Sue and Lloyd Clarke are the founders of the Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation, established in 2020 in honour of their daughter Hannah Clarke and grandchildren Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey, whose lives were tragically taken in an act of domestic violence.

Since its inception, the Foundation has played a vital role in raising awareness, advocating for change, and supporting victims and survivors of domestic and family violence. To date, it has distributed over $380,000 in community grants to grassroots organisations across Queensland. The Foundation also delivers key initiatives including the HALT (Hannah, Aaliyah, Laianah, Trey) Education program for High Schools and Hannah’s Story.

In recognition of their tireless advocacy and profound impact on the ommunity, Lloyd and Sue were named Queensland Australians of the Year in 2022, and in 2025, they were awarded the Order of Australia for their outstanding service to domestic violence prevention and victim support.

Ged Kearney is the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and the Federal Member for Cooper in the Albanese Labor Government.

She has served in the parliament since March 2018, when she was first elected in a by-election. Ged has previously served as the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, and the Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills.

Before politics, Ged worked as a nurse for two decades until becoming the Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation in the early 2000s. She later became the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) – the peak body of the Australian union movement. At the ACTU she led campaigns for better pay and conditions for workers; including the campaign for 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave.

From nursing to the union movement, to parliament, Ged’s life has centred around caring for others and fighting for progressive politics. She is a strong voice for social justice, workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ protections, support for refugees, and environmental protections inside Labor and the Parliament.

Ged was the second youngest of nine children, born and raised in working-class Melbourne. Ged lived in Cooper for over 25 years, raising her family here. Ged has four children, two stepchildren and six adored grandchildren.

Micaela Cronin commenced as
Australia’s first Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner on 1 November 2022.

Micaela began her career as a social worker in family violence and sexual assault services, and has held leadership roles across the social service sector in Australia and internationally, including President of ACOSS. Micaela was the CEO of an international non-government organisation based in Asia, working to build global service delivery and strategic partnerships to tackle human trafficking and human rights abuses.

In 2014, Micaela was awarded the Robin Clark Leadership award, Victoria’s most prestigious Children’s Protection award, recognising a leader who inspires others in achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Alison is a proud Noongar from Boorloo (Perth), with strong family connections throughout the South West of Western Australia. She is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal empowerment and for improving the lives of all Australians impacted by family, domestic, and sexual violence. Drawing on both personal and professional experiences, she educates communities and champions systemic change.  

Nationally, Alison serves as Co-Chair of the inaugural National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Lived Experience Advisory Council. At the state level, she was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024 and recognised as an Honorary Fellow of the School of Indigenous Knowledges at Murdoch University.

Through her business, Kwobap Consultancy, she leads several significant community safety initiatives, including the development of Australia’s first Aboriginal Family Violence Risk Assessment Tool and Karlup Aboriginal Corporation’s Aboriginal Family Safety Project, which has established an advisory panel with Elders and leaders in the City of Swan - the local government area with the largest Aboriginal population in Western Australia.

Alison is deeply committed to healing and recovery from trauma, believing that without this critical work being acknowledged, understood, and properly resourced, both those experiencing and those using violence remain at risk of repeating harmful cycles and facing poor life outcomes. She shares her own journey in the hope that others can see the possibility of a life free from violence — one that is safe, happy, and fulfilling.

Prof. Kelsey Hegarty, a general practitioner, is the Professor of Family Violence Prevention at the University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital. She leads the Safer Families Centre aiming to transform the health system to address domestic, family and sexual violence.

She is recognised globally as an expert on screening and early intervention in the health care setting, and health system change to promote trauma and violence informed care. She has provided extensive advice to the World Health Organization, including co-chairing the guidelines group for addressing intimate partner and sexual violence in health settings in 2025.

Carolyn Robinson is an Educator and is also the Founder/Managing Director of Beyond DV Ltd, a Brisbane-based charity established in 2017 after her younger daughter was impacted by domestic violence.

Beyond DV is focused on supporting women and children as they rebuild their lives through innovative recovery programs and services centred around their “Five Pillars of Recovery” and delivered from multiple locations across Brisbane.

Carolyn is also the creator of the highly innovative “Love&Learn” Teen Relationship App which helps young people to identify healthy/unhealthy relationships. In 2022, Beyond DV established the first “HOPE Hub” at Westfield Carindale- a highly-secure, accessible space where community members can access support around social issues, with a focus on domestic violence and mental health.

Dr Lata Satyen is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Deakin University and a Registered Psychologist. She is the Co-Convenor of the Deakin Network Against Gendered Violence. Her research focuses on intersectionality in family and domestic violence.

As a pro-bono psychologist, Lata assists victim-survivors of family violence and services involved in victim and child protection. In 2017, she received the Government of Victoria Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs; in 2019, she won an Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award; in 2021, she was awarded the Janet Blackman Prize for her paper addressing gender norms in the Indian migrant community.