2025-10-21
By Barbara Pocock
Senator for South Australia
This past 12 months has seen our country continue to grapple with the stark realities of a cost-of-living crisis, an acute housing emergency, and the undeniable impacts of climate change biting hard across our communities. As one of your Greens representatives in the Senate, I have continued the fight for a fairer, more sustainable future for all Australians.
Housing and Homelessness
Following the tireless work of Max Chandler-Mather, I took up the baton as the Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness to continuing the fight for renters, first home buyers, and those experiencing homelessness. The housing crisis remains a central focus for the Greens, and I am working to address the runaway inequality and poor policies that have fuelled this problem.
I have called out Labor’s plans to cut regulations that run the risk of reduced building standards and their provision of deposits for first home buyers that only serve to drive up house prices. We know what is needed and I have consistently highlighted the priorities that must be addressed to arrest this trend: ending tax handouts to wealthy property investors, increasing affordable housing supply, and capping rents.
It was great to see other organisations like ACOSS and the ACTU recently back in our calls for phasing out negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts and I will keep the pressure on the government to make these reforms.
This year I asked questions in Estimates about just how many social homes have been delivered as a result of the additional funding for housing secured by the Greens in the previous year, further keeping the pressure on to deliver housing for Australians.
Late last year I was also active on the Parliamentary inquiry into the financial regulatory framework and home ownership. The Coalition wants to make it easier for banks to approve home loans for people who cannot afford the repayments. Removing protections will only put vulnerable people at financial risk and benefit the banks. I reminded the inquiry that we cannot risk piling debt onto those least able to cope.
Workplace Relations and Employment
In addition to employment, I am now the Greens’ spokesperson for workplace relations. We know that real wages are not keeping up with inflation, and I am working to ensure that the benefits of our productivity are shared equitably. In a wealthy country like ours Australians deserve a better standard of living and I have been actively calling for a better work-life balance.
Over the year, we have pushed for a 4-day work week which gathered support in the leadup to the recent Government Economic Roundtable. Trials have shown that productivity increases, and a healthier, happier workforce result from shorter working hours. I am pushing for a 4-day work week test case to be conducted through the Fair Work Commission, aiming to reduce working hours with no loss of pay.
I have also called for more flexibility at work and for legislation that requires employers to positively consider reasonable requests to work from home for at least two days two days a week, where practical.
Finance and Public Sector Integrity
The PwC tax scandal highlighted significant weaknesses in our governance and regulation of the Big 4 consultant firms, yet the Government has agreed to allow PwC to bid for federal contracts while a number of investigations remain underway, including by the Australian Federal Police.
I have worked hard to highlight the need for stronger obligations on tax agents to act ethically. Through my work on various Parliamentary inquiries into the use of consultants, I have pushed for stronger measures, including a ban on political donations by government contractors and a reduction in the number of partners allowed in accounting and consulting firms. Following these inquiry reports I have called out the major parties on their lack of ambition to tackle the systemic change needed to hold the big consulting firms to account.
I highlighted the MinRes tax evasion scandal which brought to light the ATO’s practice of allowing secret tax settlements - a 'get-out-of-jail-free card' for the rich and powerful. I also worked with 4 Corners on their investigation into the ATO’s failures on managing fraud and lack of action leading to considerable foregone revenue.
Accountability is a cornerstone of my work. At this year's Senate Estimates, I have pushed back against department representatives whose responses were often evasive. We have asked questions about why the Government has not reduced its spending on outsourcing public sector work to consultants despite many promises to do so. We have asked why those who were responsible for the RoboDebt debacle were able to walk away with almost no consequences for this illegal scheme.
South Australia
My home state of South Australia suffered severe drought over the summer months, a clear sign of a climate crisis. I have also drawn attention to the devastating harmful algal bloom that appeared in March this year. The Prime Minister needs to recognise this as a national disaster directly resulting from warming oceans caused by climate change. I have called for an end to opening new coal and gas, to stop the problem from getting worse.
Alongside Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, I worked on the inquiry into the Australian winegrape purchases code of conduct. We have heard from grape growers about the hardships they face and are pursuing a mandatory code to ensure fairer dealings between growers and winemakers.
Throughout the year I continued to speak up in the Senate to give voice to South Australian concerns on AUKUS. Polls show that South Australians know AUKUS makes us less safe and the residents of Port Adelaide have had no genuine consultation on the Government’s plan to allow nuclear waste to be stored at the Osborne shipyard. With a second Trump administration now underway, I will continue to highlight the need to draw a line in the sand to defend our sovereign independence.
Through my office I have provided support to many constituents seeking assistance with government departments. This has mainly been in support of people seeking help with delays in processing visas. Of particular note, I followed up on allegations that an Aboriginal prisoner had been held in solitary confinement for 800 days in a South Australian prison and had been denied visits from cultural liaison officers. I asked the Premier of South Australia for clarification and was assured that the prisoner would be provided with the cultural support he desperately needs. History will judge us harshly if we, as a society, fail to put a stop to this appalling treatment of First Nations people.
Other events
This year, I have had the opportunity to speak at numerous events and engage with
communities across the country and spent considerable time campaigning across SA in the
lead up to the federal election.
Major speaking moments and events include:
- Speaker, Catherine Helen Spence Oration, October 2024
- Speaker, Industrial Relations Society of NSW Annual Conference, October 2024
- Speaker, Richard Boyle’s Whistleblower Protections Rally, November 2024
- Rising Tide Newcastle Blockade 2024
- Inducted to the Certified Management Accountants Hall of Fame, November 2024
- US Politics in the Pub, January 2025
- Adelaide Writers Week, March 2025
- Celebrations for the Dali Lama’s 90th Birthday, July 2025
- The Joseph Fisher Lecture, Economics Faculty, The University of Adelaide, August 2025
Thank you to all my brilliant colleagues, my incredible staff, our members, and everyone who has contributed to the pursuit of a better world and to greater integrity and justice alongside me this year. I am more determined than ever to continue fighting for a safe, bright, and sustainable future for all of us.
- Barbara