Submission Archives - Consumer Action Law Centre

Submission to Updating the regulatory arrangements for embedded networks

CALC is supportive of the AEMC’s proposed regulatory framework for new embedded networks, as equity in consumer protections should not be dependent on the business model of the supplier of energy. I...

Treasury Consultation Paper: Enforceability of financial services industry codes

Industry codes – often referred to as codes of conduct – can be useful when they genuinely improve standards in the relevant sector, provide meaningful rights for consumers and are complied with by in...

Submission on the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) Rules Changes

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to deal with eligible complaints about conduct dating back to 1 J...

Essential Services Commission Draft Advice on the Victorian Default Offer Methodology

As part of its response to pressure to curb energy prices and address inequality within Victoria’s energy market, the Victorian Government recently introduced the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). The V...

Consultation on draft guidance of ‘unsafe’ and ‘reasonable durability’ of goods under the Australian Consumer Law

Clarification of consumer guarantees is essential according to Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), but making information accessible must be a focus in newly proposed guidance about ‘unsafe’...

Senate Inquiry: Resolution of disputes with financial service providers within the justice system

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has recommended that financial service providers be required to improve their approach to dispute resolution in its comments to the Senate Legal and Consti...

ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry

Consumer Action has made a submission to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry Preliminary Report. The submission focuses primarily on the proposal to develop a general prohibition against unfair practic...

Royal Commission into Mental Health Terms of Reference Consultation

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Royal Commission into Mental Health Terms of Reference Consultation. We strongly support the Victorian Government’s announcement of this Royal Commi...

Helping customers engage confidently in the retail energy market draft decision

We support changes to regulation that will facilitate simple ways of resolving issues with estimated billing. While we support making consistent factsheets for energy offers that are easier to compreh...

2019-20 Pre-Budget Submission

Consumer Action has made a submission to The Australian Government Treasury’s 2019-20 Pre-Budget Submission process. We have focused this submission on two areas where budget action could make an imme...

Victorian Default Offer for small electricity customers – ESC staff working paper

We strongly support the ESC’s work to implement the VDO as a priority. Victorian households must have protected and simple access to a fair price for an essential service. In the period without price...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Module 6 on insurance

Consumer Action made a submission to the Financial Services Royal Commission in October 2018 on the policy questions arising from Module 6 on insurance. Consumer Action has assisted people who have...

Insurance pricing differences: New vs existing customers

Consumer Action made a submission to the NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor’s Discussion Paper, Pricing Differences: New vs Existing Customers. Insurance is a product that claims to reward...

Submission: Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Senate Economics Committee inquiry on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibited Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018. We support the Bill, which will allo...

Submission: Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code

Consumer Action has provided feedback on the Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code. We consider: the name of the code should be readily understood by the...

ACCC monitoring of the electricity supply in the National Energy Market discussion paper

We welcome the ACCC’s ongoing inquiry into the prices, profits and margins in the supply of electricity in the NEM. A plethora of reports have established that the electricity market is not operating...

NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register Guidelines

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has provided a submission on the draft NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register Guidelines (the Guidelines). The NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register provi...

Energy Security Board Strategic Energy Plan consultation on proposed metrics

We support the ESB developing a set of outcomes and objectives and associated tangible metrics that will measure whether these outcomes and objectives are achieved. We also support the metrics that ha...

Submission: PIP DADO Regulations

Consumer groups have commented on the exposure draft Corporations Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Regulations 2018 (Cth) (the Regulations) and explanato...

Submission: Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial hardship

This Senate Inquiry is a crucial opportunity to close the regulatory loopholes exploited by fringe lenders and ‘debt help’ companies. These companies can entrench disadvantage for some of the most vul...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on the Interim Report – Rounds 1 to 4

Consumer Action Law Centre has published its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry responding to the Interim Report and poli...

Submission: Reforms to strengthen penalties for corporate and financial sector misconduct – Draft Legislation

This submission supports the proposed increases to maximum criminal and civil penalties across a number of provisions, the expansion in provisions subject to penalties, and the power to obtain disgorg...

Submission: Senate Inquiry into PIP/DADO Bill

We continue to strongly support the introduction of the Design and Distribution Obligations (DADOs) and Product Intervention Powers (PIP) for the reasons outlined in our previous submissions. As noted...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule...

Submission: ESC Draft Decision – Building trust through new customer entitlements in the retail energy market

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Commission’s Draft Decision, Building trust through new customer entitlements in the retail energy market (D...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 6 Hearings (Case Studies)

Consumer Action Law Centre has published its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry following the Round 6 hearings on insuran...

Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving the Energy Efficiency of Rental Properties) Bill 2018

We generally support the Bill because the benefits of modifications that improve the energy efficiency of rental housing greatly exceed the costs. We agree that the tax code should not present a barri...

Submission: draft Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code

Consumer Action Law Centre together with WEstjustice made a submission to the CommsAlliance on the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code Draft (DR C628:2018) (draft Code), which has been produc...

Submission: Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Review Part A – Consumer Redress and Complaints Handling

Consumer protection mechanisms in the telecommunications market are failing Australians. The Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Review is an important and timely opportunity to move from self-regu...

Submission: Easy and Transparent Trading Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Easy and Transparent Trading Consultation Paper (the Consultation Paper). We have limited our comments to Se...

Submission: Extending unfair contract terms protections to insurance contracts

The case for extending unfair contract terms (UCT) laws to insurance contracts is clear. The insurance industry is virtually the only industry enjoying an exemption from the economy-wide UCT regime...

Class Actions and Third-Party Litigation Funders: ALRC Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission's Inquiry into Class Action Proceedings and Third-Party Litigation Funders (Discussion Paper 85, June 2018) (ALRC I...

Submission: Revised Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers Bill

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the revised exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Bill 2018 (the revised Bill)...

Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017: Draft Decision

Consumer Action has made this joint submission alongside VCOSS. Embedded networks have presented serious difficulties for energy consumers for far too long, and the General Exemption Order 2017 is a...

Submission: Retirement Living Revised Code of Conduct

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria, Housing for the Aged Action Group and COTA Victoria welcome the opportunity to comment on the most recent Draft Retirement Li...

Submission: Credit card responsible lending assessments

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE and Financial Counselling Australia welcome the opportunity to comment on Consultation Paper 303 on credit card responsible lendin...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 4 Hearings (General)

Consumer Action Law Centre has published its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector following the Round 4 hearings on issues affecting Aus...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 4 Hearings (Case Studies)

Treasury Laws Amendment (Protecting Your Superannuation Package) Bill 2018

Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee's inquiry into the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Protec...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Background Paper 14 General Insurance

We refer to the Royal Commission’s Background Paper 14: General Insurance (Background Paper) and make the following comments. We note that the Background Paper reflects the views of the authors and no...

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