Modern slavery legislation: state of play
New Zealand’s pathway toward modern slavery legislation has been uneven, disrupted by political change. Renewed parliamentary initiative has returned the issue to the national legislative agenda.
New Zealand has lagged behind comparable countries in enacting modern slavery legislation. Such legislation has attracted growing support across sectors, with calls coming from business, government, civil society, academia, faith communities, and migrant advocacy groups alike. While momentum built under the previous Labour government—with attention turning to proposed modern slavery legislation in July 2023 —the government's defeat in the October 2023 election brought this work to a halt before any legislation was introduced. Significant progress resumed in January 2026, when a Modern Slavery Bill co-sponsored by Labour MP Camilla Belich and National MP Greg Fleming introduced a Modern Slavery Bill directly to the House under Standing Order 277.
Current research
Social Entrepreneurship in Pursuit of Modern Slavery Legislation for Aotearoa New Zealand
In recent years, stakeholders across business, government, civil society, academia, faith communities, and migrant advocacy groups have called for modern slavery legislation in Aotearoa New Zealand. The introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill to Parliament in 2026 marks a significant milestone in this policy process and reflects the coordinated efforts of diverse actors working across sectors. Central to this development are the networks that emerged and strengthened over time. In this research, we examine how individual and collective actors exercised leadership within and across these networks, and how their interactions contributed to advancing a social movement for social policy change.
This research is being undertaken in conjunction with the researchers from the Aotearoa Centre for Leadership and Governance and is funded by the Juncture: Dialogues on Inclusive Capitalism Centre at the University of Auckland Business School.
In 2022, CReMS and World Vision jointly organised a webinar titled “What Can New Zealand Learn from Modern Slavery Legislation in Australia, the European Union, and the United Kingdom?”