Tuesday, 7 May 2024

Mornington electorate

Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (12:51): (628) My constituency question is for the Premier. On the budget, will the Victorian government voluntarily report on their procurement, operations and supply chains under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018? Under this act entities above a $100 million threshold must annually report on modern slavery in their operations and supply chains, but constitutionally the Victorian government and councils are not obligated to report. The act, though, does allow for voluntary reporting. Victoria is exposed and must tackle slavery within its budgetary systems. That includes when purchasing solar panels involving Uyghur forced labour or investing in train rolling stock with, say, a risk of forced labour in North Korea, or stopping dodgy labour hire contractors in backpacker hostels from enslaving workers in horticulture and undercutting honest farmers on price, or in backing local manufacturing, nail salons and massage parlours where some humans have been treated like animals and local jobs and businesses are lost when they are unfortunately and unfairly forced to compete with slave labour. Within this budget I urge the Victorian government to take the scourge of modern slavery seriously.