AusPol Archives - Page 10 of 14 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

20 July , 2023

Inquiry into Insurer Responses to 2022 Floods Announced

In 2022 almost all Australian Territories and States experienced substantial flood events with New South Wales and South-East Queensland some of the worst affected areas. Now, after months of coverage over poor and variable insurer responses to flood damage and coverage, the Albanese Government is launching an inquiry into insurer responses.

2 June , 2023

Consultation Opens on Artificial Intelligence

AI is a rapidly growing area and increasingly relevant to our everyday lives – both positively and negatively. The Australian Federal Government has now opened consultation on the safe and responsible use of AI.

1 June , 2023

eSafety Commissioner Accepts Some, Rejects Others in World-First Industry Codes

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has made the decision not to register two of eight online safety codes drafted by the online industry as they fail to provide appropriate community safeguards to deal with illegal and harmful content online.

Image 3 May , 2023

Privacy Week 1-7 May 2023: Back to Basics

Original media release 1/05/2023 from Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Privacy regulators from across Australia have issued a joint statement to mark the start of Privacy Awareness Week 2023 (1 to 7 May). For Privacy Awareness Week, privacy authorities from around Australia are joining together to call for people, organisations and agencies to get ‘back to basics’…

Image 2 May , 2023

Super Payday

Super Consumers Australia welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement that people will now be paid super at the same time as wages. The move will see more money in the pockets of Australians at retirement and help the regulator crack down on wage theft.

Image 28 April , 2023

Federal Government to Act on Disrupting Illegal Text Message Scams

The Albanese Government has announced its intent to establish an SMS sender ID Registry or SMS Scam registry to help combat the increasingly large number of scam text messages being sent to Australians. From the 23/04/23 media release from the Minister for Communications, Hon Michelle Rowland MP: Almost half of all Australians have been scammed,…

Image 27 March , 2023

Queensland Consumers Association Makes Submission to Senate Cost of Living Inquiry

The Queensland Consumers Association has made a submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living which is inquiring into: the cost of living pressures facing Australians; the Government’s fiscal policy response to the cost of living; ways to ease cost of living pressures through the tax and transfer system; measures to ease…

14 March , 2022

Protecting the Basics report highlights insurance gaps

South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) has released a new report: Protecting the Basics: Insurance access for people on low incomes at risk from climate emergencies. The report finds that there is a significant proportion of people in South Australia on low incomes with uninsured homes, contents, and cars because they can’t afford insurance. It…

8 February , 2022

Morrison Government to deliver reduced premiums through reinsurance pool

The Morrison Government has finalised the design of the reinsurance pool for cyclone and related flood damage, following consultation on the draft legislation. This is a media release from The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia & The Hon. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister & The Hon. David Littleproud MP, Minister for Agriculture…

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…

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…

3 April , 2019

Coalition issues button battery safety alert

The Morrison Government has issued a safety warning notice to the public regarding risks associated with button batteries. Button batteries, also known as coin cell batteries, are flat, round, single cell batteries, used in a broad range of personal and household products such as children’s toys, hearing aids, watches, remote controls, digital thermometers and bathroom…