The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a controversial, secretly negotiated, trade agreement designed to provide for stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights. But there has been no independent analysis of the impact of the treaty in Australia upon economics, human rights or health care.
Read More Opening Pandora’s box: secret treaty threatens human rights
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Button batteries found in remote controls and other household electronic devices are a severe and little known risk for young children, a joint campaign by Energizer, Kidsafe, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned.
Read More Button batteries: A little known risk
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The report outlines categories of gatekeepers against whom ASIC has taken action including financial advisers, responsible entities, credit licensees, market participants, directors, company officers, insolvency practitioners and auditors. It includes detailed statistics over a six month period.
Read More ASIC releases first six-monthly enforcement report
Is the Commonwealth about to further weaken payday lending laws under pressure from industry? Gerard Brody of Consumer Action Law Centre reviews the arguments. He says interest rates of 288% will not put any pressure on the payday industry to change their harmful practices.
Read More Government to backflip on payday lending law reforms?
The Department of Health and Ageing has released the Proposals for Regulations and Rules (proposals paper) for the eHealth records program.
Read More eHealth proposals paper released
ASIC has released the full findings of ‘shadow shopping’ research which examined financial advice given to people to help them plan for retirement.
Read More ASIC releases full report on retirement advice shadow shopping research
Dr Ken Harvey has been chosen as Choice’s consumer champion for his work on consumer rights and therapeutic goods, especially “complementary” medicines.
Read More Consumer champion’s long fight for better use of medicines
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed proceedings initiated by the ACCC against energy retailers in relation to door-to-door selling practices. The cases will seek clarification on whether a Do Not Knock sticker amounts to a request for salespeople to leave under the Australian Consumer Law.
Read More ACCC to clarify legal position of Do Not Knock sticker: Consumer Action
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has filed proceedings against three energy retailers and the marketing companies engaged by them in relation to their door-to-door selling practices.
Read More ACCC court action against energy retailers’ door-to-door sales tactics
Could the problem of one-sided take it or leave it contracts be addressed by developing a trust mark that traders can display to consumers where there contracts meet agreed standards of fairness?
Read More A trust mark for fair contracts?
The Attorney General Nicola Roxon has released a discussion paper on contract law reform.
Read More Will contract law reform solve problems for consumers?
CHOICE welcomes the passing of the historic financial advice reform bill and congratulates Minister Shorten and the government for putting an end to secret payments that have distorted advice and eroded consumers’ hard earned savings.
Read More Consumers now in the driver’s seat when seeking financial advice
