David Pocock

$18bn reasons why we need a gas export tax… theage.com.au/politics/feder… Go to ourgas.com.au and write to your local MP and tell them to stop the great gas scam.

Data centres are being hailed as an economic boom for Australia. But how much of this is just hype, what is the true cost of this compute and how can we ensure Australia benefits from having them here? We sat down with the Director of the UNSW AI Institute, Dr Sue Keay, to learn more about how we should navigate this opportunity. We break down what "hyperscalers", “NeoCloud Providers” and "tokens" are, as well as the energy and water they require. Dr. Keay argues for the urgent need to build Australia's sovereign compute capabilities by supporting local, tax-paying providers, rather than giving away resources for a short-term sugar hit of foreign investment. 🎧 Tune in to hear the full conversation and make sure you subscribe so you done miss future episodes. Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5t5CGo… YouTube: youtu.be/65V_mAtgltA?si… Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wit…

Once again the Coalition, Greens and Crossbench have forced the Government to do better when it comes to Support at Home care for older Australians. In response to a bill Seantor Allman-Payne, Senator Ruston & I co-sponsored in the Senate the government will now reintroduce human oversight into their aged care algorithm assessments - as they should've had from the start.

How is it ok to keep loading students up with this level of debt? Reforming JRG is urgent & the Albanese Govt needs to start treating it that way otherwise there's going to need to be another round of student debt relief. Instead they should be fixing the problem at the source now. theguardian.com/australia-news…

Hugely disappointing to hear Communications Minister Annika Wells saying on radio that there will be no major changes to draft gambling legislation. This package won't keep children safe and could lead to an increase in the number of gambling ads they are exposed to during live sport. Australians deserve better from the government which is totally captured by the gambling lobby.

Fossil fuel companies are spending tens of millions on over 260 programs aimed at children. They're trying to purchase social licence and influence young Australians. With 87% of parents and grandparents saying these programs should be publicly funded, our schools and sporting clubs shouldn't be relying on fossil fuel money. abc.net.au/news/2026-06-2…

Today together with @Mon4Kooyong & @spenderallegra I'm hosting a Roundtable at Parliament House so parliamentarians can hear first hand from students the impact Job Ready Graduates debt is having on their lives & solutions to fix this. Reform is way overdue - time for the @AlboMP government to get on with it. If parliament is serious about intergenerational equity then this has to change.

Spot on from @canberratimes There is no excuse for the govt to keep piling unsustainable levels of debt on students. Labor know Scott Morrison’s Job Ready Graduates program is broken - they said so when in opposition - but have now had more than four years to fix it. The Albanese govt need to hurry up and get it done. canberratimes.com.au/story/9297941/…

H5 bird flu has now reached the Australian mainland. Overseas, this virus has already killed millions of birds. For Australia’s threatened species, the risks are serious. Experts warn it could push species like the orange-bellied parrot and Australian sea lion to extinction. The govt should urgently invest $200 million over two years to tackle invasive species, restore habitat and reduce predators so critically endangered species have the best chance of surviving this outbreak. theguardian.com/environment/20…

Whistleblowers play a critical role in exposing misconduct, but too often they pay a high price for doing the right thing. The KPMG whistleblower told parliament they would not speak up again after alleged retaliation, loss of employment, circulation of their identity and gaps in legal protection. Senators Deb O’Neill, Barbara Pocock and Richard Colbeck and others have done outstanding work highlighting the failure of the system. 🇦🇺 needs a standalone Whistleblower Protection Authority to protect people in the public and private sectors who come forward in the public interest. smh.com.au/business/compa…

Australians & Australian small businesses have nowhere to turn when they are unfairly locked out of their accounts by big tech. The govt should expand the telecommunications industry ombudsman’s remit to give people somewhere to go when things go wrong in the digital world. news.com.au/technology/onl…

So it turns out gas companies CAN pay more tax and would be willing to do so if it means they don't have to reserve gas for Australians 🤦‍♂️ How about they pay tax AND prioritise Australian gas for Australians… a 25% gas export tax would raise $17B/year AND reduce prices for Australians. Keep up the pressure at ourgas.com.au afr.com/companies/ener…

With the massive wave of data centre investment, we need the govt to be looking at mechanisms to ensure Australians get the benefits. How are we locking in access to the computing power we will need to compete in an AI world? How are we making sure these companies don't offshore all their profit and pay some tax here? Countries like France and the UK have already established digital taxes to capture some of that benefit. We are being left behind. abc.net.au/news/2026-06-2…

It's absurd that large mining companies receive huge taxpayer-funded diesel subsidies while everyone else pays. Fuel excise doesn't go to roads it goes to general govt revenue. Treasury forecasts the fuel tax credit scheme will cost the budget $47 billion over 4 years. Coal companies alone could receive another $6.2 billion if more mines are approved. It's time to end fuel tax credits for large mining companies. theguardian.com/australia-news…

Today it's been confirmed: there will be a major overhaul of the parliamentary pass system. This will finally bring more transparency to who gets privileged access to the people's house, and who let them in. A huge win for the community and crossbench advocacy that pushed for lobbying reform. But the job isn't done. We still need in-house and third-party rules aligned, the revolving door between government and industry closed and ministerial diaries published. theguardian.com/australia-news…

This week is Men's Health Week and I sat down with @zacseidler from @MovemberAUS to talk about the state of men's health in Australia. We discuss the stresses men face, the algorithmic dangers of the "manosphere", the "perception gap" pressuring men to hide their true values, and why society desperately needs more "third spaces" for connection. You can listen on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts via the links below. Spotify - open.spotify.com/episode/5FFcuF… YouTube - youtube.com/watch?v=9jgN6L… Apple - podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wit…

Huge win on lobbying reform today with reports the govt will establish a public register for sponsored pass holders replicating the voluntary register I established, limit access to the building & publish more information about who has access. We still need more reform to ensure ALL lobbyists (not just 3rd party lobbyists) are properly regulated by a body with teeth, and to shut the revolving door between government and industries. smh.com.au/politics/feder…

This👇🏼 is EXACTLY why we need lobbying reform & greater transparency over ministerial diaries - things I've been pushing alongside colleagues on the crossbench for years. "In-house lobbyists" (people who work for a company or peak body) should be subject to the same rules and cooling off periods as "third party lobbyists" (people who work for a lobbying firm). Action on these changes are well overdue. skynews.com.au/australia-news…

Are we sleepwalking into the AI era? 🤖📱 I sat down with Digital Rights Watch founder Lizzie O'Shea to unpack the hidden costs of Big Tech, exploring everything from addictive algorithms and scams to the massive environmental toll of new AI data centres. Listen via the links below to learn how strong privacy laws can help us take power back. Spotify - open.spotify.com/episode/6yFm6c… YouTube - youtube.com/watch?v=2I9413… Apple Podcasts - podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wit…

Well done to Tom Emerson for taking on this usage in the ACT. He is introducing a bill to ban gambling donations in the ACT. Vested interests have far too much power over the major parties and communities pay the price. This is a sensible step that ACT Labor & Liberals should support. canberratimes.com.au/story/9287805/…