Role of LIV in regulation of the profession: Submission

In the June edition of the Law Institute Journal, the Law Institute of Victoria asks “who should regulate the profession”? It is the view of consumer and community lawyers that any modern regulatory...

June 17, 2016

Andrew Leigh and Labor announce beefed up ACCC

Today at a media conference with Labor's Andrew Leigh, Consumer Action Law Centre's Gerard Brody called out current penalties under the Australian Consumer Law as "inadequate". The following commen...

June 15, 2016

Senator Nick Xenophon and Last Resort Compensation Scheme

Today at a media conference with Independent Senator for SA Nick Xenophon, Consumer Action Law Centre again called for the establishment of a Last Resort Compensation Scheme to protect people left out...

June 3, 2016

Consumer property law review: Issue Paper 3: Sale of land and business

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's consumer property laws on Issue Paper 3: Sale of land and busi...

June 3, 2016

Australian Consumer Law Review – submission

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Issues Paper (Issues Paper). The Review is highly anticipated and offers a...

June 3, 2016

AER Electricity Ring-Fencing Guideline

Ring-fencing is undertaken when a monopoly business also operates in a contestable market, and some form of functional separation is deemed necessary to ensure the market remains competitive. Read...

June 2, 2016

Submission to Consumer Property Law Review: Issue Paper 2 – Owners corporations

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's consumer property laws on Issue Paper 2: Owners corporations (...

May 30, 2016

Lawyers and Referrer Conflict—an underrated risk

The risk of a conflict of interest can arise in some arrangements where lawyers have a relationship with a party from which they receive regular client referrals. The extent of this conflict of intere...

May 30, 2016

Improving bankruptcy and insolvency laws – Proposals paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to proposed changes to Australia’s bankruptcy and insolvency laws. To read a PDF of the submission online,...

May 27, 2016

Submission to the AER Draft Sustainable Payment Plan Framework

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment on the AER Draft Sustainable Payment Plan Framework (the draft framework). Read our full submission here [PDF]...

May 26, 2016

Submission to ESC’s Draft Energy Compliance and Enforcement Policy, April 2016

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) wishes to make a brief submission to the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commission) consultation on its Draft Energy Compliance and Enforcement P...

May 26, 2016

New Polling: 3 in 4 Australians want ban on door-to-door sales

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has launched new polling data from IPSOS, one of Australia’s leading polling agencies, on unsolicited sales. Unsolicited sales are commonly performed th...

May 25, 2016

Speech to the CIO Dispute Resolution Conference 18 May 2016, Melbourne

  On Wednesday, 18 May 2016, Consumer Action CEO Gerard Brody gave a speech to the CIO Dispute Resolution Conference. An edited transcript of the speech can be found below. ***CHECK AGA...

May 23, 2016

Good enough for Google. Good enough for Australia.

Google’s decision last week to ban the advertisement of payday loans demonstrates that the world is moving against the proliferation of payday loans. It is Australia’s turn to show leadership and clam...

May 18, 2016

Review of the Small Amount Credit Contract Laws – Final Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on the Review of the Small Amount Credit Contract Laws – Final Report as part of The Treasury's review of the Small Amount Credit Con...

May 17, 2016

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations 2016

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations (VCAT Fees) Review. Read our full su...

May 10, 2016

Residential Tenancies Act review: Issues Paper 3 – Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on Issues Paper 3 - Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants as part of Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV's) review of the...

May 5, 2016

A VET FEE-HELP Ombudsman will help victims of Australia’s VET scandal

Australians duped by Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers and brokers into signing up to dodgy courses are a step closer to receiving justice today. The Federal Government has released...

April 29, 2016

Price Review 2016: Melbourne Water – Essential Services Commission Draft Decision

The Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) and the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) welcome the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (Commission) Price Review 2016: Melbour...

April 27, 2016

Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry: Additional terms of reference on the life insurance industry

Joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE to the Senate Economics References Committee Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry: Additional terms of reference on the life insurance in...

April 22, 2016

Residential Tenancies Act review: Issues Paper 2 – Rent, bonds and other charges

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on Issues Paper 2—Rent, bonds and other charges as part of Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's Residential Tenanci...

April 20, 2016

Consumer groups welcome a stronger ASIC

Consumer groups CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre welcome today’s announcement of new funding and powers to protect consumers of financial services. In 2014-15 ASIC’s budget was reduced by $120...

April 20, 2016

Payday loans the next financial disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaVTYoVoZaE A financial disaster is looming unless there is an urgent response to expert recommendations to clean up payday loans and consumer leases. As pressure...

April 19, 2016

CP247: Client review and remediation programs and update to record-keeping requirements

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on ASIC’s Consultation Paper 247: Client review and remediation programs and update to record-keeping requirements....

April 19, 2016

Review of Card Payments Regulation – Consultation Paper

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on the reforms proposed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in the Review of Card Payments Regulation Consultation Paper (Consultation Paper), relea...

