David Pocock
@DavidPocock
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Independent Senator for the ACT. Media: [email protected] Insta: davidpocock Authorised by D. Pocock, David Pocock, Canberra ACT, 2600
Canberra | Ngunnawal Country
Joined March 2011
In 2005 on the Australian Schoolboys tour of UK and Ireland we were billeted out with families in Limerick. The family I was billeted with: the Murrays. I don't think @ConorMurray_9 or I were thinking we'd go on to face each other in test rugby. Great to catch up after the game.
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This is a heartbreaking lack of leadership. Inexcusable to call it a "divisive Canberra Voice" - the Uluru Statement from the Heart (that put forward the Voice to Parliament) is the result of years of consultation by First Nations people with Firsts Nations people right across.
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Thank you PM @AlboMP for coming across to the Senate for my first speech. 📸: AusPic & @karleenminney
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What do you think? Play on? 😂. I'd come straight from an early morning game of tennis to celebrate 100 years of Tennis ACT and agreed to do a door stop (not a prearranged interview) in the hallway on the way out of the Press Gallery after a morning radio interview. Great to
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We've officially made history! Thank you all. What a huge honour to be able to serve the people of the ACT as a Senator.
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Feels like it's time retire from rugby. Thank you for all the support over the years!.
Exclusive: David Pocock retires from rugby - and what's next, via @ChristypDoran.
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Not only do we basically give our gas away for free, we don’t even keep enough for our own use 🤯. It’s just inconceivable that 🇦🇺 as one of the biggest LNG exporters will now start importing. The major parties have failed us.
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Yesterday I had a young man come into my electorate office with a copy of his $83k HECS bill. Despite consistent repayments, the balance isn’t going down. We need major reform to student debt. Now.
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I remember Aunty Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis telling me they have gotten through the decades of campaigning by turning every “no” into a “yes”. Let's work together to turn the Coalition’s “no” into Australia’s “yes”.
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All Australians should benefit from Australian resources. It doesn't make any sense that oil and gas companies are getting to walk away with record profits while Australians are left with nothing.
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Something has gone seriously wrong when we have supermarkets, banks and resource companies posting record profits while Australians face a cost-of-living crisis. We need our politicians to have the courage to take on tough debates on tax reform.
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Last night I secured an agreement with the government on the IR Bill. I have been able to negotiate a stack of changes to the legislation that address key concerns raised with me over the last month.
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Today I tabled a petition signed by 70,000 Australians. It calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages and an urgent increase in humanitarian assistance.
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First it was 0. Then 1. Now more than a dozen. And what will the consequence be? Nothing. A system with no accountability only fuels the already declining public trust in politics. Reform to transparency & lobbying is desperately needed.
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Today I announced I’m running for the Senate in Canberra. If you’re fed up with ‘politics as usual’ and want to be part of changing things in 2022, head over to #DavidPocock #DPForTheACT
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I've had a lot of angry tweets after Senator Price blamed me for her motion calling on the PM to set up a Royal Commission being defeated in the Senate, even though it went down by 5 votes. Here are my reasons for doing so:.
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Shinkansen back to Gunma after a good team effort against Toyota. Wishing @kenki11 all the best on his quest to play at @Tokyo2020. We'll miss you but very excited to watch you tearing it up in #rugby7s 🔥 #topleague #Tokyo2020
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Congratulations to @SenatorWong for being awarded this year's McKinnon Prize for Political Leader of the Year and to @helenhainesindi for being recognised as the Emerging Political Leader of the Year. It is a privilege to serve alongside Senator Wong in the Senate. Dr Haines is.
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@nyunggai So you don't want more bureaucracy but do want to spend $500m (and a couple of years) on a Royal Commission rather than just starting to implement findings from dozens of existing reports now?. We have had a meeting & you made no mention of this issue.
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In the last sitting week of 2023 Labor & the Coalition voted against my motion to release the full report into Former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo. Australians deserve to know how & why things went so wrong.
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Disappointing to see the housing legislation that's been debated since February be kicked down the road to October by the Coalition & the Greens. It's not perfect but it's so much better than it was thanks to advocacy by a whole range of ppl, from stakeholders to the xbench.
