Policy submissions
CHOICE's policy submissions and reports relating to our advocacy work, from 2014 to the present.
Read our submissions
As part of our consumer advocacy work, CHOICE conducts research, makes complaints to regulators and argues for changes to support consumers in submissions to government reviews and inquiries.
Looking for an accessible version of our PDFs? Send an email to campaigns@choice.com.au letting us know which report, submission or complaint you'd like a copy of.
CHOICE reports
November 2019 – Strengthening the Health Star Rating System
CHOICE conducted a nationally representative survey that asked people to rate the healthiness of products with and without Health Star Ratings. The presence of Health Star Ratings (HSRs) has a significant impact on consumers' perceptions of whether certain products are healthy or unhealthy.
December 2018 – Unsettled: The consumer experience of renting in Australia
CHOICE, in collaboration with National Shelter and the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO), undertook its second nationally representative survey of Australians who rent. The report found that many Australians are living in homes that need repairs, but are afraid to request them out of fear of a rent increase or eviction.
November 2017 – Australian consumers in the travel market 2017
The fourth phase of the CHOICE Travel annual survey uncovers Australians' experience with how the travel industry handles consumer complaints, and continuing trends with flight and car hire problems.
August 2017 – Sold Out: Consumers and the ticket resale industry
A joint report from CHOICE and Consumer NZ which looks at the major players in the ticket resale industry and outlines the changes consumers need to see in the market.
August 2017 – Consumer Pulse: Australians' attitude to cost of living 2014-2017
The CHOICE Consumer Pulse Report picks up on the trends in Australians' cost of living concerns over the past three years.
July 2017 – Making private health insurance simpler
A report from CHOICE's national survey on information in the private health insurance market.
April 2017 – End the sugar-coating
A CHOICE report into added sugar labelling in Australia. The report found that added sugar labelling could help an individual remove 26 teaspoons of unnecessary sugar from their diet in a day and up to 38.3 kilograms of unnecessary sugar over the course of a year.
February 2017 – Australian consumers in the travel market 2016
The third phase of the CHOICE Travel project annual survey uncovers continuing trends with flight problems, among a range of other issues in the travel market, including research with stakeholders regarding accessible accommodation for Australians with disabilities.
September 2016 – Who's on the line? Consumer experiences with unsolicited calls
We found that 89% of Australians are receiving unwanted calls, mostly from charities. The report calls for reform so that consumers can choose who contacts them.
August 2016 – Project Superpower
We developed a strategy based on qualitative research to help people better engage with their superannuation.
July 2016 – Consumer Pulse: Australian attitudes to cost of living in 2016-2015
More than a third of Australians were doing it tough financially in 2016-2015 and were most worried about the cost of electricity and health costs.
15 March 2016 – Consumer experiences in the new car market
How common are lemon cars? And, are consumer protection laws working to protect people with problem cars? Our nationally representative research into the new car market found that too many people have problems and can't get them fixed.
February 2016 – Australian consumers in the travel market 2015
The second phase of the CHOICE Travel project annual travel trends survey identifies issues ranging from flights, accommodation, travel insurance, car hire and customer satisfaction with each of Australia's major airlines.
1 September 2015 – Research update on digital consumers
An update to our earlier research on consumers' attitudes and behaviour in accessing online content. We found that piracy rates dropped when consumers had access to affordable streaming services that delivered content at similar times to the rest of the world.
September 2015 – Australian consumers in the travel market 2014
The first stage of research for the CHOICE Travel project aiming to provide a foundation for the project's next stages and create a better understanding of the issues facing Australian consumers in the travel industry.
July 2015 – Consumer Pulse: Australian attitudes to cost of living in 2015-2014
Over 2015-2014, consumers were most concerned about the cost of electricity, groceries and fuel and an estimated 3.1 million people lived off their credit card to get through to payday.
1 November 2014 – Digital consumers' attitudes and behaviour
Research report on the ways people are accessing online content, and their attitudes and behaviour. We found that consumers are frustrated by the lack of content availability in Australia and price disparities with international services.