April 19, 2016

NAB locks out the most vulnerable from unfair bank fees refunds

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the CEO of National Australia Bank (NAB) requesting that vulnerable customers unfairly excluded from its bank fees class action deal be compensated. On 6 A...

April 11, 2016

Response to a finance sector Royal Commission: Gerard Brody

In response to the announcement that a Labor Government would initiate a Royal Commission into the finance sector, Consumer Action Law CEO Gerard Brody said: “A Royal Commission into the finance se...

April 8, 2016

Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia (Inquiry). View...

March 30, 2016

Australians urged to fight back against junk insurance and demand over $70m in refunds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFnf30Qu6k Australians could be due for over $70m* worth of refunds each year for insurance and warranty products they don’t even know they’ve bought. The latest...

March 23, 2016

Energy retailers to help Victorians stay out of debt: Consumer Groups

Energy retailers are to provide improved, targeted assistance to customers experiencing financial difficulty under a proposed new regulatory framework announced by the Andrews Government today. The fr...

March 22, 2016

From Good to Great – the Australian Consumer Law Review and beyond – Consumer Congress 2016 Speech

Gerard Brody, National Consumer Congress, 16 March 2016 The Australian Consumer Law has served the community well since it was enacted back in 2010, and it has produced a number of significant outc...

March 17, 2016

Submission to consumer property law review: Issue Paper 1 – Conduct and institutional arrangements for estate agents, conveyancers and owners corporation managers

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's consumer property laws on Issue Paper 1: Conduct and instituti...

March 16, 2016

Submission to Council on Federal Financial Relations Affordable Housing Working Group – Innovative financing models

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Affordable Housing Working Group. Consumer Action's legal service and financial counselling service assist many...

March 16, 2016

Review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (VIC)

Consumer Action Law Centre has provided comment on the review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (Vic) (“Act”). Read our full submission here [PDF]...

March 4, 2016

Vendor terms and rent-to-buy schemes

Vendor terms or 'rent-to-buy' schemes promise to help you buy property when you don’t have the income, savings or credit history to get a regular mortgage. Often there’s a broker or agent who advertis...

March 4, 2016

“Because you need an interpreter should not disadvantage you and you should not be punished for it”

Funding for the Telephone Interpreter Service must be restored. Email EO@FCRC.org.au to find out more....

March 4, 2016

As Australians face over $1 trillion personal debt crisis, advocates warn about ‘debt vultures’

With ABS data showing that Australians are living with over $1 trillion of personal debt, consumer advocates are warning that an emerging industry of ‘debt vultures’ is making things worse. Debt vu...

March 3, 2016

Debt Management Firms Communiqué

Around forty representatives from consumer advocacy organisations, industry associations, ombudsman schemes, government agencies and regulators met in Melbourne on 18 February 2016 to discuss the soci...

March 3, 2016

Access to Justice Review

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Access to Justice Review. We have provided responses to specific relevant questions raised under each...

March 1, 2016

Stop selling junk – ASIC reports show how Australians are being dudded out of millions

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling on insurance and warranty companies to stop selling junk following the release of two damning ASIC reports. ASIC today released two reports examining add-on in...

February 29, 2016

Consumer Action responds: Parliamentary Inquiry into Retirement Housing

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has responded to the establishment today of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the retirement housing sector. The inquiry will be heard by the Legal and Social I...

February 24, 2016

Our finances are a mess – could behavioral science help clean them up?

Hal Hershfield, University of California, Los Angeles and Abigail Sussman, University of Chicago The first few months of a new year can be a stressful time financially. The Christmas holidays typic...

February 18, 2016

‘Debt vultures’ in the spotlight

Australians live with over $1 trillion in personal debt, according to recent data from the Reserve Bank of Australia. That’s a staggering figure that should have economists, legislators and regulators...

February 18, 2016

Unemployed and at risk: more help needed for those out of work

The mental health of the unemployed deteriorates the longer they are out of work and this is a barrier to securing future employment, research has found. While different ways to reach this group are b...

February 9, 2016

Submission to The Treasury on priorities for 2016-17 Federal Budget

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into The Treasury’s budget development for financial year 2016-17. The stated aim of the Government in inviting s...

February 8, 2016

Good communication the key to successful electricity tariff reform: Gerard Brody

In response to "Andrews Government accused of killing $1.6b benefit of tariff changes" (3/2/2016) in the Australian Financial Review: Claims that the Victorian Andrews Government’s ‘backing away’ f...

February 5, 2016

Victorian Mum takes on consumer rental company Flexirent and wins

A Victorian Mum of four has won a settlement of nearly $4000 after she took legal action against Flexirent Capital Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the ASX listed company FlexiGroup Limited. Michelle T...

February 5, 2016

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]...

February 2, 2016

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)....

January 28, 2016

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...

January 22, 2016