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Things we don't know about the Coalition's nuclear delay tactics:. 1. The cost.2. Where the $ would come from.3. Where waste would go.4. Whether the plants are feasible.5. How states will be convinced.6. Who will pay the price of higher bills.7. What impacted communities think.😬.
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On any given sitting day there are hundreds & hundreds of people in the private areas of parliament house, walking the halls, knocking on doors, "bumping into" MPs & senators. Australians should know who their parliamentarians have granted that level of access to. We don't need.
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Still really feeling the disappointment but wanted to thank everyone for the amazing support we received at #RWC2019. And thanks for all your support over the last decade or so. Been an honour to represent Australia. Thank you ❤️.
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You shouldn’t be allowed to lie to win an election. Electoral reform in 🇦🇺 is long overdue. Let’s get it done - and done right - before the next election. Huge thanks to @ZaliSteggall for all the work she has done leading this push.
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This seems totally nuts that we charge Australians so much to have a passport. 🇦🇺 $412.🇳🇿 $195.🇨🇦 $180.🇺🇸 $210.And the most accepted passport in the 🌎, 🇸🇬 $82.
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We know climate change is here - droughts, heatwaves, coral bleaching, fires and floods - yet our government continues to delay action. You can't greenwash your way out of the climate emergency.
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Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. A huge honour and privilege to serve a community I love. Lots to do so straight into it.
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We treat housing as an investment vehicle rather than a human right. Sensible changes to negative gearing/CGT discount will tip the scales in favour of first home buyers. It shouldn't be easier to buy your 2nd, 3rd, 4th investment property than your first home.
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Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins have shown us what real leadership looks like. Today they asked for real, specific changes. It's up to all of us to do the work to ensure we make that happen.
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Can you believe this announcement?! FULL GAMBLING AD BAN?!
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We're now up to 2,020 people with unfettered, 24/7 access to Parliament House. We have no idea who these people are. This is a huge transparency fail that doesn't live up to community standards. #SenateEstimates.
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Undermining trust in the @AusElectoralCom and framing 30 years of precedent as "rigged" is incredibly concerning. This is a new low from Peter Dutton and the no campaign.
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The first Australian prosecuted for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan is the whistleblower. A perverse outcome - whistleblowers deserve better protection. Labor allowed the prosecution to continue. We need reform now.
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Julian Assange is set to return to Australia as a free man. This is a testament to a powerful campaign & the thousands of people around 🇦🇺 & around the world who have called for Julian to be released. Whistleblowers should be protected, not prosecuted.
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Every year, 🇦🇺 taxpayers subsidise petrol & diesel costs by nearly $10 billion. The majority goes to mining companies, including more than $1 billion a year to coal miners. Fossil fuel subsidies for fossil fuel companies 🤯. This has to change.
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Australian nurses paid 3X more tax than the gas industry in 2022. The gas myths need to end.
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Today, I moved an amendment to a tobacco bill calling on parties to stop accepting donations & revoke any passes they’ve given to tobacco lobbyists. It passed with support of Govt, Greens & Jacqui Lambie Network. The Coalition - who still accept Big Tobacco donations - opposed.
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The major parties teaming up to agree to a watered down integrity commission would be flipping the bird to the strongest message the electorate sent at the election. Australians want more integrity. That's never been more clear.
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Starting to wind back tax concessions for people with millions of $ in superannuation will allow the budget to work harder for ppl most in need. I look forward to seeing more details as this is discussed in parliament.
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Richard Boyle now stands trial for speaking out against wrongdoing. He faces up to 46 years imprisonment. Our whistleblowing laws need urgent reform. In the meantime the AG should stop the prosecution. Whistleblowers should be protected, not punished.
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Negative gearing & other generous property tax concessions like capital gains on investment property shouldn’t be off the table. We need to be able to have a mature debate about our tax - everything from fossil fuel subsidies to PRRT & multinationals.
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Labor, Liberals and Nationals voted against making Ministers’ diaries publicly available, as is done in other countries and in states here in Australia. This is an important part of transparency and knowing who is being consulted and influencing decisions being made by
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Spending $13M globally A MINUTE - twice what is spent on education - to subsidise an industry that is making record profits while destroying our planet 🫣🤯.
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The huge push from independents to stop gambling advertising reflects what we are hearing from our communities. All parliamentarians need to step up, listen to this message and not accept anything less than the total ban the Murphy review recommended.
