Source: Radio New Zealand
National and Labour are joining forces to get modern slavery legislation into Parliament, using a new process to skip the biscuit tin for the first time.
The MPs backing it say the process was needed because the ACT Party and its Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden refused support.
National’s Greg Fleming and Labour’s Camilla Belich have agreed to co-sponsor the bill.
The bill strengthens reporting to Parliament, brings in public naming and potential liability for directors and senior managers, along with fines up to $200,000 for companies that failed to report on modern slavery, or which made false or misleading statements.
“Large companies will have to report on modern slavery that they find in their supply chain, that they have to report that to a registrar that keeps those reports – it provides for ministerial oversight and it also provides greater support and focus for victims,” Belich said.
This would apply to all companies operating in New Zealand making more than $100 million a year. It would also introduce civil penalties of up to $600,000, give the Human Rights Commission a formal role and create a public register of reports.
A capacity for future reviews would include the potential for establishment of an anti-slavery commissioner.
Camilla Belich (Labour) and Greg Fleming (National). Samuel Rillstone / RNZ
The move marks the first time Parliament has used a new rule allowing a bipartisan majority to have a member’s bill progress without being pulled from the ‘biscuit tin’ ballot.
In a statement, Fleming said the issue of modern slavery was close to his heart and he had been working on the legislation since coming to Parliament.
“It’s time that New Zealand has a coordinated framework to deal with modern slavery, and this bill does just that,” he said.
Belich said the legislation would also bring New Zealand into line with partners like the United Kingdom and European Union.
“Workers in New Zealand and around the world should never face the horrors of modern slavery. It’s time New Zealand stood with other countries and acted,” she said.
“When we signed free trade agreements with these partners, we said we would act on modern slavery, and through this joint Bill we are keeping that promise. I’m proud that both sides of the House have come together to stand against exploitation, and grateful to the advocates, organisations and businesses who have pushed for this change.”
Parliament’s internal rules – called standing orders – were updated as part of a 2020 review with a new process enabling the automatic introduction of a member’s bill if it gets formal expressions of support from at least 61 non-executive MPs – those who are not ministers or Parliamentary under-secretaries.
The bill was lodged Thursday morning, and with that rule – standing order 288 – invoked, it will be introduced to Parliament on the next sitting day, 10 February.
The MPs said with “member’s days” every second sitting Wednesday, they hoped to have the bill passed before the election on 7 November.
They said there would be no transition time, so companies would need to get up to speed on reporting requirements before the law received royal assent.
Brooke van Velden. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
ACT minister refused to support in Cabinet
Van Velden had previously said modern slavery legislation was not a priority for her, and the government in May 2024 disbanded a leadership group that had been set up to provide advice on developing such a law.
“Not a priority for her, certainly a priority for National,” Fleming said. “For the legislation to get through Cabinet it obviously needed the full support of Cabinet, and ACT weren’t supportive of it, which is why Camilla and I have worked through this route.”
He said it would be for ACT to explain the party’s opposition to the bill, but it had something to do with business regulation.
Asked how it felt to have a workplace relations minister that did not support modern slavery laws, Fleming said ACT might see the merit in the law before it passed.
“That’s how coalitions work,” he said. “I mean, I understand their critique of it – I don’t agree with it. I’m in full support of this legislation.”
Belich said ACT had already shown a “complete disregard for workers’ rights”.
“From Labour’s perspective, it’s not surprising to see they’ve failed to stand up for workers not only in New Zealand but that are being exploited worldwide. That’s the reality – we found a way to move past the fact that particular political party is not willing to take steps to stop modern slavery.”
Fleming said there were “different views” on it and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was particularly supportive.
Luxon in 2022 – the year after being installed as National leader – told RNZ’s Guyon Espiner the topic was what he would have marched in the streets for.
His daughter had visited children in the Philippines who had been rescued from trafficking, and he had joined Tearfund, a charity which tackled the problem.
In a statement, van Velden said she would consider the bill and indicated it was a matter of priorities.
“At the start of my term as minister for workplace relations and safety, I made it clear what my priorities are, and I’ve worked for the past two years to progress those,” she said.
“They are reforms to the Holidays Act, health and safety, and an Employment Relations Amendment Bill. All three will progress through the House this year. I will look to consider this bill put forward by other parliamentarians as a caucus member of the ACT Party.”
An ACT party spokesperson said the party had not formed a view on the bill “because it has not been introduced to Parliament”.
“While slavery is already illegal, we understand the bill introduces a reporting regime for New Zealand businesses. We will review the practicality of this regime and then come to a position.”
World Vision backs legislation
In a statement, children’s charity World Vision’s head of advocacy and justice Rebekah Armstrong described it as a “momentous” move on “something that really matters”.
“Kiwis don’t want to be complicit in exploitation. This new law will require companies to take responsibility and gives New Zealanders confidence that the goods they are buying are slavery-free,” Armstrong said.
“Investors and businesses accounting for more than $215 billion in funds have also joined calls for the introduction of modern slavery legislation, while a poll in 2023 found that 80 percent of New Zealanders wanted such legislation.
“It’s reassuring to see that the issue of modern slavery isn’t going to stagnate for another election cycle and that Parliament will work to address an issue of such immense importance.”
Thousands enslaved
One tracker estimated 8000 people in New Zealand were living in modern slavery, comparatively low compared to other countries – placing it 148th out of 160 states for slavery prevalence.
Police in August last year said they had 31 ongoing investigations into the matter.
World Vision found in 2019 that 5 percent of New Zealand’s total imports were shown to be linked to child labour or forced labour.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand