Sarah Henderson is a Liberal Senator for Victoria in the Australian Parliament.
On 17 February 2026, Sarah was appointed Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety and as a member of shadow cabinet by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Angus Taylor MP. Sarah’s priorities include protecting media competition and free speech, equitable access to regional connectivity and a digital safety framework which gets the balance right.
Sarah was born and raised in Geelong in a loving, community-focused family, attending Sacred Heart College and The Geelong College. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University.
After a successful career in broadcast journalism including hosting the Victorian edition of the ABC’s 7.30 Report, Sarah worked as a commercial lawyer with Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks (now Allens) in Melbourne and News Corporation in New York. She then established her own media consultancy before taking on executive roles with Network Ten and National Indigenous TV.
Inspired by her father Michael, a Geelong solicitor, and mother Ann, the member for Geelong between 1992-1999 and a minister in the Kennett Government, Sarah contested the 2010 election before being elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Corangamite in 2013.
After serving two terms, Sarah was appointed to the Senate in 2019 and re-elected in the first position on the Liberal Party’s Senate ticket in 2022. Sarah has been a warrior for regional communities, delivering on behalf of the Coalition many vital investments including major road and rail upgrades, a wide range of community infrastructure and the Geelong City Deal.
Sarah has served in numerous roles including Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, Chair of the House of Representatives Economics Committee, Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee and Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee.
In 2022, Sarah was appointed to shadow cabinet as the Shadow Minister for Communications during which time she fought for the crucial needs of regional communities, particularly improved postal and mobile phone services. Sarah was also a high-profile advocate for higher standards at our public broadcasters.
In February 2023, Sarah was appointed Shadow Minister for Education through to the 2025 federal election. In this role, she led the charge on the critical need to raise education standards, better support teachers and students including Indigenous children in remote communities, fix the national curriculum and improve the standard of teacher training.
As part of her advocacy to put ‘students first’ in the higher education sector, Sarah was a high-profile campaigner against the alarming rise in campus antisemitism as well as the need to cap foreign students and improve the integrity of Australia’s international student sector.
Sarah, the proud mother of a 20-year-old son, continues to call the Geelong region home.