Policy submissions
CHOICE led a joint consumer submission with CCLSWA, FCA and ICAN asserting that all Australians should have access to reasonable and fair prices for essential goods and that communities in regional and remote areas should not be disadvantaged simply because of their geographical location.
June 2020 – CHOICE submission to the Front-of-Pack Labelling Secretariat for stronger Health Star Ratings
CHOICE urges Forum Ministers, FSANZ and the Front-of-Pack Labelling Secretariat to roll out the strongest possible Health Star Rating system using Calculator 2 without further delay.
May 2020 – CHOICE submission to the Inquiry into Future Directions for the Consumer Data Right
CHOICE's submission focuses on three key areas of the Consumer Data Right (CDR): potential areas of expansion, accessibility and consumer protection. A national product safety database, country-wide complaints register, and the insurance and automotive industries would all benefit from the application of open data. However, expansion of the CDR into new categories will not benefit consumers unless data is accessible and usable.
April 2020 – CHOICE submission to the ACCC on button battery regulatory options paper
CHOICE supports a mandatory standard for button batteries that requires a secure battery compartment, child-resistant packaging and warning and safety information requirements, including exemptions for hearing aid devices and associated zinc air batteries.
March 2020 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on Enhancements to Unfair Contract Term Protections Consultation
CHOICE is urging the Australian government to make unfair contract terms illegal, and to attach appropriate penalties to businesses that breach the law.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Enforceability of financial services industry codes
Financial Rights Legal Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation relating to the enforceability of financial services industry codes. Consumer groups are calling on the reforms to be significantly reworked to ensure that good outcomes are achieved.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Limiting avoidance of life insurance contracts
Financial Rights Legal Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft limiting avoidance of life insurance contracts. Consumer groups strongly support this reform.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to an insurer
Financial Rights Legal Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft that introduces a new duty to not make a misrepresentation to an insurer. Consumer groups strongly support this reform.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Restricting the use of the term 'insurance' and 'insurer'
Financial Rights Legal Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to restrict the use of the term 'insurance' and 'insurer'. Consumer groups support this reform.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Deferred sales model for add-on insurance
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to introduce a deferred sales model. Consumer groups are calling on the government to not create a loophole for the sale of add-on travel insurance.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – No hawking of insurance and superannuation products
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to ban the hawking of insurance and superannuation products. Consumer groups strongly support the exposure draft but are calling on the government to bolster the proposal in a number of important areas.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Financial Regulator Assessment Authority Bill 2020
CHOICE led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to create a new Financial Regulator Assessment Authority. Consumer groups are calling on the exposure draft to be significantly reworked to ensure the Authority improves outcomes for consumers.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury on the implementation of the ASIC Enforcement Review Taskforce – Directions Power
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to provide ASIC with the power to direct financial services and credit licensees in order to address or prevent risks to consumers.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Cap on vehicle dealer commissions
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to place a cap on vehicle dealer commissions. Consumer groups support the proposal as an important step forwarding but are calling for an outright ban on the sale of add on insurance products by car dealers.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Strengthening breach reporting
CHOICE led a joint consumer submission commenting on the exposure draft legislation to strengthen breach reporting. Consumer groups support the reforms but are calling for a number of changes to bolster the new regime.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury on the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission calling on the government to establish a compensation scheme of last resort. Consumer groups strongly support the introduction of a well-funded scheme with broad coverage.
February 2020 – CHOICE submission to Treasury – Ongoing fee arrangements and disclosure of lack of independence
CHOICE wrote a submission to Treasury supporting reforms to ongoing fee arrangements. These reforms will help prevent the fees for no service scandal from occurring again. CHOICE also called on the government to adopt a performance-based disclosure regime to ensure that disclosure is effective and meaningful.
February 2020 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury on the Financial Accountability Regime
CHOICE led a joint consumer submission calling on the government to introduce a Financial Accountability Regime that will hold finance executives to account. We're calling for a number of improvements to the proposal including adding fairness obligations for executives and entities.
