About Rachel payne
About me
Rachel Payne is a unique figure in Australian politics. She was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region in 2022 and brings a broad range of life experience to her role.
She grew up in a working-class family in Newcastle, left home at sixteen and supported herself through university to earn a Master of Public Policy. Rachel has first-hand experience with the challenges of having to rely on Government welfare, housing and legal services.
Before entering politics Rachel held executive, management, policy and research roles for organisations such as Eros Association, Family Court Australia and Centrelink.
As a founding member of Legalise Cannabis Victoria, Rachel is a leading advocate for sensible, evidence-based cannabis law reform and is passionate about the many therapeutic, economic and environmental benefits cannabis and hemp can bring to the state of Victoria.
What I’ve done
In Parliament
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Elected to the Victorian Legislative Council as Member for the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region, representing Legalise Cannabis Victoria.
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Led modernisation of industrial hemp regulation, which led to the Inquiry into the industrial hemp industry in Victoria.
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Inquiry into workplace drug testing and advocacy for medicinal cannabis patients.
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Victorian Parliament passed an amendment to the Road Safety Act 1986, giving courts discretion not to cancel medicinal cannabis patients’ licences.
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Introduced vicarious liability legislation addressing historic child sexual abuse.
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Legalise Cannabis Victoria supports historic Treaty legislation.
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Hosted a women’s health forum on pain and medicinal cannabis.
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Contributed to Victoria’s vicarious liability reforms, which passed Parliament.
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Nominated for the McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year award.
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Opposed the Corrections Amendment Bill 2026 (“No Air in Prison”), raising concerns about prolonged restrictions on prisoners’ access to fresh air and advocating for a statutory review of the legislation.
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Advocated for expansion of the Alexis Family Violence Response Model, which embeds specialist family violence workers in police units. An independent RMIT evaluation found it reduces victim risk and can rehabilitate offenders. Rachel is pushing for the program to be rolled out statewide.
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Introduced a Private Member’s Bill for IBAC to prioritise police misconduct.
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Successfully secured an amendment to void historic imprisonment warrants for unpaid infringement fines issued under repealed legislation.
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Successfully moved an amendment to decriminalise begging, passed by the Victorian Government on 10 September 2026, making Victoria the fifth Australian jurisdiction to adopt this reform.
What I’ve done
For our region
- Safer Chelsea crossing – campaigned for safety improvements at the Chelsea crossing
- Safer Stud Road – successfully campaigned for road safety improvements
- Local TAFE – championed a local TAFE for Cardinia Shire
- Protecting Hampton Park – successfully worked with Hampton Park and Lynbrook residents to oppose Veolia’s proposed waste transfer station
- Waste-to-energy accountability – leading the push for an inquiry into waste-to-energy projects in the South-East
- Accessibility and inclusion – providing website accessibility features and translation services to ensure everyone, particularly from CALD backgrounds, can access information
- Stakeholder engagement – worked closely with stakeholders to advocate for local priorities and deliver better outcomes for the community (such as Wellsprings for Women)
Coming up
What’s next
Cannabis Law Reform
- Decriminalise personal use and possession, with a health-led, harm-minimisation approach.
- Re-establish the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Plan to support industry development and patient access.
- Reform drug-driving laws for medicinal cannabis patients, adopting an approach consistent with New South Wales.
- Amend workplace drug-testing policies to recognise the needs and rights of medicinal cannabis patients.
Housing and Homelessness
- Increase access to affordable and social housing.
- Make youth homelessness a priority through early intervention and pathways to safe, secure housing.
Family Violence
- Roll out the Alexis Family Violence Response Model statewide to strengthen responses to family violence and improve support for victim-survivors.
Justice Reform
- Strengthen police oversight and accountability.
- Expand restorative justice initiatives to divert young people from the youth justice system and address the underlying causes of offending.