David Pocock

Looks like the government might finally be caving to the pressure myself, others on the crossbench & especially Australians in communities across the country have been putting on them to tax gas companies making wartime profits. Australians are already paying more on petrol & we shouldn’t be paying more on beer excise than the government gets for Petroleum Resources Rent Tax (PRRT). It’s encouraging to see Treasury modelling changes to the way gas is taxed. We should have a flat 25% tax on all gas exports & enough gas exports diverted into an east coast gas reservation & we need both now. abc.net.au/news/2026-03-2…

This piece from @GrogsGamut is a clear articulation of how our gas policy is failing 🇦🇺 As global conflict pushes energy prices higher, Australians are paying more while gas export revenues surge and returns to 🇦🇺 lag. That outcome is a result of poor design. A 25% tax on gas export revenue would fix that. It seems everyone wants this except the gas companies and major party politicians. theguardian.com/business/grogo…

Really disappointing to see the fed housing minister rebuff calls to waive the ACT’s historic public housing debt. More than 3100 ppl are waiting for housing here with thousands more struggling to find anything affordable. Labor called for this debt to be waived from opposition but now refuse to do it when they can from govt. canberratimes.com.au/story/9200356/…

I've been pushing for the capital gains tax discount to be reduced to 25% & tied to new homes only. This will help incentivise new supply which has flow-on benefits for ppl renting & makes it easier for first homebuyers. We should also cap negative gearing to 1 property & reinvest revenue not foregone in new social & affordable homes. These measures won't solve affordability on their own but will help, and they send a signal that 🇦🇺 wants housing to be accessible and affordable, not primarily an asset class for wealth creation. theguardian.com/australia-news… @GuardianAus @TomMcIlroy

🇦🇺 has world-class researchers, founders and ideas. But our investment in research and development lags behind comparable nations. The Denholm review makes clear that without stronger support for innovation, future living standards are at risk. Govt should respond quickly and back its response with real investment to support researchers, start-ups and the next generation of companies to build and scale in 🇦🇺 afr.com/technology/gov…

Australia burns through about 25 billion litres of petrol and diesel every year. Replacing petrol cars with EVs would cut our reliance on expensive imported foreign fuel. But EVs still make up only about 2% of Australia’s 20 million vehicles. More affordable EVs & a strong second-hand EV market can help more Australians afford the switch while strengthening our energy security. theguardian.com/environment/20…

What will it take for the major parties to put Australians ahead of vested interests from gambling giants to multinational gas companies to big tech? If AI data centres are putting strain on our construction workforce, energy and water supply, the least we can do is get some kind of return for Australians. Reasonable tax settings won't stop investment or prevent Australia being an attractive destination - that's just industry talking points trying to spook govt. afr.com/policy/economy…

Job Ready Graduates is a failed program entrenching inequality & lumping students from law to commerce with crippling debt. It's been in place for longer now under the Albanese Govt than under Morrison Govt. Reform is well overdue & desperately urgent but progressing at a snails pace. crikey.com.au/2026/03/16/sco…

Minister Wells has revealed who's really running the show when it comes to online gambling reform: the gambling companies themselves. The same companies that Peta Murphy, who chaired the inquiry that produced the Murphy Report, described as predatory. Time to ban gambling ads and implement the Murphy Report in full. aapnews.aap.com.au/news/lobby-gam…

Last week I met with @BetterRentingAU to talk about the woefully poor conditions people renting continue to face. Delivery of National Cabinet’s 2023 so-called “Better Deal for Renters” has been too slow and lacks ambition. We need to treat housing as a human right and make sure it's safe, affordable and meets minimum standards. canberratimes.com.au/story/9192252/…

The 🇦🇺 govt knows we love the landscapes and wildlife that make this continent so unique, so it's made welcome commitments to better look after it. But it is not delivering the funding and political will to make these commitments a reality. As a start, the govt must renew the Saving Native Species fund in the upcoming budget. abc.net.au/news/science/2…

When we have such an acute shortage of public, social & affordable housing in the ACT it makes no sense for us to keep returning a big chunk of what limited $$ we get from Fed govt on payments on this historic public housing debt. Senator Gallagher called for this debt to be wiped from Opposition & I've been pushing Labor to do it since they got the power to in 2022. We need every extra dollar we can for housing Canberrans. canberratimes.com.au/story/9195903/…

It is endlessly disappointing for local businesses impacted by light rail construction that neither the ACT nor Fed govt has been willing to step in with meaningful support to help them survive. Even simple asks I've been pushing like waiving interest charges on ATO or discounting rates & land tax have been refused. Last year’s High Court ruling relating to compensation for businesses impacted by Sydney’s light rail construction should be a warning to them to do more now. canberratimes.com.au/story/9197121/…

Successive governments haven't valued nature and have made short term decisions at the expense of the health of the land that sustains us. Unless we elect people who want to start making decisions like we love this continent and plan to live here for a long time, we'll keep getting the same results. smh.com.au/national/envir…

It's time we looked to electrify where possible to move away from our reliance on imported fuel towards renewable energy we can generate and store here in 🇦🇺

Yesterday I asked Anthropic about their plans for data centres in 🇦🇺 and the impact on water and electricity demand. We hear a lot about the potential of AI & data centres, but not much about the massive risks and need for safeguards against the misuse of AI and data centres guzzling our precious water. afr.com//technology/an…

CSIRO have now lost more jobs under the Albanese Governmet than under the Abbott Government. We have to do better on research funding and backing our scientists. smh.com.au/environment/cl…

New research from @ACOSS confirms what we already knew - the wealthiest electorates benefit most from generous capital gains tax discounts. Here in the ACT, Fenner ranks 122nd while Bean ranks 77th and Canberra ranks 24th in terms of avg benefit out of 150 electorates. We need a tax system that treats housing as something that should be accessible & affordable rather than as an asset class & wealth creation tool. I'll keep pushing for reform. acoss.org.au/wp-content/upl…

The decision to restrict 2nd generation anticoagulant rodenticides is a step forward. These poisons have been killing owls, raptors and other native species through secondary poisoning and there are alternatives that can be used. Wildlife carers and community advocates have pushed for years to see this risk taken seriously. Listing these as restricted chemical products shows that evidence and persistence can lead to better outcomes for Australia’s wildlife. abc.net.au/news/2026-03-1…

We’re seeing oil and gas prices skyrocket and have no mechanism to ensure Australians benefit from higher prices - we currently just get slugged with higher petrol and energy prices while gas companies make bank. We can and should fix the broken PRRT that allows gas companies to book windfall profits while paying very little tax. It's time for a 25% tax on gas export revenue. If the government won't do that they could at least introduce a windfall profits tax. afr.com/policy/economy…