February 2020 – CHOICE submission on the Ticket Resale Information Standard
The Information Standard sets out disclosure requirements for electronic ticket resale services. CHOICE would like the Information Standard to extend to advertising and promotion of ticket resale sites. The Standard could also be strengthened by introducing price caps on ticket resale.
February 2020 – CHOICE submission on the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment
CHOICE's submission to the Standing Senate Committee on Economics outlining the need for action on payday loans and consumer leases.
January 2020 – Joint consumer submission to the RBA Review of Retail Payments Regulation: Issues Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre led a joint consumer submission commenting on the RBA's review of retail payments. Consumer groups call on the RBA to introduce surcharging for buy-now, pay-later schemes.
January 2020 – CHOICE submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission on the Corporate Criminal Responsibility Discussion Paper
CHOICE has an interest in how changes to the national corporate criminal responsibility regime affect consumers, and supports proposals around the inclusion of victim impact statements, improved compensation and illegal phoenixing.
January 2020 – CHOICE submission on the Review of the Model Defamation Provisions
CHOICE's submission on the Review of the Model Defamation Provisions.
January 2020 – CHOICE submission on the Australian Energy Market Commission's draft National Energy Retail Amendment
CHOICE's submission on the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)'s draft National Energy Retail Amendment and the regulation of conditional discounts for electricity.
January 2020 – Joint submission to Treasury – Consumer Advocacy Body for Superannuation expression of interest
A joint consumer submission responds to Treasury's proposal to proposal to establish a permanent consumer advocacy body for superannuation. This submission endorses Super Consumers Australia to be the voice for consumers in the superannuation system.
January 2020 – Joint submission to Treasury – Making insurance claims handling a financial service
A joint consumer submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre and CHOICE that calls on the government to remove the insurance "claims handling" loophole. The submission also calls on the government to regulate the Insurance Claims Management Services industry.
December 2019 – Pre-Budget submission to Treasury on the 2020-21 Budget
CHOICE urges the federal government to prioritise key consumer issues in the 2020-21 Federal Budget. These issues include providing funding for a more efficient superannuation system, the introduction of a general safety provision, reducing health costs and improving food labelling.
December 2019 – CHOICE submission to the National Obesity Strategy
CHOICE calls for stronger food labelling practices and a National Obesity Strategy that ensures food environments aren't stacked against consumers.
November 2019 – CHOICE and CALC submission to Treasury on their review of the product safety system
CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) wrote a joint submission to Treasury calling for a general safety duty in the law that requires businesses to ensure the products they sell are safe. We also called for increased powers for regulators to enforce the new law.
October 2019 – CHOICE submission to ASIC on their review of school banking programs
CHOICE wrote a submission to ASIC calling for the corporate regulator to further investigate school banking schemes. We called on the regulator to evaluate data on how these schemes operate, the outcomes they produce for customers and their potential impact on competition in the banking market.
October 2019 – Joint consumer submission to Treasury – Mortgage broker best interests duty and remuneration reforms
CHOICE wrote a joint consumer submission to Treasury supporting the government's proposed best interests duty and prohibition on certain forms of conflicted remuneration. Consumer groups have called on the government to expand the duty to include all products and services that brokers recommend to people. We also called for amending clawback requirements, bolstering penalties and strengthening record keeping obligations for brokers.
September 2019 – CHOICE submission to the ACCC on the button battery safety issues paper
CHOICE recommends that the federal government makes the voluntary industry code for products containing button batteries into mandatory safety standards. The mandatory standards should require child-resistant packaging, secure battery compartments, clear warning labels and poisons information on all products containing button batteries sold in Australia.
September 2019 – CHOICE submission to the AEMC on Regulating Conditional Discounting
Pay-on-time discounts are unreasonable, unfair and misleading. CHOICE is calling for conditional discounting practices to be banned in the energy market.
