News - Consumer Action Law Centre

New legal advice shows Government can claw back VET FEE-HELP money

Consumer Action Law Centre today released new legal advice from an eminent Queen’s Counsel about the Federal Government’s ability to claw back VET FEE-HELP funding. The advice is that the Government...

Fringe dwellings – the vendor finance and rent-to-buy housing black market: Report

Vendor finance and rent-to-buy schemes promise the Australian dream of owning your own home—without a bank loan. However, these deals typically do not result in successful home ownership and in som...

Parliamentary Inquiry into Retirement Housing commences today

The much anticipated Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the retirement housing sector commences today at Parliament House. Representatives from government, the retirement housing industry and the co...

Expansion of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s (FOS) Small Business Jurisdiction

Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre welcome the opportunity to respond to the Expansion of FOS’s Small Business Jurisdiction – Consultation Pa...

Consumer Action takes Commonwealth Bank to Ombudsman over alleged irresponsible lending

Consumer Action has lodged a complaint against the CBA with the Financial Ombudsman Service. A 57 year old Melbourne woman living with a disability alleges alleges that the bank has not met its legal...

Draft Life Insurance Code of Practice – Second Public Consultation

Thank you for the opportunity for Consumer Action Legal Centre (Consumer Action) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) to comment on the Financial Services Council’s (FSC’s) Draft L...

Independent review of product sales commissions and product based payments

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Good Shepherd Microfinance (GSM) are pleased to provide a joint submission in response to the Aus...

Joint Consumer Representative Submission to the Australian Bankers’ Association Inc Independent Review of the Code of Banking Practice 2016

Click here to read the Joint Consumer Representative Submission to the Australian Bankers’ Association Inc Independent Review of the Code of Banking Practice 2016 [pdf]....

Junk insurance victims fight back as ASIC report damns industry

Australians sold junk insurance are demanding their money back as ASIC releases a damning report into the atrocious value and shocking sales practices at car yards. The ASIC “A market that is faili...

Productivity Commission Issues Paper – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment in response to the Productivity Commission Issues Paper – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration (Issues Paper)....

General Exemption Order Review

Consumer Action has joined with Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre to make a submission to the Department of Land, Water and Planning Position Paper on the General Exemptions Order. The Paper proposes...

Speech to the ACPET National Conference 25 August 2016, Hobart

On Wednesday, 18 May 2016, Consumer Action's Director of Policy & Campaigns Denise Boyd gave a speech to the ACPET National Conference on telling the stories of our clients who have been impacted...

Banking tribunal may not deliver: Consumer experts

A coalition of consumer organisations have cautioned the Turnbull Government about the establishment of a Banking Tribunal. Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Coun...

Legal action against Get Qualified Australia

Consumer Action has assisted a 34 year old migrant to take legal action against Get Qualified Australia. GQA claims to assist people with the process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is an...

Research report: Review of Tenants’ and Consumers’ Experience of VCAT

There are “very substantial barriers” that inhibit people from accessing justice at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), according to a new research report. Consumer Action Law C...

Emergency Service Levy Monitor – price exploitation and false conduct draft guidelines

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on the Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor Act 2016 Draft Guidelines on the prohibition against price exploitation and Draft Gu...

Productivity Commission’s Issues Paper Human Services – Identifying sectors for reform (Issues Paper).

Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to provide this submission to the Productivity Commission’s Issues Paper Human Services – Identifying sectors for reform (Issues Paper). This submission provides...

Power Transformed

The rapid development of new technology in electricity supply is disrupting the traditional means of delivery of this essential service. As in other sectors, the consumer is at the heart of these chan...

Power Transformed

Public Inquiry: Data Availability and Use

Consumer Action has provided a submission in response to the Productivity Commission's Issues Paper for its inquiry on Data Availability and Use. The submission primarily focuses on the need to mai...

Submission to the ESC Water Pricing Approach Review

Consumer Action has partnered with the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre and the Victorian Council of Social Service to provide a submission to the Essential Services Commission Position Paper, A New...

Unfair bank fees live another day. Now time for law reform: Consumer Action and CHOICE

The law must be changed to restore fairness in bank fees according Consumer Action Law Centre and CHOICE. Following the High Court’s decision today which allows banks to continue charging exorbitan...

Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws: Proposed policy positions for consultation

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the consultation paper, Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws: Proposed policy positions for consultation, rele...

Federal Circuit Court Financial Counselling Project Evaluation

Since September 2014, the Federal Circuit Court (FCC) in Melbourne has provided direct financial counselling services to self-represented debtors in the FCC’s Bankruptcy Lists. This pilot service, imp...

Evaluating Consumer Action’s worker advice service

Consumer Action Law Centre (“Consumer Action”) improves the lives of Victorians by advancing fairness in the marketplace. To this end, we publish consumer law information, run a legal advice service,...

Parliamentary Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Justice Connect (Seniors Law) (Justice Connect) and Residents of Reti...

Indigenous insurance exploitation must be stopped following court decision: Consumer groups

A Federal Court decision has allowed for the continued exploitation of Indigenous Australians through dud Funeral Insurance schemes. For years, low income Indigenous communities have been targeted...

Redesigning VET FEE-HELP – responding to the Discussion Paper

Consumer Action is pleased to comment on the Australian Government's discussion paper outlining a raft of proposed changes to the VET FEE-HELP system. We have responded positively to a number of key s...

New polling shows that Australians are ready for a Retail Ombudsman

A new poll released today made a strong case for the establishment of a Retail Ombudsman, a free and informal way to resolve disputes between everyday Australians and businesses, including tradies and...

FOS Determination on hardship variations, and credit reporting

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has recently made a determination which has important implications for credit reporting in Australia, particularly in how it relates to hardship variations. Pr...

Telephone Financial Counselling Service – Evaluation of Service Quality and Outcomes

Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to publish this evaluation of our telephone financial counselling service, MoneyHelp. Consumer Action regularly evaluates its services, particularly its advice se...

Credit Cards: improving consumer outcomes and enhancing competition

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (FRLC) is pleased to comment on the proposed reforms outlined in Credit cards: improving consumer outcomes and enhanc...

Submission to AER on its approval of minimum amount owing for disconnection

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator on its approval of the minimum amount owing for disconnection of electricity or gas under the National Energy Retail Rules....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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,...

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]...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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