Parliamentary wrap

Huge win on Home Care Packages

After months of pushing, this week the Government finally announced that they would release 20,000 home care packages for senior Australians. This was a win for the community, especially older Australians and community advocacy but there is so much work still to do with 121,000 Australians waiting for an assessment and 108,000 waiting for a Home Care package they’ve been assessed as eligible for.

The government could have released these packages in June when the crossbench first wrote to the new Aged Care Minister. Instead they dug their heels in. Well, so did we.

My team and I got to work building support across the parliament for a senate inquiry into the transition from Home Care to Support at Home. And we got one up. Last Friday we heard compelling testimony of both the need and the preparedness of providers to deliver additional packages now. While other parts of the reform do need more time to implement, there is no reason to delay more packages. 

Next I got support from the Greens, Coalition and other crossbenchers for an amendment to aged care legislation before the parliament this week to force the government to release 20,000 Home Care packages now - an amendment that passed the both the Senate and the House of Representatives this week.

I want to thank Independent MPs Rebecca Sharkie and Dr Helen Haines as well as Senators Penny Allman-Payne (Greens) and Anne Ruston (Liberals) who have been absolutely excellent to work with on this and huge advocates for the best interests of older Australians and their carers.

The way it all unfolded was pretty extraordinary with the Government opposing my amendment in the Senate - and then less than half an hour later calling a press conference to announce they’d be supporting what was in my amendment (the release of 20,000 packages).

On reflection, the politics of this was fascinating. Labor has a whopping majority but a very thin margin - their second lowest primary vote in history. They clearly see independents as the biggest threat at the next election and are doing everything they can to not give the crossbench a win, instead siding with the Coalition. This is something communities need to think about heading into the next federal election.

Advocacy on Gaza and Gambling 

Last week I hosted legendary Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja in Parliament House. He came with a strong but simple message, that all lives are equal, and all lives matter.

We held a press conference and two roundtables, one on Gaza and one on gambling that were extremely well attended from parliamentarians across the political spectrum as well as advocates. 

Together we called for further sanctions on the Israeli Government and Defence Force and an increase in humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. And most of all we repeated calls for an immediate end to the killing of innocent civilians, women, children, journalists, health workers, aid workers and an end to the human-induced famine that’s seeing starvation used as a weapon for war. Usman met privately with the Prime Minister to also push these messages.

On gambling, we heard testimony that had many participants in tears about the deadly impact gambling advertising can have. More than two years after the landmark Murphy Review was handed down, it is a disgrace that the government is yet to ban gambling advertising, or even formally respond to Peta Murphy’s report.

We also took advantage of Usman’s visit to invite some aspiring young local ACT cricketers to come and meet their hero.

Launched a new voluntary Parliamentary Pass Register 

Australia’s lobbying laws are broken. Powerful interests enjoy privileged, all-access passes to Parliament House - and there’s no requirement for the public to know who they are, or who gave them that access.

Yesterday, I used the time I had in the Senate to debate a bill to close loopholes in our lobbying laws, expand the definition of lobbyists, require full transparency on meetings, and give the system real penalties and oversight. You can watch my speech to the senate here. While the major parties made it clear they didn’t support my bill, it was disappointing Labor Senators filibustered my allocated hour for debate to ensure they didn’t have to vote against it - they know how out of step they are with the community on this. 

While the major parties drag their feet, I’ve launched the Parliamentary Pass Register, where parliamentarians can voluntarily disclose the details of the people to whom they provide parliamentary passes.The register means Australians can finally see who has privileged access to Parliament. 

But I need your help to call on MPs to disclose. You can write to your MP through the Parliamentary Pass Register website and request that they disclose who they’re giving access to.

Whistleblower Protection Authority

This week brought some welcome progress in the fight for better protections for whistleblowers.

Earlier this year, I introduced a bill to establish a Whistleblower Protection Authority alongside Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines and Jacqui Lambie.  A senate inquiry was held into the bill, and while the report has now been tabled, the major parties continued to resist creating a strong, independent authority. You can read my comments about the bill here.

But this week, the Government announced plans to establish a Whistleblower Ombudsman. This is a positive step forward, and one I’ll work with the Government to deliver.

Still, I believe we need to go further. A Whistleblower Protection Authority would provide independent oversight, safe reporting channels, and real enforcement to protect those who risk everything to call out wrongdoing.

I’ll keep advocating until Australia has the strong whistleblower protections we need to make sure truth-tellers are heard and protected.

Nauru deal and investigative power overreach

The Albanese Labor Government rammed through laws this week that unjustifiably remove natural justice for people facing deportation and immigration detention. The terrible law will allow deportation arrangements with third countries to proceed without informing or consulting affected individuals.

Asking questions of the Department of Home Affairs at a snap Senate inquiry on Wednesday night, I managed to uncover that the $400 million deal to send asylum seekers to Nauru is actually a $2.5 billion deal over 30 years, and could even end up being over $7 billion.

The Government also forced through a bill that permanently entrenches extraordinary counter-terrorism powers to compel testimony, detain individuals, restrict movement, and even target children as young as 14. There has been a worrying trend of Labor and the Coalition passing these bills without scrutiny from a Senate inquiry or consultation with experts and civil society.

Other events and advocacy 

It’s been a busy parliamentary fortnight. Ahead of things kicking off, I hosted a roundtable on invasive fauna. Despite decades of research, environmental innovation remains underfunded and underdeveloped. I brought together more than twenty leading organisations, including the CSIRO, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, various universities and leading researchers with the Skip Foundation. We explored how government and philanthropy can partner to advance technological solutions like smart traps and gene drive technology to solve Australia’s invasive species problem.

