At a Glance

First Term Wins 

Delivering a National Student Ombudsman to protect students on campus

Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and respected on campus. But for too long, too many students have felt ignored or let down by their universities when it comes to bullying, harassment, and violence.

Alongside other crossbench colleagues, I successfully negotiated the creation of a National Student Ombudsman. I led this push in response to student concerns and survivor advocacy, working to ensure that universities can no longer mark their own homework when it comes to student welfare.

The National Student Ombudsman will:

• Provide an independent pathway for student complaints
• Oversee university responses to misconduct
• Hold institutions accountable for how they protect students
  

This is a major step forward in restoring trust, transparency, and safety across the higher education sector.

I’ll keep fighting to ensure every student is treated with dignity, and has somewhere to turn when things go wrong.

Establishing a National Firearms Register

I played a pivotal role in ensuring the establishment of a National Firearms Register. This initiative strengthens Australia's capacity to track and regulate firearms ownership, enhancing public safety and supporting police efforts to prevent gun-related crime. The comprehensive national database closes loopholes that allow the illegal circulation of firearms.

Frontline homelessness staff Funding

The need for longer term funding for frontline community services providers is raised consistently with me. This is especially the case for homelessness service providers.

In rolling over the existing National Housing and Homelessness Agreement by 12 months while a new plan was developed, the Albanese Government failed to also continue funding to meet the costs of higher wages for frontline staff resulting from the 2012 Equal Remuneration Order.

This failure would have resulted in cuts to homelessness services from July 2023. I argued that it was unacceptable that frontline service providers like ACT Shelter or Homelessness Australia should somehow be expected to absorb such funding cuts when demand for their services is so high. Already 1 in 4 women and children fleeing violence are not getting the accommodation support they need and the ACT is the persistent homelessness capital of the country.

As part of negotiations on housing legislation I was able to secure a $67.5 million one-year extension of this funding.

Independent expert committee to advise government on economic inclusion

As part of negotiations with the Government, I secured the creation of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. The committee is a new, independent body tasked with providing transparent, expert advice on barriers to economic inclusion.

It publishes a report ahead of every federal budget with clear recommendations backed by research. 

And it’s already having an impact. Thanks to the Committee’s advice alongside sustained advocacy, the Government has:

• Delivered a modest increase to JobSeeker
• Delivered two increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance
  

This year’s report also highlighted research that shows inadequate income support payments are acting as a barrier to victim-survivors leaving a violent relationship. 

The research by Social Ventures Australia and Professor Roslyn Russell examined the effect of government payments on a victim-survivor’s decision to leave a violent relationship. It found those reliant on income support payments were less likely to leave a violent relationship and more likely to cite lack of finances as the main reason why. It also found that victim-survivors who receive government payments are more likely to return to a violent relationship than victim-survivors on salary or wages.

I will keep pushing the government of the day to raise our income support payments above the poverty line. When they say they will pull “every lever” they need to pull this one too.

A more inclusive census

Alongside others on the crossbench I successfully pushed the Government to stick to its original commitment (after an initial backflip) to build a better, more inclusive picture of our community through the census.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics had done the work, consulted, listened, and come up with proposed new test questions.

We can’t repeat the hurt felt by many LGBTI Australians following the last census and we need data to make informed policy decisions when it comes to the provision of services. 

Funding for community legal centres 

Together with other colleagues on the crossbench, I have been pushing to significantly increase funding for community legal centres as part of the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) agreement currently being negotiated by federal, state and territory governments.

The independent Mundy review of the 2020-2025 NLAP released in May 2024 sets out a roadmap for reform, including increased funding to ensure the most vulnerable in our communities can access the justice system.

While there’s more to do on this the government has now committed $3.9 billion to frontline legal assistance services over five years from 1 July 2025 in a positive step forward.

What I’m Fighting For 

More support for frontline services & cultural change to help end domestic and family violence

Family, domestic, and gender-based violence is a national emergency that demands urgent action. I have consistently pushed for full funding of frontline services and serious investment in all aspects of prevention and response. 

I acknowledge the government’s significant investments over the past few years and their commitment to ending family and domestic violence in a generation. But despite these steps forward, I continue to hear from advocates, service providers and people in our community that more is needed. The statistics also paint a worrying picture and the number of women being murdered in Australia is truly horrific.

I continue to advocate for systemic solutions such as closing the gender pay gap, increasing social safety net payments, housing reform and better data collection of gender based violence and the demand experienced by family and domestic violence services. 

Sustainable needs-based funding

I will push the government for sustainable domestic and family violence funding based on community needs. In Canberra, our Domestic Violence Crisis Service now receives 1100 requests each month, up from 850 two years ago, leading to increasing deficits as costs rise. 

Our Canberra Rape Crisis Centre is so underfunded that they can’t even afford basic IT systems or sound proofing in their counselling rooms. Their counsellors are overloaded and victim survivors of sexual assault are waiting too long for the support they need.