August 2019 – CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia submission to Treasury on extending unfair contract terms to insurance contracts
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia recommends that the loophole for unfair contract terms for insurance contracts be closed. We also strongly support Treasury's proposal for a narrow statutory definition for 'main subject matter'.
August 2019 – CHOICE submission to APRA on the proposed approach to product responsibility under the Banking Executive Accountability Regime
CHOICE recommends that APRA use its new BEAR powers to prosecute banks and their executives when they sell financial products or services that are unfair or not fit for purpose. For these laws to be effective, APRA must focus on the harm that financial products have on people, rather than exclusively focusing on the prudential impact of poor product management.
August 2019 – CHOICE submission to NSW Department of Customer Service on the proposed Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019
CHOICE recommended that the NSW government introduce a prohibition on 'no pet' clauses in rental agreements and include a responsible pet ownership model in the standard form agreement to keep with modern community standards.
July 2019 – CHOICE submission to NSW Department of Customer Service on the proposed funeral information standard
CHOICE welcomes NSW Department of Customer Service's proposed funeral information standard where funeral suppliers will have to prominently display itemised costs of funeral goods and services online and at their place of business. We asked that the regulations also ensure suppliers make a distinction between the legal requirements and ceremonial components of a funeral in their price lists.
May 2019 – CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia submission to the APRA Capability Review Consultation
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia recommend that APRA more effectively deliver on its mandate by increasing the data it captures and releases about the financial system. They also recommended that APRA's mandate be updated to specifically recognise that its work aims to enhance the welfare of Australians, and that it strengthen its partnerships with consumer groups.
Super Consumers Australia and the Financial Rights Legal Centre recommend that the federal government establish an independent inquiry into insurance in superannuation, with a focus on determining how best to support people who can no longer support themselves or their families due to death or disability.
May 2019 – CHOICE submission to the ACCC on banking data
CHOICE asked the ACCC to develop additional consumer protections under the Consumer Data Right Rules in the banking sector.
May 2019 – CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia submission to the APRA Capability Review
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia respond to the APRA Capability Review.
April 2019 – CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia submission to Treasury on making industry codes work
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia call out industry codes for consistently failing to address widespread consumer harm. We call for the federal government to legislate new rule-making powers for ASIC to write and administer mandatory financial services codes.
CHOICE and Super Consumers Australia call out industry codes for consistently failing to address widespread consumer harm. We call for the federal government to legislate new rule-making powers for ASIC to write and administer mandatory financial services codes.
April 2019 – CHOICE submission to the Communications Alliance on the draft Mobile Premium Services Code
CHOICE made suggestions for changes to the draft Code, to better protect consumers from unexpected bills relating to premium mobile services.
April 2019 – CHOICE submission to the NSW Department of Justice on the Model Defamation Provisions
CHOICE provided views on Australia's defamation laws, noting particularly that large companies should not be given the ability to sue for defamation.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to the Australian Energy Regulator on the determination of default offer prices
CHOICE is calling for a default offer that is affordable, available to everyone in a deregulated market, free from excessive marketing costs, and is a safety net when a customer has not chosen an energy offer, or their contract has expired. The current approach to determining default offer prices is flawed, and more work must be done to make sure that the default offer achieves these outcomes.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to Health Star Rating Five Year Review Draft Report
The Five Year Review Report puts forward some great recommendations to improve the Health Star Rating (HSR) System, but more needs to be done to ensure that HSRs work for consumers. CHOICE called for the system to be mandatory, and for sugar to receive greater penalties in the HSR algorithm.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on ending grandfathered conflicted remuneration for financial advisers
CHOICE welcomes Treasury's proposal to prohibit grandfathered commissions. We call for strong regulatory oversight to monitor this transition away from grandfathered advice. We also call for the removal of all conflicted remuneration, including asset-based fees, in the advice industry.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on access to motor vehicle repair and service information
CHOICE commented on a proposed mandatory scheme for sharing motor vehicle repair and service information. CHOICE supports the scheme, as it will provide consumers with a broader range of more competitive options for servicing and repairing vehicles.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to the ACCC on energy data access models
CHOICE encourages the ACCC to approach the design of the Consumer Data Right (CDR) in a way that ensures consistent outcomes across sectors. While the systems and infrastructure that underpin the CDR may require considerable variation across sectors, the CDR should be designed with the goal of creating simple, consistent user experiences for consumers across the board.
