Australia now has an Anti-Slavery Commissioner

@Futureproof
I would have thought the exact opposite, Fp.

It is not (legal) immigrants who are susceptible to abuse by modern day slavers, but rather those who have no option but to submissively accept the harsh ‘black market employment’ conditions, e.g. visa over stayers and others working here illegally.

Yes another trough.

@Ken M
You are obviously an expert on the subject. Perhaps you can give us the benefit of your knowledge and share the results of the research you have undertaken to show there is no such problem in Australia.

Exactly Ken. Maybe they should get a ‘I stubbed one of my toes ‘ commissioner too

Exactly. I wonder how many world trips he will have to make before making any decisions on something he doesn’t know anything about. Complete waste of time.
money and energy.

@Trevor Willis
“… something he doesn’t know anything about”?
Typical ill-informed comment from someone who definitely doesn’t know anything about it.

Putting aside your jaundiced ideological bias, you obviously can’t read:

“From 2016 to 2020 he (Chris Evans) also held the role of strategic engagement lead with Walk Free, leading the organisation’s national and international engagement with governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to strengthen legislative and policy responses to modern slavery.”

Oh, look, JS has come to have his usual pointless whinge and to defend government waste of 8 million taxpayer dollars, plus ongoing costs, to address a problem we don’t have.

@Ken M
Oh look, Ken M, has come back with his usual baseless pronouncements, and not unexpectedly, without any supportive factual evidence. SOP

Show me evidence that there is a slave trade in Australia. Also show me that any of these things being called ‘modern slavery’ are not already adequately dealt with by other agencies like Border Force and the AFP. The burden of proof here is on the people claiming this is necessary because we have some flourishing slave trade here.

@Ken M
Do you actually know the definition of modern slavery?

You might think that in your jaundiced little world, there is no exploitation of vulnerable people … well when you actually wake up and catch up with the rest of us, you will find that it does actually happen in the real world.

Here’s some links you can check out to educate yourself:
https://cdn.walkfree.org/content/uploads/2023/11/14130723/gsi-country-study-australia.pdf
https://antislavery.org.au/modern-slavery/

So you have no actual evidence of flourishing slavery in Australia that requires its own commission to control. You could have just said so rather than as usual being a tool.

Plenty of evidence if you actually look for it: https://www.aihw.gov.au/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence/types-of-violence/modern-slavery

Obviously you’re not going to find any evidence if you have your eyes shut and your fingers in your ears having a tantrum and trying to pretend that it’s still the 1950s.

@Ken M
I realise that you are not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I did assume you could actually read … my apologies for making such a rash assumption.

The stats are provided on the first page of the report, in the first link I provided, and I quote:
“Modern slavery in Australia … Global Slavery Index 2023 Country Study
…
Prevalence
The 2023 Global Slavery Index estimates that on any given day in 2021, there were 41,000 individuals living in modern slavery in Australia.”

It also details cases reported to AFP. While the figures may understandably be low, it still demonstrates the problem exists. Obviously, you think this is OK and we should just pretend it doesn’t exist – but thankfully, the people who matter, don’t agree with you.

Not suprisingly, you have, yet again, shown your innate inability to even superficially engage on an intellectual level, by not attempting to counter with a cogent argument, and provide factual evidence to refute the figures presented. The best you can offer is a puerile jibe.

LOL
Some activist groups say so isn’t evidence. Show us the huge numbers of court cases for slavers in Australia. Actual evidence, not “Trust me bro!” from vested interests.

I mean, if there are known to be 40 odd thousand slaves in Australia, surely those enslaving them are being charged?

@Ken M
Yes, of course, I should have realised that unless it comes from a sovereign citizen approved source you will denounce it.

If it doesn’t exist, then why does the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions website, under ‘Crimes we prosecute’ have a page devoted to Human Trafficking and Slavery (https://www.cdpp.gov.au/crimes-we-prosecute/human-trafficking-and-slavery)?

Furthermore, this page (https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/world-day-against-trafficking-persons-12-cent-increase-reports-human) on the AFP website advises “In the 2023-24 financial year, the AFP received 382 reports of modern slavery and human trafficking offences, an increase of 12.35 per cent from 340 reports the previous financial year.”
… oh and note the comment from AFP Human Exploitation Commander Helen Schneider re court cases – “Victims may want to be removed from harmful situations but may not wish to proceed with criminal justice measures and we must respect that.”

Mind you, some victims do work with AFP to pursue criminal justice in the courts, as per this example:
https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/melbourne-couple-face-court-modern-day-slavery-charges

So, unless you have more than your pathetically inadequate “It’s cr*p”, and can provide a cogent argument, with actual supporting evidence, to refute the existence of modern day slavery in Australia, I’m done with you and your prejudice.

Through his regular posts Ken M. has revealed himself as a rather outspoken opponent of anything remotely looking like compassion and I am not surprised that he has sunk his teeth into this debate, relishing portraying himself loftier and more worldly than those he disagrees with. The snarling contempt and hostility he shows towards those less fortunate than himself, pretending it is a figment of our imaginations that they exist and if they do, they are somehow trying to steal from him.

Ken M appears to be a rather cocooned and indulged individual, probably high up in the Young Liberal movement and still living at home with mum and dad. Oblivious, or simply not caring or inquisitive enough to inform himself of the suffering endured by those in our society who are exploited or doing it tough, those he most scorns.

