Former Wallabies great David Pocock has won one of two Senate seats in the ACT as an independent. Today we will discuss about David Pocock: Policies| Politics| Senate result| Senate
David Pocock: Policies| Politics| Senate result| Senate
David Wilmer Pocock (born 23 April 1988) is an Australian politician and former professional rugby union player. He played primarily at the openside flanker, and was the Brumbies’ vice-captain in Super Rugby. Born in South Africa and raised in Gweru, Zimbabwe, Pocock moved to Australia as a teenager and played for the Australia national rugby team. He is a conservationist and advocate of social justice and has been an independent senator for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) since winning one of two seats in the 2022 federal election.
| Birth name | David Pocock |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 April 1988 |
| Place of birth | South Africa |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 103 kg (227 lb) |
| School | Midlands Christian College Anglican Church Grammar School |
| University | Harvard Business School – Organisational Leadership & Charles Sturt University – Master of Sustainable Agriculture |
Policies
Former Wallaby David Pocock has become the first independent elected to the Senate by act and says his success is a testament to the need to restore confidence in politics.
Senator-elect Pocock defeated three-term Liberal Jade Cesselja to become one of two senators on the ACT, along with Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.
Meanwhile, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has postponed the scheduled announcement of a winner in Gilmore’s seat.
Mr Pocock’s campaign had prioritized calls for a referendum on stronger action on climate change, the creation of a federal anti-corruption watchdog and an indigenous voice in parliament.
Mr Pocock said voters expected politicians to work constructively towards creating policies in “the best interest of all of us”.
“What I mean by speaking to people in Canberra is their dismay at the way issues have been politicised,” he told reporters.
“There is a real need to start rebuilding trust in politics and our institutions.
“We are clearly facing some huge challenges as a country and it’s going to take leadership and vision and really make decisions that will benefit all of us.”
Politics
Seo told the Canberra Times: “I’m not going to stand here and say I know a lot about politics, but as a friend, it’s really nice to see Poe exploring something outside of rugby. “
“It’s hard enough when you’re in this environment for so long, and you’re so passionate about it, putting yourself into something year after year, and then moving on and finding something else that you’re equally passionate.
“So it’s been very exciting for us as a group to see him thrive in a different environment.”
Seo, four years younger than Pocock, is happy to learn he will have the guidance he has as a politician as a rugby player, when he calls it a day.
“It’s a good conversation, personally, for me, to see the track where my transition may take me, and any advice I can get from him,” Seo said.
Senate result
The Election Commission has declared David Pocock the winner of the second ACT Senate seat, defeating three-time Liberal Jade Cesselja.
This is the first time that a candidate of a major party has not represented the capital in Parliament.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was also comfortably re-elected, becoming the first woman to reach the quota of 95,073 votes.
David Molnar, the Australian election officer for the AEC, said the distribution of preferences was made today.
“As with all aspects of the calculation, the automatic distribution of priorities made today was open to investigators appointed by the candidates,” Mr. Molnar said.
In the final round of preference distribution, Greens candidate Dr Tjnara Goreng Goreng was eliminated and his 36,145 votes were redistributed to Mr. Pocock and Mr. Seselja. Mr Pocock received 77 per cent of the votes that put him ahead of the quota, while Mr Cecelja was 13,588 votes short.
Senate
The South Australian preference count, which will be done on Wednesday, is expected to return two Labour, one Green and two Liberal senators, a three-way race between a Liberal, Labor and One Nation for last place.
The other Senate seat that will not be known until a full preference count is held is sixth in Victoria, which is also a three-way race between the Labor, Liberals and United Australia party.
In both cases, election analysts Kevin Bonham and Antony Green say the liberals have the edge.
Meanwhile, the AEC is considering a request for a recount in Gilmore by Constance, the former NSW transport minister, who recorded the lowest result in the country. Labor incumbent Fiona Phillips retained the seat with 50.17 percent of the vote, just 373 votes ahead of Constance.
