Proclaim the NSW Modern Slavery Act 2018 Now
Petitioner:
Dr Keri Spooner
| Member:
O'Neill, Marjorie
| No. of Signatories:
10,945
| Date closed:
03/11/2020
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, this Petition of concerned citizens of New South Wales brings to the attention of the House the strong community desire to have the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the Act) proclaimed. The undersigned petitioners think that it is completely unacceptable that this act was passed through both Houses of New South Wales Parliament well over two years before this petition was created, and still has not been brought into law.
The Act was passed by the Parliament on 21st June 2018. The Premier stated in her speech on the bill that: “There is an undeniable moral imperative to take action in relation to all forms of modern slavery.” We note that having passed the Parliament the legislation was forwarded to the Governor to receive Royal Assent, which it did on 27th June 2018.
The Government has since failed to have the Act proclaimed into law, leaving the most vulnerable workers in our communities unprotected by NSW law. This inaction has subverted the will of the Parliament and caused citizens to question the integrity of the state’s parliamentary procedures and practices. The Act can only be brought into force by the proclamation of the Minister responsible, which in this case is the NSW Premier.
We the undersigned petitioners, ask the Legislative Assembly call on the New South Wales Government and on the Premier, to take immediate steps to proclaim the state’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the Act).
