Malarndirri McCarthy

Malarndirri McCarthy
McCarthy in 2022
Minister for Indigenous Australians
Assumed office
29 July 2024
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded byLinda Burney
Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians
In office
1 June 2022 – 28 July 2024
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health
In office
1 June 2022 – 28 July 2024
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded by(position established)
Succeeded byGed Kearney
Senator for the Northern Territory
Assumed office
2 July 2016
Preceded byNova Peris
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for Arnhem
In office
18 June 2005 – 24 August 2012
Preceded byJack Ah Kit
Succeeded byLarisa Lee
Personal details
Born
Barbara Anne McCarthy

1970 (age 53–54)
Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia
Political partyLabor
Alma materSt Scholastica's College
OccupationPolitician
Websitemalarndirrimccarthy.com.au

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 her seat in Labor's landslide defeat at the 2012 election. McCarthy subsequently returned to the media as a presenter for NITV and SBS News. She re-entered politics as Labor's lead Senate candidate in the Northern Territory at the 2016 federal election. She was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians in July 2024 after Linda Burney announced her retirement from parliament.