March 2019 – CHOICE submission to the Economics Legislation Committee on the Consumer Data Right
With the right design, the Consumer Data Right has the potential to deliver substantial benefits to consumers. CHOICE says that there is more work to be done to ensure that appropriate protections are in place to protect consumers from harm before it occurs, and urges the Committee to consider amending the Bill.
February 2019 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on disclosure in general insurance
CHOICE calls for stronger protections in general insurance industry. We call for improvements to renewal notices, standardised definitions of key terms, and a review of key fact sheets (KFS).
February 2019 – CHOICE submission to the Australian Labor Party on private health insurance
CHOICE provided views on priority areas to be examined under a proposed inquiry into the private health insurance sector.
February 2019 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on the Unit Pricing Code
CHOICE calls for major reforms to improve unit pricing in supermarkets. The code needs to be strengthened and expanded in order to deliver more consistent, accurate and visible unit pricing.
January 2019 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on the 2019-20 Federal Budget
CHOICE urges the federal government to prioritise key consumer issues in the 2019-20 Federal Budget. These issues include superannuation, banking, the new consumer data right and private rentals.
December 2018 – CHOICE submission to the Australian Energy Regulator on the Default Market Offer Price
CHOICE is campaigning for better, safer, fairer default energy offers. We support the introduction of default energy offers, and are calling on the Australian Energy Regulator to ensure that the design of these offers is affordable and effective.
October 2018 – Human Rights and Technology
CHOICE's response to the Australian Human Rights Commission Issues Paper on 'Human Rights and Technology' outlines how technology can be used by businesses to unfairly discriminate and harm people. We call on the AHRC to investigate existing and emerging issues across insurance, finance, renting, energy and data, and outline the need for new, improved legislation.
October 2018 – CHOICE submission to Treasury on the Consumer Data Right – Second Stage
CHOICE called for a CDR system that is simple to navigate and delivers equitable outcomes for consumers. We advocated for greater consumer protections, and supported increased powers for the ACCC.
October 2018 – Improving Consumer Protections in the Consumer Data Right
CHOICE made comments on the ACCC's proposed Rules Framework. We supported free access to designated data sets, strong standards for consent, and protections that prevent businesses from unfairly discriminating against consumers using CDR data.
October 2018 – The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry – Interim Report
CHOICE responded to the Royal Commission's Interim Report. We called for widespread reforms, including changes to the way financial services entities remunerate and reward staff. We also called for an expansion of ASIC's compliance and enforcement toolkit to better enable the regulator to investigate and take action.
October 2018 - The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry - Insurance round
CHOICE responded to the insurance policy questions posed by the Royal Commission. We found a series of systemic failings which industry has failed to deal with through self-regulation. As a response we've called for stronger regulators and consumer protections.
September 2018 – Submission to Treasury on the Consumer Data Right
CHOICE has called for a Consumer Data Right that is consumer-focused, efficient and fair.
September 2018 - The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry - Superannuation round
CHOICE responded to the superannuation policy questions posed by the Royal Commission and also called for the establishment of long-term funding for the Superannuation Consumers' Centre so that people can be represented by a strong independent voice in this important market.
August 2018 – Improving the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code
CHOICE has called for improvements to the TCP Code, to promote better customer service in the industry.
August 2018 – Gift card expiry dates
CHOICE made a submission on draft exposure legislation dealing with gift cards. The legislation will ensure gift cards have a minimum expiry date of three years from the date of supply.
July 2018 – Obesity inquiry submission and Supplementary submission for obesity inquiry
The food and beverage industry play an overly influential role in food and health policy in Australia. CHOICE made two submissions to the Senate Select Committee into the Obesity Epidemic in Australia to highlight these issues.
