A federal anti-slavery commissioner role has been established by the Albanese government, following the passage of legislation in parliament.
The Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 was passed last week, which will see the appointment of an independent commissioner to lead the fight against modern slavery.
The commissioner will strengthen the work already undertaken to prevent and respond to modern slavery, support victims and survivors, raise community awareness, and help businesses address their risk of modern slavery practices in their operations and supply chains.
They will also play a key role in helping to shape the implementation of future modern slavery reforms, including those arising from the statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018.
Commenting on the role, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said, “Modern slavery encompasses a range of serious exploitative practices, such as trafficking in persons, deceptive recruiting, debt bondage, forced labour and forced marriage.
“This commitment aids the Albanese Government’s ambitious agenda to address the insidious scourge of human trafficking and modern slavery.“
President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Michele O’Neil, said she welcomed the new commissioner but the laws should go further.
“The establishment of an anti-slavery commissioner is a welcome move but more needs to be done. More than three years into the operation of the Modern Slavery Act, it’s clear that the Australian law is not strong enough to deliver real improvements for workers in situations of modern slavery in the operations and supply chains of Australian companies,” she said.
“We call on the government to respond to the review of the Act and strengthen the role and powers of the anti-slavery commissioner, to ensure that companies are taking action to tackle modern slavery and that every worker’s rights are protected.”
Professor Justine Nolan, Director, Australian Human Rights Institute added, “Australia is now at a critical juncture in its path to tackling modern slavery. A well-resourced anti-slavery commissioner will need to be a key part of the government’s future strategy if we are to show the world we are serious about helping end this scourge.”
The government committed $8 million over four years in the 2023-24 budget to support the commissioner’s establishment and operation, and says it will shortly begin the search through a “transparent and merit-based selection process.“
The Global Slavery Index estimates that 41,000 people in Australia and almost 50 million people globally currently live and work in situations of modern slavery.
