Submission: Open Banking Review
Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia are pleased to make this submission in response to the Open Banking Review Issues Paper. We acknowledge t...
Submission: Inquiry into Competition in the Australian Financial System
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) have welcomed the Productivity Commission’s review of c...
Submission: New Car Retailing Industry ACCC Draft Report
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) new car retail industry market study draft report (the Draf...
Proposed changes to TIO Terms of Reference
ACCAN and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the consultation on proposed changes to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) terms of reference. We are pleased that the TIO...
Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act). Consumer Action ha...
Submission: Credit card reform exposure draft legislation
The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to comment on the exposure draft Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 8) Bill 2017: Credit card reforms (the Bill) and National Consumer Credit Protecti...
Submission: Comment: Towards a transparent public reporting regime for life insurance claims information
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Discussion Paper Towards a transparent public reporting regime for life insurance claims information, outlining the options and issues involved in the n...
Submission: Comment on ASIC CP 284: Example statement of advice for life insurance—Update to RG 90
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on ASIC’s draft Regulatory Guide 90: Example statement of advice: Scaled advice for new customer and Consultation Paper 284. We appreciate the complex and exte...
Submission: APRA powers for non-ADI lenders
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and CHOICE have made a joint submission on the draft Treasury Laws Amendment (Non-ADI Lender Rules) Bill 2017 (the draft Bill). We support the proposa...
Submission: Banking Executive Accountability Regime
Consumer Action Law Centre has supported CHOICE's submission on the proposed Banking Executive Accountability Regime. We strongly welcome the intent of these reforms. The community rightly expects tha...
Comment on ASIC proposed ban on flex-commissions
Thank you for the opportunity to make additional comments on the proposed ASIC Credit (Flexible Credit Cost Arrangements) Instrument banning flex-commissions. Consumer Action supports this proposal. I...
Submission: Data Governance Australia Draft Code of Practice
The collection, use and management of data by companies is of significant and growing interest for consumer advocates. We welcome industry efforts to better protect and promote the rights of people wh...
Submission: Internal Dispute Resolution in Retirement Villages
We welcome Consumer Affairs Victoria’s interest in improving internal dispute resolution processes in retirement villages, and believe that the reforms suggested will likely result in some improvement...
Submission: Black Economy Taskforce Interim Report
Contributors to this submission have supported and represented thousands of consumers over many years. We support the overall intention of the Taskforce, which is to develop an ‘innovative, forward-lo...
EDR Review Supplementary Issues Paper – Last resort compensation for victims of financial misconduct
A series of financial scandals have left many Australians out of pocket and in some cases, resulted in the loss of the family home or a secure retirement. Scandals have not just occurred in relation t...
Submission to ACCC inquiry into retail electricity supply and pricing Issues Paper
Electricity has traditionally been a regulated essential service that occupied a stable portion of Australian consumers' living expenses. Until relatively recently, they have not had to exert time or...
EDR Review – Treasury Laws Amendment (External Dispute Resolution) Bill and Regulations 2017 exposure draft
Consumer advocates welcome the move to a one-stop shop external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme for all disputes in the financial system. Read the full submission here [PDF]...
Submission: AEMC Governance Amendment Bill 2017
Consumer Action was one of a number consumer advocacy groups that made a joint submission to the Review of Governance Arrangements for Australian Energy Markets recommending the Energy Council underta...
Submission: ESC’s Payment Difficulty Framework Draft Decision
Consumer Action and the Financial and Consumer Rights Council welcome the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services ESC Victoria’s (ESC) new draft decision for its Payment Difficulties Framewor...
Victoria Legal Aid, Means Test Review, Options Paper – submission
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) Means Test Review. The submission strongly supports the introduction of a public interest exemption to the VLA means test. To be...
Future of Financial Advice – Post Implementation Review submission
The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Consultation Paper prepared as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Future of Financial Advice reforms....
Submission on AEMC’s rule change process guidance
Our analysis of the problems faced as a consumer group seeking to change the NERR, and our recommendations to make the process more transparent and less onerous for proponents, are extensively detaile...
Submission: ASIC Financial Services Panel
The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to provide a submission in response to Consultation Paper 281 regarding the proposal to establish a Financial Services Panel (the Panel). Given the apparent...
