Page 514 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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legislation is a better approach than the MOU and I welcome the fact that that is what is being progressed here.
We are supportive of introducing a more formal and clear process, and that is what is being looked at in the secure local jobs package. It will look at measures to ensure the government only awards contracts to businesses that meet high ethical and labour standards. I think that is an admirable goal, as I flagged earlier. I think it is very interesting to explore what we mean when we say “high ethical standards” and there are some examples that I will speak to. I know Ms Le Couteur is going to add some others.
There are labour conditions that are encompassing things like international workers standards. We believe these are standards that ACT residents should be able to have applied to them, just as they are applied to workers across the country and, indeed, overseas. We are keen to see us look at people’s work standards across the various jobs that the ACT supports through work employment but also across our procurement. Workers standards are one area that we think could be encompassed here.
Fair trade is another. Looking internationally, the fair trade certification brand and movement are based on the belief that current world trade practices promote the unequal distribution of wealth between nations and that buying products from producers in developing countries at a fair price is a more efficient way of promoting sustainable development than traditional charity and aid. I think that is something we can be looking at in the secure local jobs package.
We also have a package that looks at ethical procurement and actually seeks to ensure that we are, in using ACT taxpayers’ money, doing it in a way that is commensurate with the expectations of our community when it comes to ethical procurement. These are some areas.
There are also issues of modern slavery. Australia has a clear commitment under section 8.7 of the UN sustainable development goals to eradicate modern slavery in this generation. And what the UNSDG’s actions actually require is:
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
I would think most members here today would agree that modern slavery is a crime against humanity. We also undoubtedly acknowledge that supply chains are complex, but I also think it is easy to look at this and say that this is not an issue for the ACT. Of course, members will have seen recent press here in the territory around issues of modern slavery and I think we must not be complacent about the thought that these things do not happen in our jurisdiction. I think it is quite appropriate that we consider these sorts of matters when we are looking at these issues as well.
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