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Politicians should have a duty of care to young people. Our actions today shape the world they inherit. Tomorrow, I will introduce my first private senator's bill - the Duty of Care Bill. Sign up to support at
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In Australia we spend more money on fossil fuel subsidies than we do on public schools 🤯. Budgets are about priorities. And according to this budget, fossil fuel companies are more important than everyday Australians 😔
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There’s a lot of lobbying at Parliament House:. Politicians have so far given 1958 people access all areas passes. These names are never disclosed. Separately there’s the lobbyist register. But the max penalty for breaking code of conduct is a 3 month pause. The system needs
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Do Australians have a right to know who's buying access to politicians?
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Neither of the major parties seem to be willing to stand up to vested interests. Whether it’s housing reform or making multinationals pay for our gas, they are missing in action. When it's time to vote this year, find a candidate that will actually stand up for you.
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The major parties are giving away our gas and damaging the climate as they do so. Insanity.
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50°C in the northern hemisphere & 1.5 degrees above average…but Libs & Labor still think we don’t have a Duty of Care to young people & should keep expanding the fossil fuel industry in 2024?! 🤯. Utter negligence.
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Woke up to a clickbait headline saying I'd "vowed" not to have kids. 😔 Really disappointing. What I said was climate breakdown is an issue we've discussed while trying to decide if we should have kids. A big, personal decision for us - not a political stand.
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I've got a commitment from the PM to establish a new independent 'Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee' to review the adequacy of social security support payments every year before the federal budget, and publish their recommendations.
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Senate counting continues today (prepoll and postal votes) then voters preference distributions start happening tomorrow. So grateful for the democracy that we have. Election Day was a lot of fun & mostly good spirits between all parties at booths. #ausvotes.
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Mortgage repayments & rents are going through the roof while the RBA signals its intention to continue increasing interest rates. Surely there’s a better way to cool the economy without pulling cash out of the pockets of Australians & pouring it into the coffers of the banks.
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20 years ago today my family arrived in Australia. So grateful for the sacrifices my parents made for my brothers and I, and for the opportunities Australia has given us ❤️
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In the words of one of my heroes, “my humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” #VoteYes #MarriageEquality
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Ignoring this advice entrenches inequality & leaves people in our communities behind, including the 1 in 6 children growing up in poverty. As a wealthy country we can ensure people aren't having to choose between medicine & food so they can get back on their feet & contribute.
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Disappointing to see Labor pushing for a right to shred documents when they leave office, despite what they said about the Morrison Govt’s secrecy. Transparency can’t just be something major parties want while in opposition. Thanks @rexpatrick 👏👏👏.
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We look to China and Iran with disbelief at how protestors are treated abroad. But democracy is fragile and ours is not immune. We must protect our ability to disagree, to voice dissent publicly and, if needed, to protest peacefully.
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I'm proposing a Senate inquiry into migration and population so we can have a deep, considered conversation about it. We currently don’t have a plan.
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We’re already hearing misinformation & we’ll hear more. It’s up to all of us to keep the debate respectful & based on fact. The Voice is an opportunity to move forward as a country & ensure Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people can provide advice on laws that affect them.
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It is unacceptable that tradies who subcontract have to carry the losses for work they’ve already completed when building companies go under. We need security of payments dealt with by Federal & Territory govt as a priority. We have the Murray Review from 2017 collecting dust -.
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I think fossil fuel advertising in sport is the new cigarette sponsorship. What do you think?.
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Another day, another smear campaign 🙄.Signs appearing across CBR portraying me as a Greens candidate are false & part of a deliberate scare campaign by Advance Australia where Vicki Dunne, a former Lib MLA & close colleague of Sen. Seselja, is a director 🤔. I am an Independent.
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Over 2,000 people have 24/7 access to Parliament & we have no idea who they are. I don't think it's good enough that the people who pay for this building - Australians - don’t know who’s inside, lobbying their reps. There should be transparency.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu was an example of the best of humanity. Speaking truth to power. Full of love and humour. Committed to building a better world.
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Congrats to @AllBlacks. Deserved the win tonight. Australia - sorry we couldn't get the job done. Thanks for all the support. #RWCFinal.
