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How many exposés will it take?

The Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans, says last night's Four Corners investigation lays bare the limits of Australia's approach to labour exploitation in our own supply chains and in the goods we import. And this is not new news.

Australia has been confronted with evidence of serious exploitation of migrant workers for more than a decade, from an earlier Four Corners "Slaving Away" exposé in 2015, to the Fair Work Ombudsman's Harvest Trail Inquiry report (2018), Migrant Worker Taskforce report (2019), and, most recently, the Migrant Justice Institute's Off the Books report (2026).

"We have spent years documenting the exploitation of migrant workers, identifying the drivers of vulnerability and recommending reforms. The challenge is not understanding the problem. The challenge is political will, sustaining coordinated action, and long-term investment," the Commissioner said.

Within Australia, the Commissioner said worker exploitation is driven by a combination of factors, including vulnerabilities associated with temporary migration settings, undocumented work and limited pathways to resolution, inadequate enforcement, patchwork labour hire licencing, and broader attitudes that have too often tolerated the exploitation of migrant workers.

"These are systemic issues. They are not confined to horticulture, and they cannot be explained away as the actions of a few rogue operators. Migrant workers must receive the protections we say apply."

The Commissioner said Australia has made some progress through the efforts of individual agencies and businesses, but the persistence of serious exploitation and, at times, criminal actions mean piecemeal responses are not enough.

"We continue to call for reforms that drive action, and the Government's proposal to introduce a 'failure to prevent' modern slavery offence for large businesses is an important step in that direction."

"Businesses play a key role and requiring them to take reasonable steps to identify and address modern slavery risks should not be controversial. Beyond criminal penalties, we need a cohesive and properly enforced framework that drives meaningful due diligence, promotes transparency and provides a pathway to remedy for victim-workers."

"The real test is not whether we are shocked by each new investigation. It is whether we are prepared to act on what we already know. Otherwise, we will watch Four Corners, express our concern, and move on until the next exposé reminds us of our continuing failure to confront a problem that has been under our nose for years."

On background: The following examples illustrate the extensive body of evidence demonstrating that these issues are well known, well documented and repeatedly examined across Australia:

  • FWO 7-Eleven inquiry (2016)
  • FWO 417 Working Holiday visa inquiry (2016)
  • Inquiry into the Seasonal Worker Programme (2016)
  • Inquiry into the impact of Australia's temporary work visa programs on the Australian labour market and on temporary work visa holders (2016)
  • Victorian inquiry into the labour hire industry and insecure work (Forsyth Inquiry) (2016)
  • An inquiry into human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices (2017)
  • Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia (2017)
  • FWO Harvest Trail Inquiry (2018)
  • Migrant Workers' Taskforce (2019)
  • Inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker Program (2020)
  • Inquiry into Australia's Skilled Migration Program (2021)
  • Inquiry into the unlawful underpayment of employees' remuneration (2022) 
  • Inquiry into Australia's migration system (2023)
  • Rapid review into the exploitation of Australia's visa system (Nixon Review) (2023)