Sarah Henderson
LP
Federal
Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety
Elected 2019
7 years
Senator for Victoria (VIC)
Federal - VIC
Sarah was born in Geelong in 1964. Her mother, Ann Henderson, served as a Victorian Liberal state government minister, and her father was a local mayor. Sarah attended The Geelong College, where she was school captain.
From the University of Melbourne, Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). She began her career as a reporter for 7 News Melbourne in 1982. She moved to 9 News Brisbane in 1985, then worked as a reporter and presenter for 10 News Melbourne in 1987, and at ABC-TV from 1989 ...
Portfolios
- Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety
Committees
- Environment and Communications: Legislation
- Environment and Communications: References
- National Anti-Corruption Commission
Key Staff
-
Sophie Collins
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
****@****.gov.au
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First Speech in Parliament
16 October 2019
# Regional Development # Energy Policy # Family Law Reform
Personal Background and Values
- Sarah Henderson expresses pride in her role as a Liberal senator for Victoria, highlighting her previous experience as the member for Corangamite.
- She emphasises her commitment to the Liberal Party and its foundational values of freedom, opportunity, and individual development, referencing historical figures like Sir Robert Menzies and John Howard.
- Henderson acknowledges her family’s influence, particularly her mother’s legacy as a former MP, and expresses deep gratitude towards her supporters and mentors.
Policy Goals and Focus Areas
- Aims to advocate for regional Victoria, addressing specific local issues such as drought management and the need for water infrastructure, including new dams and gas mining to ensure energy security.
- Commits to improving regional transport infrastructure, including fast rail projects, and tackling housing affordability through initiatives like the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme.
- Highlights the need for reforms in family law and support for victims of family violence, underscoring her past role in social services, housing, and disability policy.
Future Agenda and Challenges
- Plans to fight for economic stability through budget surpluses, job growth, and infrastructure investment, while rejecting extreme left agendas that challenge free speech and farmers' rights.
- Emphasises the importance of national security, foreign investment laws, and the need for transparent governance in critical infrastructure.
- Calls for continued reforms in disability services and housing to address pressing social issues.
FAQ
Latest Updates
Media Releases
Anika Wells again fails the competence test
Media Release • 10 July
Media and Communications Emergency Management Telecommunications Emergency Services
AI Summary
- Anika Wells is deemed incompetent for not addressing telecommunications failures and holding Telstra accountable.
- Calls for ACMA to urgently investigate the Telstra outage and report findings within a week.
- Criticism of ongoing ACMA inquiry into the Optus Triple Zero outage, highlighting delays and lack of action from Wells.
- New telco rules announced in April 2025 were delayed, raising questions about Wells' management of telecommunications standards.
- Defective legislation introduced by Wells on various issues shows a lack of commitment to the national interest.
Albanese government must take urgent action on Telstra outage chaos
Media Release • 8 July
Technology Telecommunications
AI Summary
- Coalition urges government to establish mobile network reliability standards after Telstra outage.
- Outage affected payment systems, train networks, and emergency calls to Triple Zero.
- Telstra reported restoration of 90% of its network; however, some calls to emergency services failed.
- Senator Henderson criticises government for lack of urgency and inadequate response measures.
- Calls for a quick ACMA inquiry into the cause of the outage and future prevention strategies.
In Parliament
BUSINESS
Consideration of Legislation
Australian Federal Parliament • Senate • 1 July
Media and Communications
AI Summary
- Proposed an amendment to refer the Online Safety Amendment Bill to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for further inquiry.
- Requested a report on the bill by 25 August 2026 to ensure thorough examination before consideration.
- Emphasised the importance of scrutiny in legislation relating to online safety and social media age restrictions.
BILLS › Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026, Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026
Second Reading
Australian Federal Parliament • Senate • 24 June
Superannuation Income Tax Budget Small Business Economy Property
AI Summary
- Senator Henderson defends coalition senators, specifically addressing comments made about Senator Liddle's absence due to a funeral.
- Accuses the Labor government of breaking election promises and making a dangerous deal with the Greens that imposes harmful taxes on housing and investments.
- Critiques the budget as a betrayal of young Australians and small businesses, claiming it exacerbates intergenerational inequality and undermines trust in government.
Social Media
Posted on Facebook • 22 July 2026
Posted on Facebook • 8 July 2026
Posted on X • 27 February 2026
Technology
Posted on X • 27 February 2026
Defence
Posted on LinkedIn • 31 December 2024
Posted on LinkedIn • 20 August 2024
Education Tertiary Education Immigration and Citizenship