This includes slaves who exist in our communities throughout Australia and around the world. Mostly foreigners brought into countries illegally, living in the most horrid, violent and abominable conditions with their passports stolen by their captors and movements heavily controlled.

Many are very young, sold to ruthless criminals who exploit them in industries including the sex trade, farms and embassies including here in Canberra!

So, you can provide no actual evidence of some flourisinng slave trade of a volume that requires its whole own commission to deal with, and also proved that the AFP are already dealing with the tiny number of reports they already get

Thanks for priving me right, champ. 🤣

Oh look out, I’ve also drawn the ire of the ACT Labor social media account. LOL

@Ken M
Your original comment: “Sounds like a multi million dollar solution to a problem we don’t have.”
In response to that comment, I challenged you to prove that there is no problem (i.e. modern slavery) in Australia. Other than mindless blithering, in the face of the evidence I produced to show it does exist, you could offer nothing to support your ludicrous assertion. As I said – you posses an innate incapacity for presenting anything remotely resembling a cogent argument.

Far from proving me you right, you, yourself, have just shot yourself in the foot and proven yourself to be a purveyor of falsehoods, by admitting the AFP are dealing with the reports they receive.

Yet another QED against you.

And your delusion continues. You have just shown there is no need for wasting 8 million dollars and probably substantially more ongoing cost to deal with something the AFP already deal with. The fact you can’t comprehend that a few fringe cases does not make for a problem that requires its own commission to deal with is a you problem. You’ll jump on any virtue signalling and call it necessary.

@Ken M
It’s bad enough when you fabricate disinformation to try to support your jaundiced sov cit ideology, but it’s truly pathetic, and indicative of your desperation, when you try to fabricate arguments I did not present.

Where did I say anything whatsoever about the creation of the commission? The issue I have, is with your moronic position that we do not have a problem with modern slavery.

First you denied it existed. I showed you that you were wrong.

Then you denied there was actual evidence. I proved you were wrong.

Now you have admitted it exists, but it is being handled by AFP … despite the fact that the instances reported have continued to increase over the last decade. Those who actually know what they are talking about suggest that for every case reported to AFP there are at least 3 cases that go unreported. And others, which you don’t accept because it’s not on the approved sov cit reading list, suggest there could be as many as 41,000 cases in Australia.

Perhaps there isn’t a need for a special commissioner. Perhaps the problem could have been left with AFP and the funds directed to additional resourcing of their Human Exploitation section.

One way or another, the problem exists and can only be eradicated with further resources made available, to provide information and support to victims caught in this horrible web of evil, and fund the pursuit of the perpetrators.

You can keep throwing your tanty and stamping your feet all you like, little fella. The fact renains that you can’t prove this is an issue that needs tens of millions of extra dollars spent on it, when the AFP are already handling the tiny number of cases under their current budget.

@Ken M
Yeah I can see why you find vociferous but sound arguments, which put you back in your box, are tantys. Nevertheless, I didn’t set out to prove anything, other than the issue actually exists – a fact you have finally come to accept.

Anyway, why do I need to justify something for which, your and my government has already decided, a justification exists and provided the requisite funding? You disagree?Too bad … cry me a river.

Oh and “tens of millions of extra dollars”? It’s $8m over 4 years, Pinocchio.

LOL
Again, you are delusional. Your entire argument is backed by “we estimate there are” and “we get 300 reports a year”. Yeah cool story. They probably get twice as many reports of Elvis sightings. If that’s what you call a “robust argument”, that’s just sad.

Continuing to stamp your feet like a giant toddler is entertaining though. You know you proved my point for me and it’s hilarious.

@Ken M
Well – I guess the factual figures being put forward, were sufficient that your government has allocated $8m over the next 4 years, to the new commission to fight this curse.

The problem exists – the money exists – the commission exists. No foot stamping – I’m just stamping “The End” on your fiction, pinocchio.

The ALP setting up another trough for their mates to drain public funds doesn’t need, or have, factual figures. Estimates and guesses aren’t facts.

But it is a virtue signalling effort, so you being on board with it is entirely unsurprising.

So, to summarise – from 2016-2020 he did something pointless too. Cool story – you should tell it again.

Even if your last sentence was true, which it isn’t, how would a commissioner help exactly? Isn’t that what all the law enforcement bodies we already have are for?
Another one who loves to rant and play empath, but doesn’t survive contact with logic.

@Ken M
Absolutely I am onboard with this initiative … the fact that, despite it annoying the cr*p out of you, your taxes are contributing to the initiative, just makes it that much more satisfying.

Thank you for your contribution to this worthwhile cause.

It has always been hard to get facts on hidden crimes and most criminals are not stupid enough to commit their crimes openly. It is well-known that getting a criminal conviction is rare for this reason, given the standards of proof required. There are rarely witnesses willing to come forward, given the risk to them of doing so. As a result, crimes committed are much higher than either the arrest rate or the conviction rate. Those are the facts, so your citing low levels of conviction for slavery is irrelevant and completely meaningless.

That’s ok JS. I’ll just negatively gear a few more properties to make up for it. I might even claim an age pension you can help fund. 🤣

@Ken M
You do realise the age pension is asset tested don’t you? I don’t even have any investment properties, to give me white collar govt welfare, and I can’t get an age pension.

Nevertheless, good luck if you can legally combine, drawing your annual ATO white collar welfare, with drawing Centrelink social welfare.