Portfolio — 19 May 2026

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland used a PM media release on 19 May to mark Australia reaching first place on the global Out of the Shadows Index for preventing and responding to sexual violence against children — up from seventh in 2022 [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51]. The government attributes the ranking to delivery of the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030 and its First Action Plan, including reforms to Working with Children Check schemes under the National Reform Agreement, which introduced cross-jurisdictional recognition of check bans [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51].

The 2026–27 Budget adds $13.5 million to support the Strategy's First Action Plans, building on $328.7 million already committed to child safety and victim support [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51]. Two program-level developments reinforce the announcement: the April launch of Stop it Now! Australia — the country's first national offender prevention service — and the start of the second phase of the 'One Talk at a Time' campaign to promote community conversations about child sexual abuse [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51].

Looking ahead, the Attorney-General's Department will consult state and territory governments, NGOs and the community over coming weeks to develop the Second Action Plan under the National Strategy, alongside related national frameworks [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51]. The portfolio's operating posture is one of coordinated federalism: the cross-jurisdictional Working with Children Check reforms and the multi-government consultation process for the Second Action Plan both signal that the government sees national consistency, not Commonwealth-only action, as the primary lever [TA-260519-attorn-04b2081b7c51].

No parliamentary stream is present for this date, so the Note reflects the comms record only.