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I think maybe politicians are just out of touch. We've got three million Australians living in poverty in this country, and you're going to give me and other politicians on six figure salaries $300. It doesn’t make sense to me.
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This morning I joined people from across the political spectrum to show support for the Voice referendum. On Oct 14 🇦🇺 will vote on whether to recognise Australia’s First Peoples in our constitution & enshrine a Voice to Parliament which will then be designed by the parliament.
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The major parties just voted to allow former politicians to be the NACC Commissioner or Inspector 🤷♂️. The cross bench raised concerns about a former politician overseeing a body that is meant to investigate corruption, including corruption by politicians.
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In a cost of living crisis Australians are paying >$2/litre for foreign petrol and diesel. Today, we finally have proposed fuel efficiency standards. I've been calling for this for 18 months. The announcement is a step towards cheaper transport costs for 🇦🇺. Here's why 👇.
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When the National Anti-Corruption Commission was set up the major parties teamed up to make it harder for hearings to occur in public. I just moved an amendment to make it easier to hold public hearings and build confidence in the NACC. Labor & Coalition voted against it again 🤯
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Last night @abc730 featured the story of whistleblower Richard Boyle. He stood up for someone & blew the whistle on practices at the ATO. Six years later he's still being prosecuted. It's time for the Govt to end the prosecution.
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As details of the spectacular mishandling of the robodebt investigation continue to emerge, it is clear that a change in leadership is necessary to restore public trust in the NACC. The strength of the institution depends on it.
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Great to see PM @AlboMP and Minister @Tony_Burke release the National Cultural Policy today, which recognises that the Govt has a role and a responsibility to foster our creative industries and share them with the world.
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With the NACC opening its doors today we finally have a federal integrity commission. Huge work has gone into making this happen. Thanks to @helenhainesindi for her work over many years. It was a pleasure to collaborate with her & others to make it a success.
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In the face of the absolute human devastation in Gaza, all governments, including ours, can & should do more. We must do everything in our collective power to stop this horror.
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VicForests announced yesterday they made a $54 million dollar loss cutting down native forests. Taxpayers are funding the logging of our native forests. Forests that are huge carbon sinks and home to amazing species like Greater gliders.
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A phased in gambling ad ban would destroy sport - where have we heard that before?. The govt's own inquiry recommended a total ban, it was supported by the whole parliament & the community - why are they now walking it back?
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At COP15 in Montréal where countries are negotiating a global agreement to halt and reverse environmental decline and the destruction of Nature.
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There’s no civilisation without agriculture. Why would we risk our food bowls for short-term profit from coal seam gas?. Farmers are sounding the alarm on the way fossil fuel expansion is damaging our water, food, fibre and climate.
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There is urgent need for gambling reform. This is something that's consistently raised with me and other crossbenchers. Gambling is causing so much harm in our community - it should NOT be normalised. We must push the major parties to give up their
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Julian Assange was imprisoned 13 years ago. It's time for his release. While @AlboMP is in Washington D.C., I'm calling on him to advocate against Julian's extradition to the US. #speakupforassange #freeassangenow
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The devastation in northern hemisphere is a deeply concerning sign of what may be in store for 🇦🇺 in this & future summers. We need leadership & bold action to protect the people & places we love. Yet 🇦🇺 govt keep approving new fossil fuel projects 🤯.
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We need to decide what housing is for in 🇦🇺. If we decide it's primarily an investment vehicle for building wealth, then nothing needs to change. But if we decide it's a human right that everyone should be able to afford, we need politicians to be up for reform.
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Labor, Libs and Nats just voted against the entire crossbench to defeat my amendment for the NACC to explicitly include pork-barrelling, be able to investigate 3rd parties who try to corrupt & also add more transparency around NACC funding.
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For the first time, we have an independent voice representing the ACT in federal parliament. I acknowledge the work of outgoing Senator @ZedSeselja after 9 yrs representing us & wish him & his family all the best. I'm committed to listening & representing all Canberrans.
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Gas companies are getting away with state-sanctioned daylight robbery. The value in Australian gas should be used to build a better future for Australians, not to inflate the profits of multinationals.
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Senator, you've been representing us for 9 years now. Integrity means standing next to your voting record. Including on big issues like housing affordability:
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