Portfolio — 21 August 2026

Senator Chisholm presented six government responses to committee reports in the Senate, covering lobbying reform, sexual violence justice responses, higher education safety, and cyclone insurance resilience. The responses span transparency, victim-survivor support, and regulatory reform, with recurring cross-portfolio coordination with the Attorney-General's Department.

**Lobbying and Whistleblower Reform**

The government welcomed the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee's lobbying recommendations, including an independent review of the Lobbying Code of Conduct and restoration of unescorted day passes [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088]. Senator Chisholm recommended extending the code to cover all parliamentarians, legislating it with penalties, and appointing a resourced independent regulator [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088].

He noted the Prime Minister had written to the Presiding Officers urging transparency around sponsored passes, and described the revised Private Area Access Policy as "the most significant reform of its kind in 35 years" [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088]. The Attorney-General's Department is working with the Department of Parliamentary Services to improve awareness of lobbying code obligations among pass holders.

Senator Chisholm also outlined whistleblower protections reform, including staged changes to the Public Interest Disclosure Act and an exposure draft Bill from September 2025 proposing a Whistleblower Ombudsman.

**Sexual Violence Justice Responses**

The government announced $21.4 million over three years to improve victim-survivors' access to justice, alongside ongoing research funding including the ABS Personal Safety Survey and the first National LGBTIQA+ Sexual Violence Survey [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088]. A $19.6 million national expansion of the trauma-informed sexual-assault legal services pilot will extend to all eight states and territories between November 2025 and May 2026 [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088].

The government committed $4.1 million over four years for police training on family, domestic and sexual violence, covering coercive control and culturally safe policing [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088]. The Attorney-General has directed the ALRC to consider the committee's recommendations, including model jury directions, as part of its inquiry into justice responses to sexual assault.

The government agreed in principle to fund the Consent and Respectful Relationships Education initiative at $77.6 million over five years, guided by a working group including state and territory governments and education bodies [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088].

**Higher Education Safety and Cyclone Insurance**

Senator Chisholm announced $19.4 million over two years for the National Student Ombudsman and $18.7 million over four years for the National Code on gender-based violence in higher education, effective 1 January 2026 for Table A and B providers with a new regulator overseeing compliance [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088]. He also confirmed the government's response to the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool report, including a review of the Terrorism and Cyclone Insurance Act 2003, continuation of the Disaster Ready Fund at $1 billion over five years, and establishment of the Hazards Insurance Partnership and the Insurance Affordability and Natural Hazard Risk Reduction Taskforce [TA-260820-senate-8b19557df891:s088].

**Cross-Portfolio Connections**

The Attorney-General's Department appears across lobbying code awareness, judicial training, ALRC inquiry directions, and police training coordination. The Education portfolio features through the respectful relationships education initiative and the Education Ministers Meeting. These references signal a coordinated approach spanning transparency, justice, and education portfolios.