Community-endorsed ACT Independent Senate candidate, David Pocock, is today celebrating as the Australian Electoral Commission confirms official above the line party registration, further elevating his bid for an ACT Senate seat in the upcoming Federal election.
Official registration represents significant progress for David’s potentially historic Senate race as voters across the ACT will now be able to vote for David Pocock above the line. At the 2019 election almost 80% of Canberrans voted above the line.
“Being above the line on the Senate ballot paper gives me a genuine chance to contest this Senate race,” David said.
“We've never had an independent elected to the senate, but thanks to the thousands of people who signed up to make it happen we now have an opportunity to do just that and make Canberra count.
“Come election day, I want to give people a choice about what kind of representation they want to have.
“What I’ve been hearing from people around Canberra is that we want more integrity in politics. We want politicians to be held accountable for their actions. We want people representing us who are prepared to make tough calls and seize opportunities for their communities – not just politicising every issue. We need leaders who will listen, respect and deliver on what Australians need.”
Running on a platform of trust, integrity and leadership, David has committed to genuinely represent the views of the local community by giving them a strong voice in key national debates.
“Across the ACT, people don’t just want to see politics done differently, they want to see it done better,” David said.
“People want to be listened to and for politicians to serve them and be accountable to them.
“For me, and for the people of the ACT, this campaign is about making politics more open, accountable and community-driven.
“Community participation in politics improves the health of our democracy. If we are going to restore trust in our government and public institutions, we need more ways for everyday Australians to be engaged in the process.”
As part of doing politics differently David has committed to maintaining a transparent voting record should he be elected. “I’ll be adding this to my website so you know what I’m voting for and why,” he explains.
Adding, “We’re developing a Community Volunteer program, where members of the community who want to be involved can participate in the day-to-day working of my office. We’ve seen this done successfully by Cathy McGowan and Helen Haines in Indi.”
In a further effort to maintain open lines of communication with ACT voters and to remain accountable, David has committed to hosting quarterly Town Halls for the people of Canberra, welcoming questions and inviting the community to contribute their ideas.
In addition, David promises to canvass the ACT community about issues raised in the Senate each sitting fortnight, and to consult with the community on major pieces of legislation.
“As we’re already doing each week, I’ll continue providing regular updates through my website and newsletter. Email updates to volunteers and supporters will continue to be publicly available, as they have been throughout my campaign.”
David also pledges to remain open and responsive to feedback and community-driven ideas for improving political engagement.
“I want Canberrans to know I'm listening and that my door is always open. As an independent I’m only accountable to the people of the ACT and that’s who I’ll be listening to and working for.”