I co-chair a number of Parliamentary Friendship groups and was pleased to host the first Parliamentary Friends of Housing event about AirBnBs and negative gearing and the first Parliamentary Friends of Tech event on AI with a host of international experts.

I attended the Mid Winter Ball and auctioned off a ticket to join me at Punters Politics fundraising dinner to try and raise money for a people’s lobbyist - you can still get a ticket here. 

In question time I asked about funding for CSIRO and looming job losses as well as the Government’s new rushed bill to make it even harder to access information under the freedom of information laws.

I hosted a briefing by ATSE on diesel decarbonisation, one from Community Legal Centres and one from the Australian Human Rights Commission on Australia’s Human Rights record.

I caught up with ACOSS about policy priorities, the Home Time Campaign on youth homelessness and the Clean Energy Council about the policy transition and also met with AHURI to discuss Veterans’ Housing. 

I joined a press conference about Richard Boyle’s sentencing and one on Climate-First Foreign Policy. I also popped into the Parliament House shop showcase to check out the fantastic local products on display including from Scott Leggo Gallery.   

And my son was joined by more than a few friends in parliament this week when the For Parents group (and their babies!) came to visit to talk about expanding the childcare subsidy.

Upcoming events

Community Independents Project Convention 

The CIP Convention 2025, Communities in Action: Strengthening Democracy Together, is on this Friday and Saturday, 5th and 6th September. 

At 3:45pm on Saturday, I’ll be speaking alongside Allegra Spender MP and Kylea Tink MP about the role of Community Independents in a political landscape now dominated by a single-party majority. You can learn more about my session and the rest of the program here. 

And, tune into my session and the full Saturday program free at the Canberra community watch party hosted by Jessie Price, independent candidate for Bean, at Woden Community Hub. You can register to attend HERE. 

Volunteer Planning Workshop

Please come along to the Chifley Community Hub at 2pm this Sunday, 7th September for our Volunteer Planning Workshop. 

I am committed to developing a meaningful volunteer program and hearing from you about how we can do politics differently this term. 

Fiona, Clare and Lily will be hosting this workshop to look at how Team Pocock volunteers can contribute to my work as a sitting Senator, positively engage with the broader Canberra community and what we need to do to prepare for a 2028 election marred by the major party electoral reform stitch up. 

Whether you're a long time Team Pocock volunteer, would like to be more involved or are interested in learning more, we want to hear from you about what a great volunteering program looks like! 

Please let us know you’re coming HERE. 

Mobile office 

Being accessible and accountable is a key part of Senator Pocock’s commitment to the Canberra community.

Mobile offices are held across Canberra and provide an opportunity to raise issues, share your views, and stay in touch.

• Location: Gang Gang Cafe Shop 4/2 Frencham Pl, Downer ACT 2602 
• Date and time: Friday 17th October from 9am - 11am

Bookings are now open for the October Mobile Office - secure your spot here.

Transparency Town hall

With the Government this week introducing a bill to increase the costs associated with Freedom of Information requests, making it even harder for Australians to access government documents at a time when transparency is already below the basement level, my upcoming Town Hall will be asking the hard-hitting questions about why transparency is at a record-low under the Albanese Government. 

Our special guest speaker, Executive Director of the Centre for Public Integrity, Catherine Williams, and I will kick things off from 5:30pm at Canberra College Theatre on Tuesday, 16th September to discuss how we can make the 48th Parliament more transparent. Please register to attend HERE. 

It is important to me to hear directly from the community at these events. Please submit and upvote your questions on slido at this link to help us answer your questions on the night. 

If you are unable to make it in person, the event will also be live streamed. 

Marian Wilkinson 

Join me and multi-award-winning investigative journalist and author Marian Wilkinson on Thursday, 11 September 2025 at 6 pm, where we’ll be in conversation about Marian’s latest Quarterly Essay, Woodside vs. the Planet: How a Company Captured a Country.

It will be a conversation not just about energy policy, but also the power and influence of vested interests, and the collective responsibility to tackle climate change.

You can get your free ticket HERE. 

Save Scott’s Reef

Join me, Dr Kate Wylie (Doctors for Environment Australia), Marian Wilkinson (author of this month’s Quarterly Essay, Woodside v The Planet) and Independent candidate for Bean, Jessie Price, from 6pm at Palace Cinema on Thursday, 18th September to watch a short film on Scott’s Reef, featuring musician John Butler and author Tim Winton. 

The film will be followed by a panel discussion on the campaign to protect the reef’s magnificent natural beauty and continue the fight against the extension of Woodside’s NW Shelf project. You can support this important cause by booking your tickets HERE. 

Karinya House Walk for Hope 

Team Pocock will be participating in the inaugural Karinya House Walk for Hope from 9am on Sunday, 14 September to help champion safety, hope and home for women experiencing domestic violence and disadvantage while pregnant or parenting.

Unfortunately I can’t attend, but please please join some of my team and volunteers in walking/running either 4.5km or 9km by registering with Team Pocock HERE. 

The Walk for Hope starts and finishes at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Yacht Club in Yarralumla following a scenic loop to the National Library and back. You can learn more about the Walk for Hope here. 

If you’ve registered to walk with Team Pocock and don’t already have a t-shirt or face financial barriers to participating, please email [email protected]. 

Vols for sitting weeks

I’d like to extend a big thanks to Ian, Robin, Steph and Adrienne for representing me at Parliamentary events this sitting fortnight. 

It was great to have you in for a special Parliamentary breakfast on activating Australia’s skills, the launch of Rare Cancers Australia’s policy report, World Vision’s Day of the Girl event and World Egg Day 2025. 

If you’re interested in attending Parliamentary events on my behalf, please tell us about yourself here. We’ll use this information to try and match your interests and skills with opportunities.

Thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully see you soon,

David

David Pocock
https://www.davidpocock.com.au/