Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The weighty chains of slavery hunch us all. That is the basis upon which I am an emphatic supporter of measures to stop the challenges of modern slavery. The very foundation of the idea that the individual is sovereign over their own lives and has the freedom to choose their life, their opportunity and their enterprise is fundamental to the values those who sit on this side of the chamber hold dear. Some of us will never give up the pursuit of that noble cause and for it to be achieved for all people. That's why modern slavery must be tackled, and that is what this bill seeks to do. It seeks to do it in a cautious way in the sense that we understand that we cannot always do everything and change every circumstance beyond our borders but that, as a nation, we have a responsibility to be able to do what we can do to snuff out the practice and where it has a connection directly to this country.

What we know is that modern slavery continues to devastate the lives of millions of people around the globe. The most recent global estimate of the extent of modern slavery is that on any given day around 40 million people are victims of modern slavery, and that's through debt bondage, servitude, forced marriage, forced labour and human trafficking. Each one of those suffocates the lives of those people who experience it. It's a sobering human tragedy for so many people being denied fundamental social and economic freedoms to be able to decide their own destinies. These victims are exploited in a range of different industries and sectors, including agriculture and aquaculture, mining, construction, fashion and electronics. The government has one of the strongest responses to combat human trafficking and slavery around the world, delivered under the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2015-19. Since then, Australia has identified and supported more than 375 suspected victims and convicted 21 offenders.

Modern slavery distorts global markets. It undercuts responsible business practices and poses significant legal and reputational risks for companies who may be unwillingly or unintentionally the beneficiaries of its consequences. That's why companies have to be part of tackling this challenge. Voluntary action on these matters should always be encouraged. I know that many businesses across the world take it upon themselves, without those in this parliament telling them, to stand up and do what they can do, through their supply chains, to snuff out modern slavery. And when companies provide supply chain reports and details on the source of their goods and labour and services, and then report it through certification standards, it enables consumers to make informed choices.

It also raises awareness and visibility of the challenges faced from modern slavery. In its consultation paper, the Australian government proposed to provide clear and detailed guidance and awareness-raising materials for the business community. That includes providing companies with reporting templates, best practice examples and information about how best the business community can remedy and report instances of modern slavery identified in their supply chains or their operations.

We're very mindful of what other countries and other governments are doing in this space. It has helped guide us and inform our approach as a government. Along with the United Kingdom, Australia is supporting a range of measures to combat modern slavery internationally through engagement with regional partners. This bill fits as part of that important framework. It's an important part of the framework by having reporting requirements for some businesses large enough to do so. It sends a clear message that this crime is unacceptable in the supply chain of goods and services to the benefit of Australians. It requires annual statements from Australian entities, including corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies, with annual revenue of $100 million or more, foreign entities with the same annual revenue, and the Australian government. The disclosure process will be fully transparent and publicly accessible, and it fits, as I said, as part of our regional role in combatting human trafficking.

The only other remark I want to make is why I think it is a sensible and a pragmatic approach the government is taking not to include a separate commissioner. The reason is we actually have a commissioner whose job it is to stand up for the human rights of Australians and to play a role in terms of our relationship to the world. It's the office of the Australian Human Rights Commission. I'm obviously familiar with that position, having served in it previously. The idea that we need to go off and set up another commission to do the job of an office that already exists, frankly, seems wasteful. It would be a much more efficient use of public resources if we put it within the framework of the Australian Human Rights Commission, an organisation that is already tasked and chartered with these objectives. Frankly, it would enhance the standing and stature of the Human Rights Commission by tackling these issues.

I know that there are people on the other side of this chamber at the moment who are being snarky about those remarks, and they're free to do so. Because, in the end, one of the biggest problems—

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