Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has been announced as the new Minister for Indigenous Australians, replacing the retiring Linda Burney.
The Saltwater woman from the Yanyuwa Garrawa people was previously the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, as well as the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health.
Announcing the appointment, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said of all the speculation from journalists around the cabinet reshuffle, the appointment of Ms McCarthy was one "you all got right".
"Malarndirri McCarthy was the obvious person to move into that portfolio, building on the legacy of Linda Burney, while bringing her own lived experience and advocacy to the Cabinet table," the Prime Minister said.
Ms McCarthy becomes the First Indigenous MP from the Northern Territory to be appointed to Cabinet, reflecting the fact the Territory has the largest population percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, is also from the NT.
Victorian Senator Ged Kearney has been announced as the new Assistant Minister for Indigenous health, but there was no announcement for a new Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, meaning there is only one First Nations MP in cabinet.
Ms McCarthy has been in the Senate since 2016, elected during the same election as Linda Burney, replacing the retiring Nova Peris. Before her time in the Senate, she was a member of NT parliament and a journalist.
Initially elected to the NT Legislative Assembly for the seat of Arnhem in 2005, Ms McCarthy won re-election in 2008, serving in the Paul Henderson ministry under several portfolios.
After losing her seat in 2012 in the Labor landslide defeat, Ms McCarthy took up a role as a presenter for NITV and SBS News, having previously worked for the ABC, and then co-establishing Borroloola's first community radio station in 1998.
She has served on a variety of parliamentary committees and in recent times has been the face of many announcements concerning Indigenous health, appearing across the country to give speeches on closing the gap and Indigenous-led health responses.
Ms McCarthy lauded her "quite extraordinary" colleague Ms Burney in a speech last week after her predecessor retired.
"She has fought the fight with grace and dignity. As the first Indigenous woman to enter NSW parliament and then Federal parliament. She has blazed such a trail. And we all share the responsibility to keep blazing it," she said.
The Prime Minister recommended the swearing in of the new ministers take place at 9am on Monday.
