The Australian Government has finally passed the Modern Slavery Act legislation.

Australian companies will now be prevented from profiting from modern slavery. This landmark legislation has been made in reaction to a series of scandals in the last few years, revealing forced labour in the supply chains of some of Australia’s biggest brands.

These include: Burmese migrants chained to Thai fishing boats supplying our seafood, Australian surfwear made in North Korean sweatshops. Even here in Australia, people working on farms and construction sites in slave-like conditions.

The new law will shine a spotlight on these appalling practices. Australian companies will be required to open up their books and report annually what they are doing to stop slavery in their supply chains.

These laws have been advocated for in the media, before parliamentary committees and in meetings with politicians from all political parties. However, this is just the the first step towards accountability. More can be done to ensure that companies comply.