Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about an issue of great importance: sex slavery and the trafficking of people within Australia. The High Court today is set to deliver a landmark judgement that will tell us a lot about the future of sex slavery cases in Australia. This case relates to the first successful prosecution of sex slave traders under federal prosecution laws. As we await this verdict, we need to continually focus on the adequacy of the law in protecting vulnerable people in our society, especially the victims of this despicable trade.

Recently I was visited by local church groups to highlight and raise this important matter with me and to speak for those in our society who have no voice. Starfish Ministries at St Paul’s Castle Hill is comprised of wonderful Christian people, who formed Starfish Ministries to reach out to those women and children who are trapped in the sex slave trade here and overseas. Later this year I will be speaking with members of our community who are participating in a walk against slavery and supporters of this growing ministry within my electorate. We are going to be speaking about what we can do to effect change in this vital area and see what kind of policy improvements we can make on this important matter.

I was also approached by the Baulkham Hills Baptist Church, which has highlighted this as part of the important work that the Catalyst group is doing in raising this concern. I will be working with these groups to seek greater recognition and, importantly, better designed government policy on this issue—looking after those people who need it the most. I want to praise them for the work they are doing and for taking up a cause that is not popular or current in our society but which speaks out to help the victims of this despicable trade.

I want to congratulate the decision makers of the previous Australian government for their action plan to eradicate trafficking. I think it is important that action was taken. In 2004, the Australian government’s action plan to eradicate trafficking in human persons comprised many positive measures, including the appointment of an Australian Federal Police task force on trafficking, participation in the regional Bali process which combated trafficking, and revision of the protection measures for victims. While this was a positive move forward, there are some inadequacies now.

One of the immediate and major concerns that I find is the treatment of potential victims and victims of traffickers once they have been identified. We need a new class of visa to protect these very vulnerable people. It ought not to be the case that we look at them as being useful just as witnesses against people who have committed these horrendous acts; we should treat these victims with the care, compassion and support they deserve in the circumstances they have been put in through no fault of their own. I find it very compelling, and I strongly recommend that, in this place, we look at measures to identify new classes of visas once a person who has been a victim of trafficking has been identified.

I think Australia does have a regional leadership role to play in this area. If you look at the statistics of forced labour by region, the Asia and Pacific region has 79 per cent of the forced labour or slavery problems in the world. We do know that between about 13 million and 27 million people in the world today are trapped in slavery. The International Labour Organisation says that a conservative estimate is about 12.3 million, and other NGOs tell us that it could be up to 27 million. Indeed, it is estimated that in Australia today there are 100 people in such circumstances at any given time, although estimates vary—it could be up to 1,000, according to many organisations that I speak to. I take the view as do, I am sure, other members in this place, that it is unacceptable for even one person to be in this situation at any time. It is absolutely and utterly unacceptable.

I want to praise Starfish Ministries and St Paul’s Castle Hill and the members of my electorate who are working so hard on this issue. I am looking forward to speaking with them in coming weeks and to working in this place to see that we have better-designed legislation that will look after the victims, who deserve the most care and compassion that we can give them.