Portfolio — 22 August 2026

**Modern slavery supply-chain reforms: public consultation opened**

The Attorney-General launched a public consultation on a new criminal "failure to prevent" offence targeting modern slavery in corporate supply chains, marking the portfolio's first legislative step toward mandatory corporate accountability for forced-labour risks [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776]. The consultation extends the Attorney-General's recent protective agenda — spanning sport integrity and child-safety measures — into the supply-chain domain.

The proposed offence would apply to companies with annual revenue above $100 million and includes a defence for entities that can demonstrate they took reasonable steps to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776]. The consultation also seeks views on alternative enforcement mechanisms, including a deferred prosecution agreement scheme and remedies for victims of modern slavery offences [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776].

The Attorney-General framed the reforms as a consumer-confidence measure, stating: "These reforms will strengthen efforts to address modern slavery in supply chains to ensure Australians are confident the products that they buy are not tainted with modern slavery" [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776]. The policy objective is to address forced-labour risks at their source in global supply chains that contribute to goods imported into Australia [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776].

Submissions are open via the Attorney-General's Department Consultation hub until 25 September 2026.

The portfolio's approach combines criminal liability with flexible enforcement tools, positioning the reforms as a proportionate, risk-based strategy that protects vulnerable workers while giving business a compliance pathway through the reasonable-steps defence. This design signals an intent to deter exploitation without imposing blanket liability on companies that invest in due diligence.

**Continuity and context**

The consultation builds on the Attorney-General's recent integrity-focused legislative agenda. Earlier this week, the portfolio advanced sport-integrity and child-safety measures; today's announcement extends that protective remit to corporate supply chains [TA-260821-attorn-1a57f45ac776]. The reform effort aligns with the government's broader framing of safeguarding Australians from exploitation across multiple domains.