The Government has introduced the Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 into the House of Representatives to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2018 to establish the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner as an independent statutory office holder.

The Commissioner would provide an independent mechanism for victims and survivors, business and civil society to engage on issues and strategies to address modern slavery and raise awareness of modern slavery in Australia.

The Modern Slavery Act imposes a reporting requirement that requires certain large businesses and other entities in Australia to make annual public reports on their actions to assess and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains.

The Government is currently considering its response to the recent statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act.

Modern slavery encompasses a range of serious exploitative practices, such as trafficking in persons, deceptive recruiting, debt bondage, forced labour and forced marriage.

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