Financial Counselling Australia is putting its support, loud and clear, behind the ACOSS-led campaign calling on the Government to stop demonizing people on welfare and reverse planned cuts to social security benefits. FCA is one of the many community organisations that yesterday signed a joint statement calling out the inhumanity behind nine proposed welfare cuts. [...]
The following is a press release from the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundry MP. A leading academic and an expert lawyer have been appointed to examine compliance and enforcement issues in Australia’s construction sector to help ensure the ongoing safety of the nation’s buildings. The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) today announced that Professor [...]
Financial Counselling Australia welcomes amendments to the Interactive Gambling Bill that passed through Parliament today. “The online wagering companies will no longer be able to give people credit to gamble online. This was getting people into so much trouble” said Lauren Levin, Director Campaigns and Policy, FCA. “We’re so relieved to see the end of [...]
Consumers' Federation of Australia welcomes the following statement of priorities from WA Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard. The original statement can be found here. We're in a new financial year and Consumer Protection has considered previous complaint trends and emerging issues to help decide priorities for the 12 months ahead. It's not always [...]
It has been eighteen months since the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) warned the Federal Government that so-called "debt management" firms are engaging in misleading and predatory conduct. The Consumer Action Law Centre wrote to the Federal Government shortly afterwards, calling for better regulation in the sector, but have yet to receive a response. [...]
A new survey, commissioned by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has revealed that 12 per cent of respondents experienced unexpected third party charges on their mobile phone bills in the last six months. “Applied to the mobile customer base of Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, this 12 per cent equates to almost 1.9m people [...]
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has begun civil proceedings against Origo & Co Pty Ltd (ACN: 140 019 656) - previously Daiso (Australia) Pty Ltd - in the Federal Court of Australia, for alleged contraventions of product safety provisions and other protections under the Australian Consumer Law. CAV will allege that between 2011 and 2016, the [...]
A new safety standard for decorative alcohol-fuelled devices, also known as ethanol burners, will ensure consumers’ safety, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack says. “I'm worried about the harm these products can cause consumers, which is why I've made a safety standard which particularly targets table-top devices which pose the greatest risk,” Mr McCormack said. Mr [...]
Media release from Energy Consumers Australia, July 6 2017: Energy Consumers Australia today published the results of its third national survey of the attitudes and activity of household and small business energy consumers. Energy Consumers Australia CEO Rosemary Sinclair said the survey of 2,300 consumers, undertaken between 30 March and 6 April 2017, was consistent [...]
CHOICE finds 62% of Australians faced issues with their internet in the past six months, with Telstra ranked last for value for money CHOICE’s internet satisfaction survey has found Australians have been plagued by disconnections and drop-outs, connection issues and slow speeds over the past six months, with consumers least satisfied with Telstra and Dodo. [...]
Announcement from Consumers International (CI): In a very positive step forward, national consumer protection ministries and agencies have reached agreement on a proposal for the United Nations (UN) to make World Consumer Protection Week an official UN observance. The proposal calls for the week to be held each year in the week in which the [...]
One of New South Wales’ most respected and longest-serving public servants, Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe, has announced his retirement. Mr Stowe will retire in July after more than 40 years’ continuous service to the NSW public, including almost three decades in the consumer affairs portfolio, under 18 different Ministers, and six years as Commissioner. [...]
