CFA presents Consumer Experts Roundtable in preparation for 2016 Consumer Law review

With the previous announcement of a review of the Australian Consumer Law in 2016, the Consumers’ Federation of Australia presents a Consumer Experts Roundtable to help consumer advocates, policy makers and regulators prepare for this.

This half-day event on Monday 30 November will bring together leading consumer advocates, officials, regulators, consumer law academics and invited guest speakers (see below).

It will commence with a breakfast address from the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Assistant Treasurer, followed by two interactive panel discussions on ACL review priorities.

To reserve your place and purchase tickets, please register and pay here. Ticket costs cover the full event including VIP breakfast, morning tea and both panels.

CFA members receive a half-priced ticket, as do attendees of the related Consumer Law Roundtable event.

CFA CONSUMER EXPERTS ROUNDTABLE

Monday, 30 November 2015 from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM (AEDT)

University House
1 Balmain Cres
Acton, ACT 2601

Register here

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Small Business
  • Alan Kirkland, CEO of CHOICE
  • Delia Rickard, Deputy Chair, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
  • Simon Cohen, Director, Consumer Affairs Victoria
  • Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre
  • Associate Professor Jeannie Paterson, Melbourne Law School
  • Teresa Corbin, CEO of Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
  • Rosemary Sinclair, CEO of Energy Consumers Australia
  • Dr Paul Harrison, Deakin Business School, Deakin University
  • David Ford, Deputy Director-General Queensland Fair Trading

Program:

7:30am – 7:45am Arrival and registration

7:45am – 9:00am VIP Breakfast with Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Assistant Treasurer, and Alan Kirkland, CHOICE CEO

9:00am – 10:30am Panel 1 – How has the landscape changed?

How has the Australian consumer landscape changed since the Australian Consumer Law came into effect? How aware are consumers of their rights and businesses of their obligations? Five years on, how should we be approaching the Consumer Survey and ACL Review? We hear from a consumer advocate, national and state-based regulators on the state of consumer protection in 2015.

10:30am – 11:00am Morning tea

11:00am – 12:30pm Panel 2 – Regulatory gaps

What are the key regulatory gaps that the Review of the Australian Consumer Law should focus on fixing? This session will examine issues with consumer protection in specific sectors including telecommunications and energy. It will also look more generally at the gaps that allow unfair, predatory business models to thrive, discuss the case for a prohibition on unfair trading, and explore what form it might take.

12:30pm Event close

Register here