New Zealand has moved a step closer to introducing dedicated modern slavery legislation after Parliament gave the Modern Slavery Bill its first reading, marking a significant milestone in efforts to combat forced labour, human trafficking and worker exploitation.
The Member’s Bill, jointly sponsored by National MP Greg Fleming and Labour MP Camilla Belich, seeks to establish a legal framework requiring large organisations to identify, report on and address the risk of modern slavery within their operations and supply chains. The legislation received broad cross-party support during its first reading and has now been referred to a select committee for public submissions.
Under the proposed law, businesses meeting a specified revenue threshold would be required to produce annual reports outlining the steps they are taking to identify, mitigate and remediate incidents of modern slavery. Organisations that fail to meet their reporting obligations could face financial penalties.
The legislation aims to strengthen transparency across supply chains while encouraging businesses to take greater responsibility for ensuring products and services sold in New Zealand are not linked to forced labour, debt bondage, child exploitation or human trafficking.
The Bill aligns New Zealand with similar reporting regimes already operating in countries including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, where large organisations are expected to disclose how they manage modern slavery risks throughout their global operations.
Supporters say the legislation is an important step toward protecting vulnerable workers and improving accountability for businesses operating in increasingly complex international supply chains. Human rights organisations have also welcomed the Bill, describing it as an opportunity for New Zealand to strengthen its response to modern slavery and improve protections for victims of exploitation.
The Bill’s passage through its first reading reflects an uncommon level of bipartisan cooperation in Parliament. While most political parties supported sending the legislation to a select committee for further consideration, ACT opposed the proposal during its introduction.
The select committee process will allow businesses, community organisations, unions, Māori organisations and members of the public to provide feedback before Parliament considers the legislation again.
If enacted, the Modern Slavery Bill would represent New Zealand’s first comprehensive legislative framework specifically designed to improve transparency around modern slavery risks and encourage stronger corporate responsibility in preventing exploitation both domestically and overseas.
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