Source: Radio New Zealand
The bill was championed by between National’s Greg Fleming and Labour’s Camilla Belich. Samuel Rillstone / RNZ
A bill tackling modern slavery has passed its first reading with bipartisan support, marking a first for Parliament.
The bill uses a new rule introduced in the 2020 term, Standing Order 288, which allows a member’s bill to be progressed so long as it has support from a majority of MPs who are not in the executive – that is, Ministers, Associate Ministers and undersecretaries.
The bill requires companies earning more than $100 million to carry out due diligence into slavery in their supply chains and operations.
It has been championed in a joint effort between National’s Greg Fleming and Labour’s Camilla Belich.
The bill passed with the support of all parties other than ACT, which argues modern slavery in New Zealand is already outlawed, and the bill will push up costs for businesses.
Belich said the public and businesses in support of the bill, ACT was welcome to get on board.
“It’s the right thing to do. I say to New Zealanders … when parties tell you who they are, believe them.
“It is up to them to explain themselves to New Zealand if they decide to do that but again the invitation to join us in this bill is still there.”
Fleming said it was an historic day, and the truth was that without the prime minister Christopher Luxon’s support and urging on the issue, “we wouldn’t be here today”.
Luxon in 2022 told RNZ modern slavery was the issue he would march in the streets for.
“I knew that this was a passion of his, and for political reasons that have been well canvassed now we weren’t able to bring this forward as a government bill, and so the opportunity to bring it through the track that we have … is something that he has been 100 percent behind,” Fleming said.
Fleming previously acknowledged the ACT Party had been blocking the bill from going through Cabinet.
ACT MP Laura McClure said modern slavery was a “moral abomination” that had no place in New Zealand or around the world, “but that is not the question before us today”.
She said the ACT Party was not consulted on the bill, and while it had good intentions it was “not actually good policy”.
The Bill next goes to the Education and Workforce select committee.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
