Independent senator David Pocock has called for a 5 per cent levy on data centres, warning the federal government is "starstruck" by foreign technology companies and out of step with ordinary Australians. Speaking at the National Press Club, Pocock said the measure had been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and would raise $500 million by 2030.
The data centre levy proposal
Pocock said the levy, which he wants introduced from early next year, would generate enough revenue to cover a full year of spending under the Housing Australia Future Fund, directly contributing to new social and affordable housing.
"We all pay income tax to fund the services we use and rely on, yet these huge multinationals turn over billions and find ways to pay little to no company tax here," he said.
The ACT senator directed pointed criticism at the government's approach to the technology sector, arguing it was prioritising data centres and frontier AI development over the interests of communities and creative workers. "Imagine siding with the tech bros over almost every Australian author, artist and journo that wants their copyright protected," he said.
As a member of the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Pocock cited evidence from the Copyright Agency's chief executive, who warned that without stronger copyright protections, Australia risked becoming what was described as "a global data laundering hotspot." This concern sits alongside broader questions about how tech firms contribute financially in Australia, including through existing bargaining frameworks.
Tribute to Helen Haines amid her critical condition
The speech also carried a sombre note, with Pocock paying tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who remains in a critical condition after she was allegedly struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle outside her parliamentary office in Wangaratta earlier this week.
Pocock described Haines as "a beacon of integrity" and "the MP we all wish we had," pointing to her commitment to democracy, transparency and accountability. "We want people who have courage and a commitment to the long-term solutions needed to solve them. People like Dr Helen Haines," he said.
A new political model beyond the major parties
Beyond the levy itself, Pocock used the National Press Club address to outline a broader vision for Australian politics, arguing the current major party system is "letting us down" by placing vested interests ahead of community needs.
"Too often people are telling politicians how tough things are, only to get some talking points or a long government shopping list of things they've done in response," he said. "And so people are turning away, turning towards something different or turning off altogether."
Pocock suggested that independents could form a coalition capable of governing in minority, working alongside smaller community-focused parties to deliver what he described as evidence-based, long-term solutions. He said this model would better reflect Australia's regional and generational diversity than the traditional two-party system.
Rather than "recycled political candidates, former staffers and others from the political class," Pocock said he wanted more community representatives to step forward, contributing to a broader political collective on shared priorities including accountability, gambling reform and environmental policy.
"Australians want a politics where their local representative actually reflects their community's view, not the position of a party or other vested interest," he said.
The senator's model, he said, centres on community needs, expert opinion and solutions-oriented thinking as alternatives to what he characterised as the short-termism and vested-interest capture of the major parties.
The data centre levy proposal comes as Australia has already taken steps to make tech giants contribute more through news bargaining legislation, signalling growing political appetite for holding large technology companies financially accountable.
