Religions for Peace Australia welcomes welcomes the appointment of former Senator Chris Evans as Australia’s first Anti-Slavery Commissioner. This is a critical step toward the Government’s promise to strengthen protections against modern slavery.
Former WA Labor senator and minister Chris Evans will lead the Federal Government’s work to eradicate modern slavery and worker exploitation.
Mr Evans worked with Walk Free for 4 years after leaving politics at the 2013 election, leading our strategic engagement and as a director of our faith-based initiative, the Global Freedom Network
An estimated 41,000 people live in modern slavery within Australia, according to Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index.
The country imports over AU$25 billion worth of goods that may be at risk of being produced with forced labour each year.
This alarming figure underlines the pressing need for stronger legislative and enforcement measures.
Modern slavery deprives victims of their dignity, fundamental rights and freedoms. It encompasses a range of exploitative practices including human trafficking and slavery-like practices such as forced marriage, forced labour, deceptive recruiting and debt bondage.
The Anti-Slavery Commissioner will further strengthen the work undertaken across government, business and civil society to prevent and respond to modern slavery by supporting victims and survivors, raising community awareness and helping business address the risk of modern slavery practices in their operations and supply chains.
The establishment of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner delivers on the Albanese Government’s election commitment to establish an independent Commissioner to lead the fight against modern slavery.
The Albanese Government committed $8 million over four years in the 2023-24 Budget to support the Commissioner’s establishment and operation.
The Anti-Slavery Commissioner will play a key role in helping to shape the implementation of future modern slavery reforms, including those arising from the statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).
Biography
Mr Evans has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Freedom Network of Walk Free, working with faith leaders to end human trafficking and modern slavery.
From 2016 to 2020 he also held the role of Strategic Engagement Lead, Walk Free, leading the organisation’s national and international engagement with governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to strengthen legislative and policy responses to modern slavery. Walk Free played a significant role in the campaign for the introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill 2018.
Mr Evans was a Senator for Western Australia between 1993 and 2013. He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate (2007-13), Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007-10), Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (2010-11) and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (2011-13).
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