Submission: Australian Law Reform Commission’s “Freedoms Inquiry”

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Issues Paper 46 Traditional Rights and Freedoms—Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws. This submission recommends that when...

March 2, 2015

Submission: Private vocational education and training providers in Australia

Consumer Action has provided comment to the Senate Education and Employment Committees on the operation, regulation and funding of private vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australi...

February 20, 2015

Submission: 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper

Consumer Action has provided input to the Australian Energy Market Commission's 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper. Effective competition is critical for energy consumers to the extent that...

February 17, 2015

Submission: Regulating innovative energy selling business models

Consumer Action has made a submission to Australian Energy Regulator about regulating innovative energy selling business models under the National Energy Retail Law. The issue of appropriate regulati...

February 17, 2015

Submission: Interim report on Retail Life Insurance Advice

Consumer Action, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Choice and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have provided comment on the Interim report on Retail Life Insurance Advice. In brief, the submission argues:...

February 10, 2015

Submission: 2015-16 Federal Budget

Consumer Action welcomes the Government’s invitation to the Australian community to provide input to the 2015-16 Commonwealth Budget. We continue to be mindful of the current economic conditions and...

February 6, 2015

Submission: National Approach to Electricity Network Tariff Reform

Consumer Action and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre have provided input to the Energy Networks Association's position paper, Towards a National Approach to Electricity Network Tariff Reform. O...

February 3, 2015

Submission: Facilitating electronic financial services disclosure

Consumer Action has provided a submission on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's Consultation Paper 224: Facilitating electronic financial services disclosure. Our responses to the...

January 21, 2015

Submission: Legal Services Council’s consultation on General Rules

Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Legal Services Council's consultation on the proposed General Rules under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. Our s...

January 16, 2015

Submission: Law Council of Australia’s consultation on Uniform Rules

Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Law Council of Australia's current consultation on the proposed Legal Practice Rules (Solicitors) and Legal Profes...

January 16, 2015

Submission: The performance and management of electricity network companies

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications about the performance and management of electricity network companie...

December 18, 2014

Submission: 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Consultation Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the approach to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) 2015 Retail Competition Review. Effective competition is critical for ener...

November 27, 2014

Submission: Competition Policy Review Draft Report

Consumer Action has provided comment on the Draft Report of the Competition Policy Review. Key points We agree that an effective competition policy must be focused on making markets work in the lon...

November 18, 2014

Submission: Revisions to the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Industry Code

Consumer Action has provided the following thoughts on the proposed revisions to the Communications Alliance Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Industry Code (DR C628:2014). Duplication bet...

November 6, 2014

Submission: Energy Green Paper

Consumer Action has provided the following submission to the Department of Industry on the Energy Green Paper. Australia’s energy market is rapidly changing, with the unprecedented fall in energy d...

November 5, 2014

Submission: Key Recommendations arising from the Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws Final Report

Consumer Action has provided comment on the Discussion Paper on Key Recommendations arising from the Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws Final Report. Consumer Action provided...

October 22, 2014

Submission: AEMC Rule Change on Distribution Network Pricing Arrangements Draft Determination

Consumer Action, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre and Victorian Council of Social Service have provided input into the AEMC's draft determination on distribution network pricing arrangements. Our o...

October 21, 2014

Submission: Retailer Price Variations in Market Retail Contracts

Consumer Action  and Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre have made a supplementary submission on the Australian Energy Market Commission's Draft Rule Determination: Retailer Price Variations in Market...

September 30, 2014

Media release: Competition Policy Review Draft Report welcomed, but panellists urged to consider consumer experience and protection

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Competition Policy Review Draft Report and its emphasis ‘on protecting competition and not competitors.’ But Consumer Action will be asking the review’s pan...

September 22, 2014

Submission: AEMC Rule Change on Customer Access to Information about their Energy Consumption

As in Consumer Action's previous submission to the consultation paper, we agree with the premise of the rule change that 'in practice it is difficult for customers to access their data from market par...

September 22, 2014

Submission: The Forrest Review and the Healthy Welfare Card

Consumer Choice We have concerns that forcing welfare recipients to receive and spend their benefits on a certain card will adversely affect their consumer choice. By limiting their ability to pay wit...

September 19, 2014

Submission: Financial System Inquiry – Improving Consumer Disclosure

The Financial System Inquiry Interim Report notes that the current disclosure regime for retail financial products and services is not always effective in meeting its objective. It produces complex an...

September 16, 2014

Submission: National Energy Retail Amendment (Retailer price variations in market retail contracts) Rule 2014 Draft Determination

Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) and Consumer Action are pleased that the Australian Energy Market Commission – and other bodies, such as the Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Retailers Ass...

September 11, 2014

Submission: Senate Inquiry into the extent of income inequality in Australia

Consumer Action has provided comment on the extent of, and impact of, income inequality in Australia. We are concerned by the signals of distress from the most vulnerable in our community and their i...

September 1, 2014

Submission: Financial System Inquiry Interim Report

Consumer Action welcomed the panel's interim report, particularly that fairness, as much as stability and efficiency, are important objectives for the financial system. We strongly support the panel's...

September 1, 2014

Joint submission: EWON prepayment meter discussion paper

Consumer advocates and welfare agencies have submitted a joint submission to the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW’s prepayment meter discussion paper. We support joint work by consumer groups, ombudsme...

