COAG & MCCA Announcements
March 2008
On 26 March 2008, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that the Business Regulation and Competition Working Group (BRCWG), in consultation with the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs (MCCA), would develop an enhanced consumer policy framework, including legislative and regulatory structures, drawing on the final report of the Productivity Commission (PC).
May 2008
On 23 May 2008, MCCA agreed to develop detailed policy proposals for implementing the PC's recommendations.
August 2008
MCCA then developed a series of detailed reform proposals designed to respond to the PC's report, which it agreed on 15 August 2008, along with an indicative implementation plan. View the MCCA Communiqué at www.consumer.gov.au . MCCA then submitted these proposals to the BRCWG, prior to the BRCWG recommending these to COAG for agreement on 2 October 2008.
October 2008
At the 2 October meeting, COAG agreed:
'to a new consumer policy framework comprising a single national consumer law based on the Trade Practices Act 1974, drawing on the recommendations of the Productivity Commission and best practice in State and Territory consumer laws, including a provision regulating unfair contract terms.'
'The new national consumer law will deliver on COAG's commitment to a seamless national economy by providing a uniform and higher level of protection for Australian consumers and addressing weaknesses in existing laws. The new policy framework will improve consumer law enforcement powers, reduce compliance costs for business and increase access to information regarding dispute resolution and consumer issues.'
'The Productivity Commission has estimated the economic benefits of the framework at between $1.5 billion and $4.5 billion a year.'
View the 2 October COAG Communiqué at www.coag.gov.au .
The National Partnership Agreement to Deliver a Seamless National Economy (NPA) commits all Australian governments to implement a national consumer law by the end of 2010. View the NPA at www.coag.gov.au .
July 2009
At its 2 July 2009 meeting, COAG signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to underpin the establishment of the Australian Consumer Law, based on existing consumer protection provisions and a new product safety and enforcement regime. View the COAG Communiqué at www.coag.gov.au .
December 2009
At its 4 December 2009 meeting, MCCA agreed to the final form of the Australian Consumer Law. MCCA agreed that the Australian Consumer Law will include:
- a new product safety regime;
- a new national consumer guarantees law; and
- changes drawn from best practice in existing state and territory consumer laws.
