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CHOICE says children’s lives are being jeopardised by business ignoring button battery risk, and are calling for an overhaul of product safety laws in the wake of recent tests which show manufacturers and retailers are ignoring safety risks posed by button battery powered items. “10 out of 17 button battery powered household items failed CHOICE…
Read More Button battery safety failures
Consumer Advocates in Canberra for the release of the Royal Commission's final report
The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry has now concluded. The Final Report and the Government’s response was released to the general public on Monday afternoon, providing a road map for law reform that should deliver improved standards in the finance sector. Many of the report’s 76 recommendations have been welcomed by consumer organisations including CHOICE, Consumer…
Read More Consumer groups respond to Royal Commission Final Report
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People will be hundreds of thousands of dollars worse off in retirement if the Federal Government doesn’t act now to stop the superannuation sector eroding savings. Today the Productivity Commission has released its plan to reverse the outdated structure that has led to poor performing funds, multiple accounts and zombie insurance policies. Fixing these problems…
Read More Advocates call for changes to superannuation sector
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CHOICE has published the details of 18 products that failed the CHOICE pram test, warning Australian parents to watch out. The CHOICE pram test looked at 46 prams and strollers and failed 18 of them, with particular concerns regarding strangulation hazards with buckles and straps. The CHOICE review of the pram market follows poor scores…
Read More Parents warned: 18 products fail CHOICE pram test
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New research from leading consumer and tenancy groups (CHOICE, National Shelter and the National Association of Tenant Organisations (NATO)) show that Australians who rent are living in fear of eviction and rent rises. The report ‘DISRUPTED: The consumer experience of renting in Australia ‘DISRUPTED: The consumer experience of renting in Australia’ surveyed Australians who rent…
Read More New report from leading consumer and tenancy group on renting in Australia
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Our health system should empower and support us to live happy and healthy lives. But increasingly, thousands of us are feeling frustrated by high-cost, low-value and overly complex health insurance policies. CHOICE research finds the majority of us don’t feel like we get value from our health insurance and are hit with high costs when…
Read More Fairer health insurance
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“Given energy prices on the rise while the cost of solar power systems declines, it’s little wonder that almost one in four Australian households are using some form of solar power,” says CHOICE spokesperson Nicky Breen. “Interest in solar is growing with more than 750,000 solar power systems installed across the country in the last…
Read More Where to start with solarCFA’s quarterly webinar series will continue on Thursday 28th February from 1-2pm AEDT with the topic “Participating in a Royal Commission”. The webinar will be hosted by Katherine Temple – Director of Policy & Campaigns, Consumer Action Law Centre, and Ursula Noye – Managing Lawyer (Royal Commission), Consumer Action Law Centre. Katherine and Ursula will share reflections and insights from their involvement in the recent Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking,…
Read More CFA Webinar Series Commencing October 30thCHOICE and ACOSS’ research report Competition Policy and Human Services: Where Theory Meets Practice was released on Thursday 13th September 2018. The report assessed two areas of human service where various combinations of choice, contestability and competition have been significant in recent years – vocational education and training (VET) and employment services. It examined outcomes achieved,…
Read More Competition Policy and Human Services: Where Theory Meets Practice
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The Federal Government is letting the worst and most harmful financial products in the community run wild, according to consumer advocates. It’s now one year, eight months, one week and fifteen days since the Government accepted recommendations to reform laws governing payday loans and consumer leases. Despite committing to bringing the reforms to Parliament by…
Read More Lobbyists beat the battlers on payday loans and rent-to-buy
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CHOICE is calling for urgent reform to Australia’s product safety system as analysis shows children’s products consistently fail CHOICE lab tests for voluntary and mandatory safety standards. “From portable cots that fail suffocation tests to strollers with finger traps, safety failures are so routine it’s clear that manufacturers are not prioritising safety,” says CHOICE Head…
Read More Cots and strollers consistently failing CHOICE lab tests
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CHOICE welcomes the Federal Government’s options paper on added sugar today which includes options for strong measures for sugar labelling like visual labelling of teaspoons of sugar on sugar-sweetened beverages. “For years CHOICE has been calling for added sugar labelling and it’s great to see the Federal Government putting forward options that will allow Australians…
Read More Clear sugar labelling on the table