The political wants and needs of Cape York and Torres Strait residents will be in the spotlight ahead of the federal election when John Paul Janke and the NITV team bring news and current affairs show The Point to Cairns on 23 April. Photo: Supplied.
The wants and needs of Cape York and Torres Strait voters will take centre stage next week when NITV brings The Point to Cairns ahead of the federal election.
The popular political show will film in Cairns on 23 April and feature a panel of leaders from across the Leichhardt electorate highlighting what the 10 candidates battling to replace long-serving MP Warren Entsch should be focusing on as voters gear up to head to the polls.
Host John Paul Janke told Cape York Weekly he was “really excited” to be filming in Cairns and bringing the challenges faced by communities in the northernmost part of the electorate to a national television audience.
“[The show is] a real opportunity to take the pulse of Indigenous communities in Leichhardt in the lead-up to the election,” he said.
“The seat of Leichhardt, both parties are saying its in play, [and] we’ve got a long-term retiring member up here.
“I’m excited to come up, given it’s my hometown as well.”
Janke said he was expecting the panel to “really spell out what they hope to become election issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across Cape York and Cairns, and into the Torres Strait”.
“It’s vital,” he said of using the episode to put key remote challenges on the radar.
“You’re talking about 16 per cent of the electorate that identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, so it’s a huge base of First Nations people.
“They face some unique problems, so I’m looking forward to elevating those … [including] heart disease, diabetes and mental health.”
The affable host of The Point said he believed the daily challenges facing Indigenous Australians, especially those on Cape York and in the Torres Strait, needed to be recognised by the rest of the country as the First Nations issues that needed to be prioritised.
“The rest of Australia seems to be caught up with welcome to country ceremonies and the voice referendum,” he said.
“I think … [Cape York and Torres Strait residents] want to see some solutions … to the conditions they face in the communities across Cape York.”
The episode will air on NITV on 29 April at 7:30pm.
