Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I really should have brought a dictionary with me to this debate because of the number of questions where I've been asked to explain what words mean. I've been asked to explain what the First Peoples of Australia are, even though it's five words before that in the provision. We had been told that the coalition supports constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but that part of the debate made me really question whether that was sincere or not. I think I've also explained the meaning of the word 'representations'. There are two or three other words, and now I'm being asked to explain the word 'empowering'. Last time I looked 'empowering' mean giving power or providing power to people, and that is what the Voice is about. It is about listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rather than telling them what to do.

Senator McKenzie, is there something you want to say? There's a lot of huffing going on over there.