August 26, 2014

Submission: Consultation on proposed credit repair guideline

Consumer Action has provided comment on Credit Ombudsman Service's proposed guideline on credit repair. We welcome this proposal, and recommend that the Credit Ombudsman: reword the proposed guidel...

August 8, 2014

Joint submission: Financial Ombudsman Service proposed Terms of Reference Changes

Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre have provided comment on the Financial Ombudsman Service's proposed Terms of Reference changes. The consultation paper notes that operational guideli...

August 5, 2014

Submission: Insurance Duty of Disclosure

Consumer Action has provided comments on the Commonwealth Treasury's proposed notices which explain the duty of disclosure consumers have when buying insurance. We broadly support these regulations, b...

June 27, 2014

Submission: Consultation on Victorian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Consultation on Victorian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules. We regularly assist debtors who are being pursued by lawyers or law firms acting on behalf of debt col...

June 23, 2014

Submission: Competition Policy Review Issues Paper

Consumer Action has made a submission on the Competition Policy Review Issues Paper. The key points and recommendations are outlined below: While effective competition generally ensures market outc...

June 20, 2014

Joint Submission: Economic regulation, governance and efficiency in the Victorian water sector

Consumer Action, the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre and the Victorian Council of Social Service welcome the opportunity to comment on the May 2014 Preliminary Advice from the Independent Reviewer....

June 16, 2014

Submission: AEMC Rule Change on Customer Access to Information about their Energy Consumption

Consumer Action recognises the great potential for advanced metering to enhance consumers' understanding of their own energy consumption, and acknowledges that it can be an important link for consumer...

June 16, 2014

Submission: AEMC Rule Change on Expanding Competition in Metering and Related Services

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the AEMC's rule change proposal to expand competition in metering and related services. Consumer Action recognises the great potential f...

June 5, 2014

Joint submission: Productivity Commission’s Access to Justice draft report

Consumer Action and Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW have made an extensive submission to the Productivity Commission's Access to Justice draft report. A summary of our submission is below or you can...

May 22, 2014

Submission: Review of the 2020 Renewable Energy Target

The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Federal Government’s review of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET). Consumer Action is an independent, not-for-...

May 14, 2014

Submission: Financial Systems Inquiry Terms of Reference

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Financial Systems Inquiry. The submission below responds to the Inquiry's terms of reference released on 20 December 2013. The submission...

March 31, 2014

Joint submission: DSDBI Consultation Paper – Reforms to Retail Regulation 2014 and Planned Outages

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Draft Consultation Paper – Reforms to Retail Regulation 2014 and Planned Outages. We strongly support the Minister’s proposal to increase th...

March 19, 2014

Submission: Consumer Credit Regulations

Consumer Action and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW have made a joint submission to Treasury on exposure draft consumer credit regulations affecting payday lenders. In summary, we are supportive...

March 5, 2014

Submission: Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria independent review issues paper

This submission is the result of a collaboration between the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, the Victorian Council of Social Services, Consumer Action Law Centre and the Financial and Consumer Rig...

March 4, 2014

Submission: AEMC’s 2014 Retail Competition Review

Consumer Action has provided comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (the AEMC) 2014 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper. We welcome ongoing reviews of competition within retail mar...

March 3, 2014

Submission: Filing fees for debtors’ petitions, overseas travel requests and an increase to the realisations charge

A scan of Consumer Action's casework records (including both our legal advice and financial counselling services) reveals that we have on record at least 1900 calls from low income and vulnerable clie...

March 3, 2014

Submission: Final Report on the Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Standing Council on Energy (SCER) on the Final Report: Review of the Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws  Consumer Action supports many of t...

February 27, 2014

Submission: ACCC consideration of AGL Energy’s proposed acquisition of Macquarie Generation

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in response to its Statement of Issues on AGL Energy Limited (AGL) proposed acquisition of the busine...

February 21, 2014

Submission: AEMC’s review of electricity customer switching options paper

Consumer Action supports the Commission undertaking this review and we agree that timely and accurate transfer processes can "support customer choice" and "confidence" in the competitive retail market...

February 17, 2014

Submission: Energy White Paper 2014

Consumer Action was pleased to have the opportunity to comment on the Energy White Paper 2014. Our submission is available here....

February 13, 2014

Submission: 2014-15 Federal Budget

Consumer Action welcomes the Government’s invitation to the Australian community to provide input to the 2014-15 Commonwealth Budget. We are mindful of the current economic conditions and their imp...

February 4, 2014

Submission: Debt agreement administrators’ guidelines relating to advertising

Consumer Action's MoneyHelp financial counselling practice helps disadvantaged, low income Victorian consumers who are experiencing severe financial distress consumers Victorians, some of who have use...

January 31, 2014

Submission: Do Not Call Register – registration period

Consumer Action support removing the registration period for the Do Not Call Register  so that registration is indefinite (Option Three in the Discussion Paper[i]). Customers actively opt out of unsol...

January 31, 2014

Submission: Changes to Credit Ombudsman Scheme Rules

Consumer Action had provided comment on the Credit Ombudsman Service’s proposes changes to COSL Rules: 9th Edition. We commend the Credit Ombudsman Service on its drafting of the proposed changes, mo...

December 16, 2013