Senator to Join Coalition-Greens Alliance in Government's First Major Senate Defeat Over Aged Care
Today’s email is brought to you by Empower your podcasting vision with a suite of creative solutions at your fingertips.
Independent Senator David Pocock confirmed he will join the Coalition and Greens to hand the Albanese government its first major defeat in the Senate over aged care reforms, citing frustration with delayed package releases for elderly Australians.
Speaking on ABC News Australia, Pocock announced his amendment demanding immediate release of 20,000 aged care packages, as more than 200,000 older Australians remain trapped in assessment and waiting list backlogs.
"I've been hugely frustrated with the government's approach on aged care," Pocock said Tuesday. "We have 120,000 older Australians waiting for an assessment for a home care package. We've got 87,000-plus who've been assessed and are eligible but aren't getting one, and yet we're only having packages released in November 1."
Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.
Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
The crossbench revolt threatens to derail the government's aged care timeline, with Pocock's amendment seeking to force immediate action rather than waiting for the scheduled November rollout.
"I've got an amendment that would see the government release 20,000 now so we can actually start to get through that wait list," he said. "This is no way to treat older Australians."
The former Wallabies captain expressed hope the government would reconsider its position before the Senate vote.
"I think it's something that the government should really come to their senses and actually release 20,000 packages now with the bigger release in November," Pocock said.
The Senate challenge comes amid broader criticism from Pocock about government planning failures, extending to migration policy following Monday's anti-immigration protests featuring far-right extremists.
As a first-generation migrant, Pocock condemned the rallies while arguing the government's lack of comprehensive migration planning creates conditions for extremist messaging to flourish.
"I think Australia has benefited so much from migration over the years," he said. "And I think this is really damaging when it comes to the message it's sending to migrants across the country. And some of the slogans and behaviour we saw are totally unacceptable."
However, Pocock identified underlying policy failures that enable extremist exploitation of migration concerns.
"One of my frustrations has been that there is a real lack of appetite from the parliament to actually have a debate about this in a sensible way and then come up with a plan when it comes to migration and population that actually wards off some of the feelings that, well, there is no plan," he said.
The senator criticized the current approach where Treasury sets migration numbers without comprehensive planning for infrastructure, housing, schools and environmental impacts.
"My concern is that there really isn't a plan. We're not taking into account the required infrastructure, things like impact on the environment and you know when you don't have a plan you open yourselves up to the kind of things we saw on the weekend," Pocock said.
He called for systematic migration planning that accounts for skill shortages, infrastructure requirements and long-term population impacts.
"I would love to see a sensible conversation about it and for the government rather than Treasury just setting some sort of arbitrary number every year to actually say okay well this is how valuable migrants are to this country," he said.
The senator also addressed LGBTQ+ inclusion in Australian Football League following former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown's public disclosure of his bisexuality.
Pocock praised Brown's courage while criticizing the AFL's response, suggesting more clubs should have acknowledged Brown's announcement to foster broader inclusion conversations.
"Well, firstly, good on Mitch, a really brave move," he said. "I think this is an opportunity for the AFL to actually have this conversation at clubs across the country. I think it would have been great to see more clubs acknowledge what he's done and really try and use that to foster a conversation with players."
Drawing from his rugby union experience, Pocock emphasized how teammate coming-out stories catalyzed important inclusion discussions at club level.
"That was certainly, when I was playing at Rugby Union, the catalyst for some really important conversations at a club level was when a former teammate came out," he said.
The senator argued professional sports organizations must demonstrate leadership on inclusion issues, particularly addressing persistent homophobia in contact football codes.
"I think sport has a proud history of challenging society to be more inclusive. But I think when it comes to homophobia, clearly the contact football codes in Australia have a long way to go," Pocock said.
He emphasized the need for top-level leadership to drive cultural change within sporting organizations.
"That is about leadership at the top to actually match with, I think, the changes in society we've seen," he said.
Pocock credited grassroots advocates like Sydney Convicts founder Andrew Purchase for pushing rugby union toward greater inclusion, while acknowledging players' responsibility to create welcoming environments.
"As a player I felt like it was on all of us to create an environment where people feel like they can be themselves," he said. "I think sport is at its best when it's creating an environment where people can turn up, be themselves, be part of a team, enjoy sport for what it is."
The aged care Senate challenge represents a significant test for the Albanese government's legislative agenda, with Pocock's crossbench position often proving decisive in close votes.
Parliament returns to session this week, with the aged care vote scheduled as the Coalition and Greens coordinate opposition to the government's timeline for package releases.
The senator's multi-issue critique encompasses aged care delays, migration planning failures, and sporting inclusion shortcomings, reflecting broader concerns about government responsiveness to community needs.
Pocock concluded the interview with optimism about Canberra Raiders' NRL prospects, describing the team as minor premiers heading into finals season.
"So good to see the Raiders doing well, Canberra getting behind them, minor premiers," he said. "I think they'll be trying to put that behind them very quickly and move on to a big final season, so we'll be cheering them on."
The Senate vote on aged care reforms will test the government's ability to maintain legislative control amid growing crossbench pressure on key policy areas.
Got a News Tip?
Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.
Sustaining Mencari Requires Your Support
Independent journalism costs money. Help us continue delivering in-depth investigations and unfiltered commentary on the world's real stories. Your financial contribution enables thorough investigative work and thoughtful analysis, all supported by a dedicated community committed to accuracy and transparency.
Subscribe today to unlock our full archive of investigative reporting and fearless analysis. Subscribing to independent media outlets represents more than just information consumption—it embodies a commitment to factual reporting.
As well as knowing you’re keeping Mencari (Australia) alive, you’ll also get:
Get breaking news AS IT HAPPENS - Gain instant access to our real-time coverage and analysis when major stories break, keeping you ahead of the curve
Unlock our COMPLETE content library - Enjoy unlimited access to every newsletter, podcast episode, and exclusive archive—all seamlessly available in your favorite podcast apps.
Join the conversation that matters - Be part of our vibrant community with full commenting privileges on all content, directly supporting The Evening Post (Australia)
Catch up on some of Mencari’s recent stories:
It only takes a minute to help us investigate fearlessly and expose lies and wrongdoing to hold power accountable. Thanks!