July 2018 – Inquiry into class action proceedings
Class actions can provide consumers with access to justice in circumstances where they otherwise could not afford to take action. CHOICE made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission in support of the class action system.
July 2018 – Regulatory approaches to ensure the safety of pet food
CHOICE responded to the Senate inquiry on improvements to pet food regulations. We recommended that Parliament introduce a mandatory standard for pet food, appoint an independent regulator and improve recall processes.
July 2018 - Protecting Your Superannuation Package response to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee
CHOICE responded to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee into the proposed 'Protecting Your Superannuation' package which would cap fees, auto-consolidate accounts and make insurance within superannuation more appropriate to people's needs.
June 2018 - Protecting Your Superannuation Package response to Treasury
CHOICE responded to a Treasury consultation into the proposed 'Protecting Your Superannuation' package which would cap fees, auto-consolidate accounts and make insurance within superannuation more appropriate to people's needs.
CHOICE responded to the Royal Commission's questions on the financial advice industry. We called for an end to all forms of conflicted remuneration that still persist in the industry, including banning commissions on the sale of life insurance, asset-based fees, and existing grandfathered commissions.
May 2018 – Expiry dates on gift cards
CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre made a submission to Treasury, calling for a ban on expiry dates for gift cards, or at least a national version of NSW's ban on expiry dates of less than three years.
May 2018 – NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register
The NSW Complaints Register publishes information about individual traders who are the subject of a high number of complaints and empowers consumers to make informed decisions about where to buy goods and services. CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre made a submission in support of the Register, and called for more contextual information about complaints to be released.
April 2018 – Submission to the Independent Review of the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012
The GEMS Act is key to helping Australian consumers make informed choices concerning their energy usage. CHOICE called for the expansion of the product portfolio covered by the GEMS Act, increased compliance activities, and harmonisation with international standards that are relevant for Australian consumers.
April 2018 – Preventing discounts on inflated energy rates
CHOICE called for urgent reform to harmful discounting practices, while arguing that the proposed rule change did little to improve consumer outcomes.
April 2018 – Facilitating access to consumer energy data
The implementation of the Consumer Data Right has the potential do drive improved consumer outcomes. CHOICE supports an implementation of a Consumer Data Right that is customer focused, efficient, and fair. CHOICE called for the implementation of the Consumer Data Right to be guided by unified consumer protections, privacy principles, and objectives that ensure consistency across sections.
April 2018 – Clarifying, simplifying and modernising the consumer guarantees
Drawing on feedback from hundreds of consumers, CHOICE made a submission in response to Treasury's consultation Regulatory Impact Statement on proposed changes to the consumer guarantees found in the Australian Consumer Law. CHOICE called for stronger, clearer refund rights in relation to products that experience failures shortly after purchase, and products that experience multiple small failures.
April 2018 – Complaints-handling and record-keeping rules for the National Broadband Network
CHOICE made a submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority on a new complaints-handling standard for the NBN.
CHOICE responded to the Royal Commission's questions on the consumer lending market, in particular mortgage brokers. We called for an end to conflicted remuneration and the introduction of a best interest duty to protect consumers from conflicted brokers.
March 2018 – Competition in the Australian Financial System: Draft Report submission to the Productivity Commission
CHOICE responded to the Productivity Commission's Draft Report on Competition in the Australian Financial System. We called for reforms in the home loan-market, including abolishing Lender's Mortgage Insurance and introducing a 'best interest' duty for mortgage brokers.
February 2018 – Submission to Australian Energy Regulator: Draft Performance and Reporting Guidelines
CHOICE called for the Australian Energy Regulator to improve performance reporting standards in the energy market. We raised concerns about a lack of detailed data about switching rates, smart meters, pay on time discounts and disconnections.
February 2018 – Proposed package of amendments to the Australian Consumer Law
CHOICE provided comments to Treasury on a range of proposed amendments to the consumer law, particularly focusing on unsolicited sales.
