Speak Out to Your MP

Dear [mpname],

I am writing as a concerned member of your electorate, hoping you can pass my thoughts on to our leaders.

I want to express my concern about the fashion industry and its impact on people and the environment.

• Australians spend around $9.7 billion AUD each year on clothing at risk of being made with forced labour.
• In 2024, we sent over 220,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill.

Research by Baptist World Aid shows that, left to their own accord, fashion companies are improving their supply chain ethics at a rate of only around one percentage point per year. This is far too slow given the scale of the problem, and it highlights the need for stronger legislation—especially as some businesses, particularly ultra-fast fashion brands, will only improve their practices when required to by law.

Other countries are legislating stronger protections, and Australia is falling behind. We risk becoming a dumping ground for goods that are made with forced labour and cause environmental harm. We cannot allow Australia to become the fallback market for ultra-fast fashion brands offloading products they can no longer sell in countries with higher standards of due diligence.

For this reason, I urge you to raise standards and ensure a fair and consistent framework, so that all companies operating in Australia are required to meet stronger obligations. I ask that you support and advocate for the following legislative reforms:

1. A ban on the import of goods made with forced, bonded and child labour
2. Making the Seamless Product Stewardship scheme mandatory to reduce textile waste and overproduction.

Thank you for your leadership and for considering these important reforms.

Sincerely,

[first_name]