Before Gerard took his new position as Chairperson of the Essential Services Commission, we had the opportunity to pick his brain one last time as he farewelled the consumer movement.
Gerard has been an inspiration, a mentor and an exceptional leader for consumer advocates for well over a decade. CFA’s Deputy Chair, Chandni Gupta, caught-up with Gerard to talk all things CFA, the consumer movement and emerging challenges and opportunities he foresees for Australian consumers.
What moment/s stand out for you in your time as CFA Chair?
A key stand out for CFA has been the development of the mentoring program, and witnessing program participants progress to become very effective consumer advocates. The program was the brainchild of Elissa Freeman, so I salute her foresight – it’s been excellently received across the sector, and has been highly valuable both for participants, mentors, and the consumer movement more broadly.
What will you miss the most of being part of the consumer movement?
The consumer movement is such a collaborative, positive and effective movement – that is what I will miss! Advocates are passionate, smart, kind and strategic. There are many public policy changes and wins that occur because consumer advocates see a problem and work with others to find a way to fix it.
How do you hope CFA will continue to evolve over the coming years?
I hope CFA continues to bring together the consumer advocate movement together to learn from each other, find strength from each other, and continue to make a collaborative impact. The opportunities to bring people together to consider current and future issues, strategise, and find opportunities to work together are really important. As is continued investment in the consumer advocates of the future – that’s why the mentoring program, as well as CFA’s networks, are so important. CFA is presently pulling together a new interactive online consumer policy and advocacy handbook – a sort of toolkit for people coming into the sector. These sorts of initiatives, that strengthen the sector, are vital to the future of the consumer movement.
What do you see as the next biggest challenge or opportunity for the consumer sector?
There are many opportunities and challenges ahead – the current focus on cost of living is very important for consumer advocates: the sector is well placed to be identifying the types of in-market strategies and policies that can make a difference. The increasing use of e-commerce and digital also means that issues relating to online transactions, digital privacy and cybersecurity, including protection against scams and fraud, will only become more important.
As technology adapts and becomes more entwined with our lives, this will only become more important. The other big issue of course is environmental and sustainability issues, and climate change – we need policies and protections that promote sustainable consumption and hold companies account for their environmental impact. Finally, the sector needs to continue to enhance its own diversity and inclusivity – we need to prioritise the voices of marginalised groups and also First Nations advocates. Promoting diversity in advocacy organisations is essential if the sector is to effectively help address the unique needs and challenges facing various groups.
What is your advice to those who have recently joined a consumer representative organisation?
Make the most of the opportunity! Working as a consumer advocate can be highly motivating, given the opportunities to make positives changes. So I’d encourage people to put yourself forward, work with others, learn from others, and stay true to your values and passions. And get involved in the Consumers’ Federation so you can build connections across the sector!
Thank you to Gerard Brody and CFA Deputy Chair, Chandni Gupta, for this reflective piece