An ACT Legislative Assembly member has backed a federal push to introduce legislation to combat modern slavery similar to Britain's new laws.
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Liberal MLA and deputy speaker Vicki Dunne made a submission to a parliamentary inquiry on creating anti-slavery legislation, which began public hearings on Tuesday.
![Liberal MLA Vicki Dunne made three recommendations in her submission to the federal modern slavery inquiry. Photo: Rohan Thomson Liberal MLA Vicki Dunne made three recommendations in her submission to the federal modern slavery inquiry. Photo: Rohan Thomson](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/dc2fdab4-9a5b-4242-b3bd-58461df5ca8b/r0_0_2000_1330_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Her submission was one of 90 published on the inquiry's website, which included contributions from charities, law associations and multinational companies.
Ms Dunne was part of the Liberal Women's Council which successfully moved that the federal party push for modern slavery legislation in 2014.
Her recommendations to the committee included:
- the introduction of a modern slavery bill with penalties for having sex with a trafficked person and indemnities for trafficked people who were forced to commit crimes;
- a provision for compensation to victims of trafficking and other forms of assistance outlined in the United Nations' 2000 Palermo protocol;
- the creation of an independent anti-slavery commissioner, based on the position outlined in Britain's Modern Slavery Act.
The submission said trafficked women and girls coerced into the sex industry would in theory be covered by sexual assault legislation, but that it was often difficult to obtain evidence they were not consenting.
"This is largely due to the fact that whatever coercion is used to force victims to work in brothels – normally threats of violence against the person or relatives in a home country – usually also prevents them from giving direct or spontaneous evidence of lack of consent," Ms Dunne wrote.
She said an agency similar to the commission introduced to Britain in 2015 "would be essential" to push for stronger action on slavery, as well as providing for better co-operation between state, federal and international jurisdictions.
Britain's independent anti-slavery commissioner, Kevin Hyland, appeared before the committee on Tuesday at Parliament House to explain his work and its effects in Britain.
The commissioner's first annual report, for the 2015-16 financial year, showed 3359 potential victims were referred to police and 500 arrests related to human trafficking and exploitation crimes were made.
The Global Slavery Index estimated about 4300 people lived in modern slavery in Australia in 2016.
The United Nations Association of Australia submission to the inquiry said of the country's 61 trafficking investigations and four prosecutions in 2015-16, there were no convictions.
The figures, the association said, placed Australia well behind the United States (78 per cent), Britain (65 per cent), and even Canada (0.02 per cent).
It called for the government to extend the eligibility time for a longer stay visa to victims who could be unwilling to testify.
"Allowing traumatised victims to remain in Australia for a longer period of time may in fact encourage them to eventually testify against their trafficker," the association said.
"This is because they will have time to recover from the symptoms of trauma and, especially where granted permanent residency, have the security needed to feel safe in testifying."