The Business Council of Australia (BCA) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Attorney General’s Department in response to the paper titled Strengthening the Modern Slavery Act. The BCA represents and advocates for its members, comprised of more than 130 of Australia’s largest employers. We are a member-led organisation, and our submissions reflect engagement with those members and the expertise and practical experience they bring.
In line with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), most of our members are now required to report on how they identify modern slavery risks within their operations and supply chains, as well as the actions they are taking to address those risks. While many of our members were actively managing these risks well before 2019, the Act has provided them with a platform on which to require their suppliers to engage with them transparently as to sourcing and supply issues and allows for greater comparability with other entities. Our members remain mindful of the ongoing risks of modern slavery within their operations, customer base and supply chains. They recognise not only its profound human cost but also the clear expectations of customers, employees, and shareholders that
reasonable and practicable steps be taken to mitigate these risks.
The BCA welcomes the Government’s structured and thorough approach to reviewing the Act’s effectiveness in its initial years and considering what steps may be taken to further reduce the risk of modern slavery.
Our submission offers brief observations that extend beyond this paper, and observations in response to the consultation paper and its questions.