How to avoid funding slavery at the shops

Ms Forrest’s message to consumers – particularly as they increase their purchasing in post-Christmas sales – is to ask questions about what they buy and think about the people behind the products.

“We vote every single day for the kind of world we want to live in with the way we spend our money,” she says. “Don’t give your morning coffee money to someone who cannot guarantee you they know where that coffee comes from.”

Ms Forrest also says Australians should “value what we buy”, even if it is an inexpensive T-shirt from Kmart.

“A hundred pairs [of hands] on average, touched that shirt. From the growing of the cotton, to the manufacturing of the thread, to putting the piece together … don’t look at it as something you need to replace in two months,” she said. “Buy less, choose well, ask questions.”

Modern slavery includes crimes such as human trafficking, forced labour, servitude and forced marriage. Walk Free estimates about 40 million people were in modern slavery in 2016.

Federal Parliament passed a Modern Slavery Act in late 2018, requiring Australian companies with annual revenue of more than $100 million to report annually on the risk of modern slavery in their supply chains.

This will involve about 3,000 companies, including 7-Eleven and clothing retailer Cotton On. The federal government will also be required to report on its supply chains, with the first set of statements due in the second half of 2020.

In 2017, Mr Forrest told a parliamentary inquiry he had discovered “a number of incidences of slavery in our supply chain” when he had investigated his own company, Fortescue Metals Group.

While Ms Forrest praises the legislation as “the strongest in the world”, she also wants the federal government to increase its response.  In November, she met Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese during a family visit to Canberra, and is calling for the appointment of an independent anti-slavery commissioner like in Britain.

“There is wilful ignorance [on the part of business],” Ms Forrest says. “And I think we need to rip that veil right down. An anti-slavery commissioner will allow for stronger conversations.”

She would also like to see consideration given to lowering the reporting threshold to companies with an annual revenue of $50 million.

Ms Forrest’s active interest in human rights began more than ten years ago, working with children who had been rescued from trafficking in Nepal. “I really believe that everyone should do what they can with what they have and I’ve been given an awful lot,” she said.

“But everyone in Australia’s been given an awful lot. The fact we can drink water out of the tap, the fact that our education was valued equally to our brothers or our dads. I think that we all have a responsibility with the privilege we’ve been given, just being born here.”

Assistant Minister for Customs Jason Wood said modern slavery practices were “heinous crimes” and the government was “working closely with business and civil society to ensure the Modern Slavery Act drives meaningful change in our supply chains”.

He said the government would “lead by example” in publishing its own modern slavery statement and was setting up an expert advisory group on modern slavery in 2020.

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While all of its previous policies are up for review, Labor went to the federal election in support of an independent slavery commissioner who would also assist victims.

Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said more action was needed to stop exploitation and slavery in Australia and pointed to a Senate committee on temporary migration that will start work next year.

“Parents would be shocked to find out the fruit they put in their kid’s lunch box is being picked by people in Australia who are being paid as little as $4 an hour,” she said.