David Pocock

Independent Senator for the ACT. Media: [email protected] Insta: davidpocock Authorised by D. Pocock, David Pocock, Canberra ACT, 2600

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Australians are having to choose between food and soap or toothpaste.

We can do better than this as a country.

We're a wealthy country. This about choices - like deciding not to have a windfall profits tax to get a return for 🇦🇺 during an energy crisis, or not getting a return on our gas exports.

That's money that could go to dealing with root causes of cost of living - housing, energy costs and transport.
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[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

A growing number of Australians want to see AI regulated and have concerns about data centres, especially when it comes to energy & water use.

The govt has lost years dithering on this policy and telling us existing regulations were adequate. It’s critical we protect communities & get long-term benefit from AI and any data centres built here.
https://t.co/ylMvUA75lJ

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

A lot of good work gets done by parliamentarians behind the scenes. I'm concerned that is compromised when this sort of thing happens.

We need to ensure parliament is working for the people and delivering evidence based policy recommendations, however inconvenient they may be for the government of the day.

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

These research findings are distressing & need urgent attention from all levels of govt.

A 51% increase in sexual assault on girls aged 10 to 17 and a 60% increase against boys over the last decade is nothing short of devastating and something we don't talk about enough in parliament.
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[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Canberrans were promised more respite beds at the last election but the federal Labor govt have walked away from that commitment 18 months later with the full funding envelope committed to "upgrades" rather than any expansion in the number of respite beds.

A hugely disappointing & perplexing outcome when we know at least one local provider put forward a proposal to build 18 additional respite beds within the funding envelope.

We need more respite beds in the ACT so I don't understand why we’re spending $10m and not getting a single extra bed when there is a proposal to keep Burrangiri open and deliver 18 more beds for that same $$.
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[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Vested interests have too much sway over policy in 🇦🇺 including on AI.

We’ve seen big tech pour huge $$ into political donations ahead of the US midterm elections.

While at a smaller scale and in different ways, I’m concerned the same pattern is playing out here in 🇦🇺.

The return on their investments is staggering. Amazon pays an effective tax rate of 2.64% in Australia according to the latest ATO Corporate Tax Transparency report and has more than $3.1 billion in government contracts.

We need more transparency, and far less cash-for-access, if we want to build a political system that actually delivers for Australians, now and over the long term.
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[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Each year, we will lose 1000 women to ovarian cancer. Tragically, 70% of women will be diagnosed in the late stages. It is the deadliest women’s cancer in this county.

Despite this, we invest very, very little in the research that could help develop the new diagnostic test or a new treatment.

I’m standing with patients, researchers and doctors to call for $20m to be invested each year in research. We have billions of $ in our Medical Research Future Fund that can and should be put to work.

I believe this is what Australians want us to spend money on; to provide hope for the women that will be diagnosed today and tomorrow.
https://t.co/N1O8wPixR9

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Cats and foxes have caused dozens of extinctions of unique Australian mammals.

So good to see a new plan to reduce the impact that foxes have on native wildlife. But it'll need to be properly funded if it's going to make an impact.

There are so many incredible species hanging on by a thread and tackling cats and foxes is an important part of protecting them.
https://t.co/cgHZjJxIPk

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Prof Anne Twomey has labelled politically directed grant-making “grey corruption”.

She says decisions are being made “without any consideration of merit, need, value for money or the public interest”.

The $6m Marrickville Golf Club project in the PM's electorate is one grant in a dodgy $560.9m program. We need clear, transparent criteria that put community need first.
https://t.co/taerVsSahg

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

If we want to capture the long-term benefit of AI the Aust Govt needs to step up & start backing 🇦🇺 companies rather than pouring hundreds of millions in govt procurement into foreign companies.

Don't just talk about building sovereign capability - put your money where your mouth is and actually do it through investment in sovereign compute and buying services from sovereign 🇦🇺 companies.
https://t.co/53p9YkHtUE

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

The High Court has recognised what the physics makes clear: you can’t export coal & pretend the climate damage disappears.

Whether fossil fuels are burnt in Australia or overseas, the consequences reach the Great Barrier Reef & communities around 🇦🇺. Yet the Albanese govt continues to approve new coal & gas projects.

We should stop expanding fossil fuels, use what we have for the transition & make sure Australians get a fair return from existing projects.
https://t.co/NGnhYnokPz

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

AI and data centres are the latest in a long line up of powerful groups backed by seriously big money that are lobbying govt behind closed doors.

We need so much more transparency around who is meeting with govt, how often, & what influence they have over policy.

AI has potential but we need a govt willing to stand up, put safeguards in place against misuse and demand a LONG TERM benefit for 🇦🇺
https://t.co/Fz4DWFrkck

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Australian households are dealing with interest rate rises while corporate profits increase and multinational tax loopholes remain unaddressed.

If you're looking for something to listen to over the long weekend, we talk about this + the trade-offs around AI and update on some of the things that have happened lately in the senate and in parliamentary inquiries.
https://t.co/79wawC0UXr

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

You can see why the major parties voted against a Duty of Care to young people and future generations.

Climate scientists and the International Energy Agency are clear - we have enough coal and gas for the transition and cannot keep expanding them without damaging the people and places we love.

This is tragically short sighted and we’ll pay the price in the future. We can do better here in 🇦🇺 and push for more global action.
https://t.co/eKw8m65sPc

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Some 18 months out from the next federal election the govt is fast running out of time to act to protect our democracy from deepfakes.

It’s something I’ve been pushing since before the last election and have a private Senator’s bill to fix. The govt needs to stop dragging its feet and get this done - and legislate truth in political advertising while they're at it.

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

The government has yet again caved to the gas industry in the design of their gas “reservation” policy.

We don't have a gas supply problem, we have a gas export problem.

A 25% gas export tax would give us a fair return on exports and lowers the price of gas (and electricity as gas is used for firming) for 🇦🇺 manufacturers, businesses and households.

https://t.co/gPdKZGA1uO

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[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Faced with these kind of breaches (not to mention the "existential threat" posed by AI) it's hard to understand why the 🇦🇺 govt shelved plans for a National AI Safety Act & is waiting till next year to legislate safeguards.

These companies should be liable when their tech goes rogue. Will government press charges against OpenAI for hacking the Medicare service portal?
https://t.co/CkX62FBXB8

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Coordinated global action is needed to deal with the highest risk elements of AI.

But we also need to be addressing these risks at home with something stronger than a digital duty of care or voluntary standards.

On Friday govt officials couldn't even say how many data centres are operating in Australia and how many are Australian owned.

We need to keep pushing on the world stage but also accelerate efforts at home.
https://t.co/wrrw1ApS8q

[David Pocock @DavidPocock]

Yesterday the Senate agreed to my motion that calls on the government to fix our broken lobbying laws.

It's time for politics to work for Australians, and that starts with lobbying reform. This is a great first step.

Go to https://t.co/k1h1q80J4E and join my call for lobbying reform.