement (formerly National Crime Authority from 15.6.1984 to 1.1.2003 and Australian Crime Commission from 1.1.2003 to 24.11.2010) Joint Statutory | Member | 15 Sep 2016 | 1 Dec 2016 |
| National Capital and External Territories Joint Standing | Member | 12 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| National Disability Insurance Scheme Joint Standing | Member | 12 Sep 2016 | 11 Oct 2016 |
| Northern Australia Joint Standing | Member | 12 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Finance and Public Administration: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 22 Jun 2016 | 14 Dec 2017 |
Memberships as the Parliamentary Handbook records them; current means no end date is recorded.
Election history
| Election | Electorate | Party | First pref % | Swing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory) Branch | 34.97 | Elected 1st of 2 | |
| 2022 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | A.L.P. | 32.97 | Elected 1st of 2 | |
| 2019 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory) Branch | 37.47 | Elected 1st of 2 | |
| 2016 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory) Branch | 37.44 | Elected 1st of 2 |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state. A Senate row gives the whole group's share of the state's formal vote, since most Senate votes are cast for a group above the line.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Travel | $223,631 | $162,858 | $202,250 | $157,367 |
| Office Facilities | $72,415 | $73,217 | $66,846 | $73,562 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $32,624 | $34,064 | $34,111 | $31,252 |
| Other Car Costs | $25,448 | $33,156 | $21,383 | $23,976 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $6,801 | $6,000 | $14,650 | $57,219 |
| Office Administration | $8,052 | $16,416 | $14,783 | $22,683 |
| Travel Allowance | $13,789 | $8,064 | $14,797 | $8,949 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $4,976 | $657 | $4,678 | $5,466 |
| Telecommunications | $436 | $631 | $316 | $1,677 |
| International Travel | $0 | $0 | $0 | -$58 |
| Total | $388,172 | $335,064 | $373,813 | $382,094 |
Expenditure as the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority publishes it each quarter, in its own categories, rounded to the dollar. Travel distances, office locations and roles differ, so totals do not compare between members. IPEA's reports and notes.
Funding disclosures
| Election | Electorate | Donations | Donors | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Nil return | ||
| 2022 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Nil return | ||
| 2019 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | $190 | 1 | $190 |
| 2016 federal election | Senate, Northern Territory | Nil return | ||
Returns as lodged with the AEC: a candidate's return covers the gifts received and electoral expenditure for that election, a member's annual return the gifts received in the financial year. A nil return records no gifts or spending of the candidate's own. A party-endorsed candidate lodges one when the party or its campaign committee handled the campaign's money, and the party discloses it in its own returns. AEC Transparency Register.
Voting record 433 divisions
Photo: Australian Government (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), AEC disclosures (CC BY 4.0), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.