Senator for Northern Territory

Malarndirri McCarthy

Senate · Australian Labor Party · Labor Left

NT SenatorFirst elected 2016
Public profile

Biography

Malarndirri Barbara Anne McCarthy (born 1970) is an Indigenous Australian politician and former journalist who has been a Senator for the Northern Territory since 2016. She is the Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Albanese Government since 29 July 2024. She previously served in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. After working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a reporter and newsreader for 16 years, in 2005, McCarthy was elected to the NT Legislative Assembly for the division of Arnhem. She was re-elected unopposed in 2008, and was subsequently appointed to the ministry by Paul Henderson. She held a number of portfolios over the following four years, but lost…

Adapted and shortened from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Place of birth
Katherine, Australia
APH identifier
122087

Political connections

First-degree, sourced relationships in the current snapshot.

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Official record

Parliamentary and professional history

Current and senior roles

  • 29 July 2024–presentMinister — for — Indigenous Australians
  • 29 July 2024–presentCabinet Minister
  • 1 June 2022–29 July 2024Assistant Minister — for — Indigenous Health
  • 1 June 2022–29 July 2024Assistant Minister — for — Indigenous Australians
  • 2 July 2019–11 April 2022Opposition Deputy Whip — in the — Senate
  • 18 October 2017–22 July 2019Temporary Chair of Committees

Committee service

  • 28 July 2022–presentJoint Standing — National Capital and External Territories
  • 24 June 2021–1 June 2022Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Environment and Communications: References — Substitute member
  • 16 March 2021–1 June 2022Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References
  • 16 March 2021–1 June 2022Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation
  • 3 September 2020–13 October 2020Senate Select — Aboriginal Flag — Chair
  • 22 July 2019–28 April 2021Senate Select — Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda

Qualifications

No qualification is listed.

Occupations

  • 1 January 2016–1 January 2016Freelance journalist for Malarndirri Media, 2016.
  • 1 January 2012–1 January 2016Presenter for SBS/NITV News from 2012 to 2016.
  • 1 January 1989–1 January 2005Journalist for ABC News and Current Affairs from 1989 to 2005.

Current parliamentary service

  1. 2025 PresentRe-elected 2025Source
  2. 2022 2025Re-elected 2022Source
  3. 2019 2022Re-elected 2019Source
  4. 2016 2019Elected to the Senate for the Northern Territory 2016.Source

Sources and methodology