In December 2017 the Committee for the Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia tabled in Parliament its Final Report, Hidden in Plain Sight.
The Report recommended that the proposed Modern Slavery Act include provisions for mandatory supply chain reporting requirements. This would require entities that earn over A$50 million to report on modern slavery risks in their supply chains. The mandatory reporting requirements will apply to companies, businesses and organisations (including religious bodies).
The Committee also reaffirmed its Interim Report recommendation to require Board (or equivalent level) approval of modern slavery statements and that the statements be signed by a director. These mandatory reporting requirements are broadly similar to the approach taken by the UK Modern Slavery Act.
The Final Report also recommended the inclusion of provisions to establish an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and the introduction of measures to address labour exploitation, including establishing a labour hire licensing scheme and making changes to Australia’s visa framework. Changes to the visa framework would include a review of Australia’s visa framework for migrants to replace or eliminate "tied" visa conditions, such as employer sponsorship and sign-off requirements.
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, has made a commitment to introduce legislation to combat modern slavery. Employers should ensure that they have a thorough understanding of all parts of their supply chains in order to be conscious of potential liability for breaches of the proposed Act.