Crisis services must be adequately funded to ensure no call goes unanswered and staff wellbeing isn't compromised. I will advocate for at least five-year funding cycles through the National Partnership Agreement, allowing jurisdictions and services to plan effectively and maintain workforce stability.

Funding specialist services and partnerships

I will advocate for the government to invest more in specialist services that meet the needs of minority communities, recognising that family and domestic violence can look different in First Nations, LGBTIQ+, and culturally diverse communities, and specialist expertise is needed in prevention, early intervention and response.

Improving the Leaving Violence Program

I will continue to press for better outcomes across the country and in Canberra from the government’s ‘Leaving Violence Program’. This payment is supposed to support people to leave violence or to keep themselves safe. It needs to be easy to access and fast, but it’s neither of those things at the moment. Only 28% of applications proceed to payment in the ACT, taking an average of 15 days. I will push for workers to be hosted in existing family violence frontline services, for red tape to be reduced, and for more of the payment to be available in cash (rather than goods), so that it better meets individual needs. 

Investment in crisis, social and affordable housing

Another critical area for investment is housing and crisis accommodation. For some victim-survivors, a lack of suitable housing can force them to stay in or return to a violent relationship. I will push for investment sufficient to meet community needs in short-term crisis accommodation, social and affordable housing for people who chose to leave their homes due to violence. I will also push for specialist funded case management for those in crisis and transitional housing, to support people through that transition. 

Supporting men’s behaviour change

It is my view that men must also take responsibility in addressing gendered violence, challenging harmful attitudes, and being part of the solution. I commit to pushing for increased investment in men’s behaviour change programs. This means specific programs for men who use violence, those who are at risk of using violence, and programs designed to model and encourage positive masculinity and to support men’s mental health and wellbeing.

In conjunction with the Parliamentary Friends of Ending Violence Against Women and Children and leading men's mental health expert Dr Zac Seidler, I was proud to host an event specifically aimed at getting more male parliamentarians talking about and taking action to end men’s violence against women. I will continue to speak up and step up as an ally and encourage other male leaders to do the same.

National Human Rights Act

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights 2023-2024 inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework acknowledged that while Australia is a party to international human rights treaties, the lack of a specific, enforceable human rights framework under domestic law leaves gaps in the protection of rights. The committee expressly recommended the introduction of a federal Human Rights Act.

A Federal Human Rights Act would provide vital protections for all Australians. A human rights act would mean that governments are bound to protect human rights when legislating, developing policy and delivering services. I will continue pushing for a comprehensive Human Rights Act to ensure fundamental rights are protected in law and upheld for the benefit of everyone.

A National Anti-Racism Framework

Racial discrimination and hatred have long harmed communities across Australia, with many facing prejudice and discrimination in their daily lives. Over the past year, antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have surged, leaving people fearful for their safety simply because of who they are and how they worship. I will keep pushing for decisive action from the government, including fully funding and implementing the National Anti-Racism Framework to drive real systemic change. I will also continue to advocate for local supports where needed to deal with immediate threats to groups within our community.

Support for people with disability

From healthcare to housing, Canberrans with disability tell me they face barriers to accessing all parts of our society. 

There’s clearly a long way to go toward ensuring that our society recognises disability as part of human diversity, and provides the structures that allow people with disability to participate in all aspects of Australian life.

There are a few things that I’m keen to tackle alongside Canberrans with a disability, including:

• Continuing to advocate for sustainable, long-term funding for the NDIS.
• Ensuring foundational supports are co-designed by our disability community, for our community.
• Advocating for housing solutions that ensure equitable access to affordable housing, including for people with a disability who experience homelessness at a far greater rate than the general population. See my housing policies for more info.
• Advocating for reforms to our health system that ensure the system is genuinely accessible and affordable, particularly for people with disability who disproportionately feel the sting of high health costs in our Territory. See my health policies for more info.

Ending discriminatory rules for blood donations

Australia has a near constant blood shortage. Ex-cyclone Alfred saw Lifeblood call out for 6,000 extra people to donate blood in March 2025 alone.

Experts argue that Australia's current blood donation policy is outdated, discriminatory and not fit-for-purpose. While there was a welcome change to Australia’s blood donation rules in 2023, further updates are needed. There is also concern that the Therapeutic Goods Association’s assessment of applications around how to modernise the regulation of blood donation in Australia and bring it into line with international best practice has dragged on for too long. I am calling for this assessment to be finalised as a priority. 

Safety will always come first when donating blood but it is unjustified, discriminatory and hurtful to exclude a HIV-negative gay couple in a monogamous relationship from donating blood. The current policy is stigmatising, not based on science and ultimately means we have less people donating, who really want to give back to the community.

We need to move urgently to individual risk assessments and end decades of discrimination.

See my health policies for more information.