Motion Tabled – Modern Slavery Preventative Reporting
Notice of Motion Tabled
(but not yet debated)
29 June 2023
Ms Webb to move:-
That the Legislative Council:
(1) Notes the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the Act) which commenced on the 1st of January 2019;
(2) Recognises the Act requires large businesses and other entities in Australia to report annually on how they are addressing modern slavery risks in their domestic and global operations and supply chains, with these reports placed online at the Modern Slavery Statements Register;
(3) Notes that the Act’s objectives include:
(a) increasing business and government awareness of modern slavery risks, and support entities to identify, report and address those risks;
(b) equipping and enabling large businesses to be responsible and transparent in responding to modern slavery risks recognising the potential flow-on market effects, including consumer support and business reputation and competition for investor funding; and
(c) providing a practical mechanism by which to give effect to Australia’s international treaty obligations to prevent and combat human trafficking and slavery and slavery like practices.
(4) Recognises Tasmanian Government Business Enterprises, State Owned Companies, and other entities as defined under the Tasmanian Financial Management Act 2016, and which have a minimum annual consolidated revenue of $100 million, are required to comply with the national Act;
(5) Welcomes the recent practice of Aurora Energy to publish its Modern Slavery policy and Modern Slavery Supplier Code of Conduct on its website;
(6) Requests the Tasmanian government to write to all state GBEs, State owned companies and any other relevant entities as defined under the Tasmanian Financial Management Act 2016, and which meet the specified minimum annual consolidated revenue threshold as defined by the national Act, it is the government’s expectation that all such entities :
(a) Publish on their respective websites all:
(i) Modern Slavery policies and codes of conduct;
(ii) former, current and future compliance reports submitted to the Modern Slavery Statements Register; and
(b) Include an update on the status of Modern Slavery compliance reporting within entities’ respective Annual Reports, commencing with the forthcoming 2022 Annual Reports.
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[When this motion is debated in the Legislative Council, the Hansard transcript will be uploaded – stay tuned!]
Text of Motion as tabled can be viewed/downloaded as s PDF:
