Draft Life Insurance Code of Practice
Joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia to the draft Life Insurance Code of Practice. Read the full report here [PDF]...
Submission to the 2016 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper (RPR0004)
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the approach to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) 2016 Retail Competition Review (the Review)....
Submission: SACC Review Interim Report
Consumer Action has made its submission in response to the SACC Review Interim Report. We continue to push for tighter regulation on payday loans and consumer leases, which have been shown to cause si...
Further Education and Training (Training Ombudsman) And Another Act Amendment Bill 2015 (QLD)
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Further Education and Training (Training Ombudsman) And Another Act Amendment Bill 2015 (Bill) (QLD) Read o...
Submission to the draft AER (Retail) Exempt Selling Guidelines
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment on the revised AER (Retail) Exempt Selling Guideline (the Guideline). Read our full submission here [PDF]....
Housing Decisions of Older Australians
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV) and Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA Vic) welcome the o...
Submission to the Inquiry into the financial hardship arrangements of energy retailers
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Essential Services Commission's (the Commission) Inquiry into the financial hardship arrangements of ene...
Australians should be compensated for poor financial advice: Consumer groups
Australia’s leading consumer groups have made a joint submission to the Senate Economics Committee’s Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry calling for a last resort compensation scheme for consumers wi...
Submission: Review of Card Payments Regulation Issues Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) welcome the opportunity to comment on the Review of Card Payments Regulation Issues Paper (the Iss...
Submission: Privacy and trust in the new energy market
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input the Energy Market Reform Working Group's (EMRWG) paper, New products and services in the electricity market—consu...
Submission: Proposed Principles of Reciprocity and Data Exchange
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have made a joint submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the likel...
Submission: Proposed re-make of Retirement Villages legislation
The Consumer Action Law Centre, COTA Victoria and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria have made a joint submission to the Consumer Affairs Victoria review on the effectiveness of the Retirement...
Submission: Financial System Inquiry Final Report
The Financial System Inquiry (FSI) Final Report was released in December 2014. Consumer Action has made a submission to the Treasury as part of consultation on the final report. A full copy of our su...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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:...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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-...
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...