Trade Aid welcomes the Government’s announcement today that reform to modern slavery legislation will be imminent, and hopes that firm action on this commitment to introduce a bill to Parliament will be prioritised to the short-term.
Trade Aid CEO Geoff White says modern slavery legislation is long overdue in New Zealand.
“I am very pleased the government has decided to move forward with the drafting of a Modern Slavery Bill, it has been a long time in the making. Trade Aid first presented a petition to Parliament to stop slavery in 1996, again in 2007 and finally in 2021. In our 50th year of operation this certainly feels like a birthday present,” he says.
Today the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Carmel Sepuloni, announced a modern slavery law, requiring businesses with at least $20 million in annual revenue to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chains. Those who do not meet disclosure requirements can face substantial financial penalties.
“On the whole Kiwis want a fair society. We thank New Zealanders and the business community who have spoken loud and clear in support of this legislation and we welcome the Government taking action,” says Geoff White.
Over the past two years, 100+ businesses have stepped up to call for change, 37,000 Kiwis signed World Vision and Trade Aid’s 2021 petition calling for law reform and 5,600 Kiwis made submissions during the Governments Public Consultation in 2022 .
“In this area Aotearoa New Zealand has been lagging behind international markets. It will increasingly impact New Zealand’s ability to successfully trade if Kiwi businesses do not start having processes in place to address modern slavery in their supply chains. We look forward to meaningful legislation that helps our business community to eliminate the risk of modern slavery in our supply chains,” he says.
To make a real difference reporting is not enough. Trade Aid supports due diligence requirements being a priority of the legislation and wants to see a time frame commitment to legislation formally introduced, which is unlikely to be until 2024.