Australia is at a pivotal moment in strengthening its response to modern slavery. With the Australian Government commencing consultations on reforms to the federal Modern Slavery Act, the decisions made in 2026 will shape the effectiveness of Australia’s anti-slavery framework for years to come.

This position paper responds to, and builds, on two key reform measures under consideration by the Government. It sets out recommendations to strengthen Australia’s modern slavery laws through the introduction of a:

1. mandatory risk-based modern slavery due diligence obligation for reporting entities under the Act
2. mechanism for the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner to declare that a product, service, or industry carries a high risk of modern slavery, and require entities to have regard to declarations in their due diligence and reporting obligations under the Act.

The paper sets out a package of recommendations for the design and operation of these measures. Implementing these reforms would help drive better outcomes for vulnerable workers in Australia and global supply chains, enhance Australian consumer confidence in the goods and services they consume, create a level playing field for responsible business and provide clear direction to business on modern slavery risk management expectations.