Lidia Thorpe Victoria, Independent
2:33 pm
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. In June I asked you what you were doing to stop 15 families in Mount Isa from becoming homeless after the council decided to auction off their homes because their housing provider failed to pay council rates over many years. At the time, you said you were concerned and were working with the council and the Queensland government so that there is no extra homelessness in Mount Isa. What have you done since to achieve that, Minister?
Malarndirri McCarthy NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
2:34 pm
Thank you, Senator Thorpe, for the question. You would certainly know what we've been doing in terms of the National Indigenous Australians Agency and my role, with the 800 pages of the OPD that we've provided to your office. And you can see from those 800 pages what we have done.
That's funny? Totally inappropriate! Not for those families—come on! There are 15 families, 15 homes in Mount Isa—
Honourable senators interjecting—
Come on! This is in your state. There are 15 families in Mount Isa, and you laugh?
Bridget McKenzie Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Point of order!
Sue Lines President
Senator McKenzie, I have reminded you before: you do not yell point of order and then stand. You stand and I ask you why you are standing. Senator Mckenzie?
Bridget McKenzie Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Point of order. Any indication from the minister that I was laughing at her answer is incorrect, and I'm not going to have it reflected that I was somehow laughing—
Sue Lines President
Senator McKenzie, resume your seat. That is not a point of order, and you know it very well. Please resume your seat. Minister McCarthy, please continue.
Malarndirri McCarthy NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
Yes, there are many families in Mount Isa who are very concerned about their future, and I am certainly working with those families to see what we can do. This is not a situation in terms of my role in the Commonwealth—what I have tried to do is try to find how we can assist these families with a debt that is not their debt. It is a debt that, unfortunately, has come about through what we may see as perhaps illegal behaviour. There is a process under way through ORIC to investigate and to have a good look at what must be done in coming days and weeks. For the families, I know that they know that I'm doing my best to try to assist them with their homes.
Lidia Thorpe Victoria, Independent
2:36 pm
Yesterday I got those 800 documents, and I've looked through those 800 documents that show in April members of the Aboriginal housing provider asked for formal intervention on the issue from the Office of Indigenous Corporations—ORIC. This housing provider has been on ORIC's radar for years and prosecuted it in August 2025 for failure to lodge reports since 2020. Why did ORIC not intervene as requested?
Malarndirri McCarthy NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
2:37 pm
That's not the case. ORIC has been at the table with the families. That process that took place in August 2025 is as a result of ORIC being involved, and the fact that $15,000 in fines were placed against the corporation. So, the essence of that question is not entirely correct. ORIC has been involved. The families know that ORIC has been involved. Staff in the National Indigenous Australians Agency have been working very closely with all of the families to keep them across this.
Lidia Thorpe Victoria, Independent
2:38 pm
Now that Mount Isa Council has issued notices of intention to sell the properties in September, how many of the 15 families have you secured housing for, Minister?
Malarndirri McCarthy NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
In my meeting with the families and with the Mount Isa Council, I have certainly looked at the possibility of whether Mount Isa Council can revisit the concerns that it has in regard to the debt, and they are very clear that they will not do that. What I am saying to the families—and, no doubt, if they are listening to this, the families know—is that I am doing my utmost to ensure that they are going to be okay. It was important to listen to them. We have family members who—in one instance, there's a woman who's got a terminal illness—
Sue Lines President
Thank you, Senator Thorpe. You've asked me about relevance. I'm going to say the Minister is being relevant to your question.
Lidia Thorpe Victoria, Independent
Fifteen families—what are you doing for the 15 families that you say you're going to secure housing for?
Sue Lines President
Senator Thorpe, resume your seat.
Senator Thorpe, when I call you to order, you have to come to order.
Senator Thorpe, you are not in a debate with me. The minister is being relevant.
Malarndirri McCarthy NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians
I've met with the families and I've certainly spoken with them. There's one family member who's got a terminal illness who is deeply upset. There is a family member who's been in there for 40 years. So I am working very closely with these families— (Time expired)