member news Archives - Consumers' Federation of Australia

3 October , 2025

Financial Counsellors Publish New Hardship Best-Practice Guide for Organisations

A new set of nationally endorsed Principles of Good Hardship Practice has been released, setting a best-practice guide for how organisations should support people experiencing financial difficulty. Developed by the financial counselling sector, the ten core principles focus on respectful communication, early intervention, and fair, compassionate support for people in hardship. “Too often, people in financial hardship…

7 August , 2025

Peter Gartlan to Step Down as Co-CEO of Financial Counselling Australia

The Board of Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) has announced co-CEO, Peter Gartlan, is stepping down effective from 30th September 2025. Peter has worked at FCA since 2020 and became co-CEO in February 2024. “We thank Peter for his leadership, dedication, and the impact he has had on our organisation throughout his tenure as co-CEO and prior…

7 July , 2025

Centrepay Reforms Take Home the 2025 Consumer Advocacy Award

At the 2025 ACCC National Consumer Congress the Consumers’ Federation of Australia, with help from CPRC’s Chandni Gupta, was proud to present our Consumer Advocacy Award for the best consumer advocacy campaign or project of the past year. The nominees this year were: 1. 10 Successes of the National Scams Campaign – scams are a huge…

18 June , 2025

Advocates Welcome ACCC Review into Unsolicited Selling

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin says she is thrilled by the decision of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to launch a detailed review into the national impact and harms of unsolicited selling, consultation which opens today. “This decision by our national, economy-wide regulator shows the dynamic power of the ‘designated complaint’ super-complaint…

14 May , 2025

Webinar: Made to Manipulate – A Global Tour of Dark Patterns

The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) will be hosting a webinar on June 3rd at 4:30pm to 5:30pm AEST, to register for the event follow the directions here. From CPRC’s Events page: Is your online “freedom of choice” just an illusion? Every day, websites and apps deploy sophisticated design traps that manipulate your decisions without…

22 April , 2025

Every dollar counts – financial counsellors launch election campaign

Financial counsellors have launched their federal election campaign – When every dollar counts, so does financial counselling – we can’t afford to wait. Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), along with all the state financial counselling associations, is calling for a commitment from all sides of politics to provide increased and more sustainable funding, particularly for face-to-face financial…

14 April , 2025

Unsolicited door-to-door sales the target of Australia’s first Designated Complaint

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling for a nationwide ban on unsolicited selling in the first ever designated ‘super’ complaint presented to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). A designated complaint is a new power that allows complainants to raise an issue with the ACCC, which the ACCC is required to consider and come back with…

17 March , 2025

Time to scrap ‘consumer protection’ rules that don’t protect consumers

Australia’s peak communications consumer body, ACCAN, has today called for the weak and ineffective industry-drafted Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code to be scrapped in favour of robust and enforceable industry standards that better protect Australian consumers. Communications are an essential service – yet the rules which exist to protect communications consumers are failing in their…

15 January , 2025

Joint Submission Urges Law Reform and Mandatory Industry Action

This is a joint submission made on behalf of:• Consumer Action Law Centre• CHOICE• The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network• Financial Rights Legal Centre• Super Consumers Australia• Financial Counselling Australia• Westjustice• Consumer Credit Legal Service WA Our organisations are pleased to have the opportunity to provide our feedback to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee. We…

10 December , 2024

Australian Consumers Now Have a Voice at the NBN Table

Consumers will now have a voice at the table to determine how the NBN can better serve the needs of communities around Australia thanks to a $2.56 million funding grant from the Australian Government to the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). As the peak communications consumer body, ACCAN’s new funding will allow it to…

3 December , 2024

New Centrepay Reform Bans Predatory Rent-to-Buy’s in Win for Consumers and Advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said she was absolutely delighted that Minister Bill Shorten has announced consumer protections and reforms to Centrepay that restore it to its original purpose; that it should only be used by consumers to make regular voluntary payments for essential bills and expenses. (link to media release) “We have…

2 December , 2024

ICAN Launches ‘Get emPOWERed!’ Competition through Yarnin’ Energy Program

ICAN’s Yarnin’ Energy team launched a ‘Get emPOWERed!’ competition on Monday the 11th of November. The competition has been designed to engage people to participate in the coaching component of our Yarnin’ Energy program. “The first fifty people to book and attend an appointment with one of our Yarnin’ Energy Mentors will receive a FREE Energy…