AEMC review of regulatory arrangements for embedded networks
SACOSS and the signatories consider that the existing framework has provided a high degree of flexibility and competition in products and services for embedded networks which has led to some valuable...
Submission: Estate agents and conveyancers options for reform
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Consumer Property Law Review’s Options Paper on estate agents and conveyancers. Read the full submission here [PDF]....
Submission: Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor public inquiry into prohibited conduct in the insurance industry
We were asked to provide feedback on questions 4, 5, 7 and 11 in the ESLIM’s Public Inquiry Issues Paper. We have also responded to question 9 on competition drivers, and briefly commented on our insu...
Submission: General Insurance Code of Practice 2017 Review
The Code is an important piece of self-regulation, setting out the best practice expected of the industry. Recent inquiries and reviews have ventilated a number of persistent, systemic problems for ge...
Retirement Villages (Contractual Arrangements) Regulations 2017 – Regulatory Impact Statement submission
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV) write in relatio...
Submission to the inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy’s inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid. A...
Submission: Consumer Property Law Review—Sale of land and business: options for reform
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission in response to Consumer Affairs Victoria's Sale of land and business: options for reform (Options Paper), as part of the...
Design, scope, cost-benefit analysis, contracts awarded and implementation associated with the Better Management of the Social Welfare System initiative
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide a submission to the Inquiry on the Design, scope, cost-benefit analysis, contracts awarded and implementation associated with the...
Comment on ASIC CP 279: Flex commission arrangements in the car finance industry
Consumer Action supports ASIC’s proposal to prohibit flex-commissions in the sale of car loans through a legislative instrument. There are clearly significant variations in the interest rates charged...
Supplementary submission: Design & Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper
The undersigned provided a comprehensive submission to the Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper (the Proposals Paper) on 15 March 2017. We make this sup...
Review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 – Position Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Storage Industry Position Paper. In our view, the proposed changes to the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (...
Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market (Finkel review)
A reliable, secure and affordable energy supply is essential to health, wellbeing, economic participation and social inclusion, so there is a high risk to consumers when things go wrong and supply of...
Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper
Nine consumer advocacy organisations have made a joint submission on the Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power. This joint submission was coordinated by Consumer Action La...
Consumer protection in the banking, insurance and financial sector
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide a submission to the Senate Inquiry into consumer protection in the banking, insurance and financial sector. Read the full subm...
Submission to the review of electricity and gas retail markets in Victoria
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the review of electricity and gas retail markets in Victoria discussion paper following the consultation forum t...
Senate Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into Australia’s general insurance industry
This submission examines home and car insurance from the consumer’s perspective. It focuses on transparency in Australia’s home and car insurance industries, the benefits of establishing an independen...
Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap: Key Concepts Report
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Electricity network transformation roadmap: key concepts report. We support the focus of the roadmap of incentiv...
Retail Remuneration Review – Issues Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Retail Remuneration Review Issues Paper (Issues Paper). As stated in our joint response to th...
EDR Review – Interim Report
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Review of the Financial System Dispute Resolution Framework – Interim Report (Interim Report). This joint submission was coordinated by Consumer Action...
Submission in response to Consultation Paper 272 – Remaking ASIC class orders on time-sharing schemes
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) are pleased to make this submission to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) p...
Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment in response to the Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration (Draft Report)....
Submission to The Treasury on priorities for 2017-18 Federal Budget
Consumer Action has provided input into The Treasury’s budget development for financial year 2017-18. We have identified four budget measures that would, if implemented, enhance justice for all Aus...
Proposed Industry Funding Model for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – Proposals Paper.
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and CHOICE welcome the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Industry Funding Model for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Re...
Submission: ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426
Thank you for the invitation to comment on the ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426 (the Notification), under which ANZ is only financing Esanda and ANZbranded comprehensive car...
Public Inquiry: Data Availability and Use – Draft Report
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Data Availability and Use – Draft Report October 2016 (Draft Report). Read the full submission here [PDF]...
Submission to Consumer Property Law Review: Options for reform of the Owners Corporations Act 2006
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) comprehensive review of Victoria's consumer property laws, specifically on Opti...
Australian Consumer Law Review: Interim Report
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Interim Report (Interim Report). While we are engaged with the process, we...