Independent ACT senator David Pocock has denied he has bought into COVID-19 conspiracy theories after becoming the deciding vote in urging an unspecified inquiry into excessive deaths during the pandemic.
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The key crossbench senator on Monday supported a motion by UAP senator Ralph Babet to get the Senate to acknowledge the "concerning number of excess deaths observed in Australia in 2021 and 2022 has continued into 2023 as evidenced by all-cause provisional mortality data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics."
The motion from Senator Babet, who is widely known to promote anti-vaccination conspiracy theories, also has the Senate stating there is a "need for further inquiry as to the reasons for these excess deaths." There has been no formal referral to a Senate committee which the UAP representative has tried two times before.
With the vote for the motion passing 31-to-30, Senator Pocock's support has raised eyebrows in government circles.
The independent senator said the deaths are worth looking into.
"I don't accept the conspiracy theories that have featured so heavily in the discourse around COVID-19 and vaccines, however, I do acknowledge there is data showing excess mortality rates have increased in recent years," he said in a statement.
"I believe there is merit in inquiring into this issue about which I receive a large volume of correspondence from constituents. Refusing to take a look at the excess mortality rates only feeds conspiracy theories, fosters social unrest, and takes away an opportunity to genuinely examine the changing disease burden in our community."
As there has been no Senate referral, there will be no immediate inquiry. However, the UAP's billionaire founder Clive Palmer has claimed it as an "important step forward in finding the truth about the impacts of the COVID response."
Senator Babet refers to the time periods in question for unexplained death rates as being pre-vaccination and vaccination.
But, Senator Pocock has pointed to other possibilities being the cause.
"In November last year, deaths due to dementia were 18.5 per cent above baseline, and alcohol-induced deaths are at their highest rate in a decade," he said.
"These are worrying trends that I believe warrant a deeper look, so that we can, at a minimum, examine whether our preventive health settings are correctly geared to meet the public health challenges in front of us."
The Canberra Times has sought comment from the Health Minister Mark Butler.
Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
