Everyday Consumer - Consumers' Federation of Australia

17 July , 2019

National Hydrogen Strategy Issues papers – Consultation

The COAG Energy Council Working Group is consulting with industry and community to develop a national hydrogen strategy. Building on earlier engagement, the issues papers are seeking feedback on the potential role of policies and actions in realising hydrogen opportunities. Submissions close 28 July 2019. Issues papers and more details here. A list of the issues papers and a brief…

11 July , 2019

Consumer advocates welcome ASIC intervention in Short Term Credit Market

Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) have welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC’s) announcement that it will consult on using new Product Intervention Powers to intervene in the short term credit industry. The new product intervention power allows ASIC to intervene where…

26 June , 2019

CFA side event at the Consumers International Congress in Portugal

The CFA sponsored side event on grocery unit pricing at the Consumers International Summit in Portugal on 29 April 2019 was very successful. CFA executive member Ian Jarratt gave a presentation on the history, benefits of, and problems with, the provision of unit pricing of pre-packaged grocery items around the world. Ian also provided a…

17 June , 2019

Unconscionable conduct: Divided High Court confirms need for change to the law

In its response to the High Court finding that a ‘book-up’ credit scheme operated in the remote Aboriginal community of Mintabie in the South Australian APY lands was not unconscionable, Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) says that Australia needs an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading. “Unconscionable conduct is a complex legal term, and it…

16 May , 2019

National Volunteer Week 2019

Established in 1989, National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our community and to say thank you to the more than 6 million Australians who volunteer. Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) depends on the volunteers who represent…

30 April , 2019

Scams cost Australians half a billion dollars

Australians lost almost half a billion dollars to scammers in 2018 according to the latest figures in the ACCC’s Targeting Scams report released today. “Total combined losses reported to Scamwatch and other government agencies exceeded $489 million – $149 million more than 2017,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said. “And these record losses are likely just the tip…

11 April , 2019

CFA and members make submissions to review of federal unit pricing regulation

CFA and several member organisations have made written submissions to the federal government’s review of the grocery industry unit pricing mandatory Code of Conduct administered by the ACCC. The Code requires most very large grocery stores and online grocery retailers to display on shelf labels, etc. the price per unit of measure of grocery products…

10 April , 2019

Review into Australia’s corporate criminal responsibility regime

The Morrison Government has commissioned the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the corporate criminal responsibility regime. Justice Robert Bromwich has been appointed as a part-time member of the ALRC to assist with the review. “It is essential that our laws are effective in holding corporations to account for criminal…

10 April , 2019

Public consultation opens on new Measurement Law Review discussion papers

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science has commenced public consultation on the second set of discussion papers for the Measurement Law Review (the Review). The issues examined in the three new discussion papers include: What measurements should apply when buying particular goods or services (Measurement-Based Transactions) How we can safeguard confidence in the measuring…

3 April , 2019

Labor proposes to increase penalties for competition law contraventions if elected

Labor will make the Australian economy fairer and more competitive by raising the penalties for competition and consumer breaches to levels in line with other advanced nations. In recent years, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has brought cases against a veritable who’s who of major firms. Telstra was fined for misleading consumers about…

27 March , 2019

2019 CFA Advocacy Prizewinner announced

The CFA Prize for Consumer Advocacy is awarded annually at the ACCC National Consumer Congress. Now in its second year, the prize is open to any consumer advocate or advocacy organisation who has conducted consumer advocacy during the previous year. This year, the judging panel consisted of Gail Pearson, Gordon Renouf and Delia Rickard. Entries were judged on the following…

27 March , 2019

Payment demanded by gift card? It’s a scam

Gift cards are increasingly the payment method of choice for scammers. Scamwatch reports show more than $5 million was lost in 2018, a 38 per cent increase compared with 2017. iTunes cards accounted for $3.1 million in losses – a 156 per cent increase from the $1.23 million reported in 2017. However Scamwatch has also…