Competition Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

5 April , 2024

Submission Call for National Competition Policy

The Productivity Commission is undertaking a study to assess the economic effects of national competition reforms. It is now inviting community members to share perspectives, experiences and expertise on national competition matters and modelling competition reforms. The Commission’s review is occurring against a backdrop of declining productivity growth in the past decade. As such, a…

3 April , 2024

It’s time to give Australian courts the power to break up big firms that behave badly

Australian authorities have never had the power to break up big businesses that behave badly. It’s a power available to courts in the United States and elsewhere, but not here – at least not unless the Greens succeed with a bill now before the Senate. The so-called Competition and Consumer Amendment (Divestiture Powers) Bill would…

25 March , 2024

ACCC Announces Changes to Wholesale Telecommunications Regulation

The ACCC has released its final report outlining the findings of an inquiry into whether nine wholesale telecommunications services should continue to be regulated. Access to telecommunications services in Australia is usually unregulated unless the services are declared. In deciding whether to declare a service, the ACCC must be satisfied that declaration would promote the long-term interests…

18 March , 2024

ACCC to Examine Internet Search Services for Five Year Inquiry

“Significant changes have occurred since the ACCC last examined search services in 2021. We’ve seen new laws introduced overseas that place obligations on so-called gatekeeper search engines and the emergence of new technologies, like generative AI, that have changed the way consumers search for information online and may be impacting the quality of the service they are receiving,”

13 March , 2024

ACCC Broadband Network Wholesale Access Regulations a Win for Consumers and Competition

Original media release by and from the ACCC (12/03/2024). Australians on broadband plans provided by non-NBN fixed-line networks should benefit from more stable pricing and greater competition between retailers, following the ACCC’s decision to make a final wholesale access determination for the declared superfast broadband access service (SBAS). TPG and Uniti Group Limited (Uniti) are the two…

7 March , 2024

ACCC Announces 2024-25 Enforcement Priorities

Original media release from the ACCC (7/03/2024). Consumer and competition issues in the supermarket sector and essential services including electricity and financial services are among the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for the year ahead, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb announced today. “Our priorities continue to be shaped by the key challenges facing our economy and the…

6 March , 2024

Memorandum of Understanding Between Philippines and Australian Competition Watch-Dogs

Original media release by and from the ACCC (29/02/2024). A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by the ACCC and its Filipino counterpart, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), will continue to strengthen cooperation between the two competition regulators. Interagency collaboration fostered by the MOU, will enhance the effective administration of competition law and policy in…

27 February , 2024

ACCC Review Shows Mixed Merger Outcomes

“As with our previous ex post reviews, we found that some of the predictions and assumptions made by the ACCC in the original review did not unfold as anticipated,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“In particular, this report re-enforced the risks raised when clearance decisions rely on new entry and expansion, and also the inherent complexities associated with negotiating and implementing some undertakings.”

15 February , 2024

Designated Complaints Legislation Announced to Improve Competition

As part of its Better Competition election commitment, the Albanese Government is introducing legislation to establish a new designated complaints function within the ACCC.

14 February , 2024

Airfares Cheaper But Cancellations and Delays Increased in 2023

Domestic airfares generally fell last year after reaching record highs in late-2022, but cancellations and delays remain higher than long-term industry averages, the ACCC’s latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report reveals.

The report shows that average revenue per passenger, which represents average prices across all fare types, was 13.4 per cent lower in December 2023 than in December 2022, in real (inflation-adjusted) terms.

5 February , 2024

ACCC: Urgent Need for Merger Law Reform

[T]he research commissioned by the Competition Review Taskforce now provides clear evidence in support of merger reform, strengthening the ACCC’s confidence in its recommendations.

The research demonstrates that an estimated 1000-1500 mergers occur in Australia each year. Only about 330 are notified to the ACCC under the existing voluntary merger regime.

About half of the 1000-1500 mergers are made by the largest one per cent of businesses.

25 January , 2024

CFA Supports Reforms to Merger Approvals

The Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) and CHOICE have provided a submission to the newly newly established Competition Taskforce on merger approvals. Australia has many markets that are highly concentrated; supermarkets, airlines, banking, telecommunications, energy and insurance are all markets where a few dominant companies provide most Australians with essential products and services. Increasingly, we…