February 2018 – Inquiry into the proliferation of inauthentic Indigenous art
CHOICE provided the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs with a summary of our investigation into inauthentic Indigenous art and souvenirs, and how difficult it can be for consumers to find the real deal.
February 2018 – The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry
CHOICE drew on the feedback of over 2800 people who had experienced conduct at the hands of banks and financial service providers which fell below these people's standards and expectations. We've called for an end to bank self-regulation as a first response and for better equipped regulators to step in to prevent people being harmed.
January 2018 – Pre-approval of advertisements - the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 2017
CHOICE raised concerns about the Bill's broad number of proposed permitted indications, many of which are not backed by scientific evidence, and the ceasing of the pre-approval process for advertising therapeutic goods.
January 2018 – The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure) Bill 2017
CHOICE wrote to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, to raise concerns about the broad scope of this Bill and the unreasonable administrative burden it will place on not-for-profit advocacy groups.
January 2018 – The 2018-19 Federal Budget
The three key areas CHOICE highlighted in this years' pre-budget submission are private health insurance, housing and airline passengers' rights.
December 2017 – Consultation on self-regulation of the do not call register and spam regulation
Given poor levels of compliance and a poor track record in complaint handling, CHOICE raised serious concerns about the proposal to allow industry to self-regulate.
November 2017 – Submission to Treasury on the FinTech Sandbox Regulatory Licensing Exemptions
Consumer groups CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre provided Treasury with comments on a Bill dealing with regulatory licensing exemptions for FinTech companies.
October 2017 – Supplementary submission to the ACCC for the New Cars Retailing Market Study
CHOICE provided the ACCC with additional case studies from consumers who had difficulty enforcing their rights to a remedy when something went wrong with their new cars.
October 2017 – Submission to the ACCC on the proposed recall notice for Takata airbags
CHOICE wrote to the ACCC in support of a proposed compulsory recall of Takata airbags in cars.
October 2017 – Draft Insurance in Superannuation Code of Practice
We wrote to the superannuation industry calling for much tighter time frames for closing down inactive accounts and improving insurance product design and affordability to ensure they match consumer needs.
September 2017 – Submission to the ACCC for the New Cars Retailing Market Study
CHOICE wrote to the ACCC about issues in the new car market, particularly for consumers who experience difficulties in having problems with their new cars remedied.
September 2017 - Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics on superannuation accountability, member outcomes and governance
CHOICE wrote to the Senate Standing Committee to express our support changes to superannuation law which would make funds much more accountable to their members.
September 2017 – Superannuation: Assessing Competitiveness and Efficiency
We wrote to the Productivity Commission to share with them a sample of over 2,500 consumers on their experience with superannuation. Feedback included concern over high fees, multiple accounts and difficulty in switching funds.
August 2017 – Collection models for GST low value imported goods
CHOICE wrote to the Productivity Commission about collecting the GST on goods that cost less than $100 purchased from overseas online stores. CHOICE feels the tax should not be applied unless revenue raised outweighs collection costs.
August 2017 – Banking Executive Accountability Regime (the BEAR)
CHOICE and Consumer Action have written the Treasury about how banking executives should be held accountable when the institutions they're responsible break the law or harm consumers.
July 2017 – Tax Deductible Gift Recipient reform opportunities
CHOICE supports the work of other consumer organisations, including Community Legal Centres. These types of organisations often have DGR status. We wrote to Treasury to show our support for these organisations' advocacy activities, and tell Treasury there should be no reason to limit these activities through changes to the current DGR system.
July 2017 – Value and affordability of private health insurance and out of pocket costs
CHOICE collected over 1000 case studies of consumers' experiences in the private health insurance market and conducted a representative survey of private health insurance policy holders for this submission to the Senate's inquiry into private health insurance.
July 2017 – Mortgage broker remuneration
CHOICE, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action and Financial Counselling Australia worked together to look at how mortgage brokers are paid and what this means for consumers. We call for major changes to the way brokers are paid to protect consumers and for new standards so that brokers have to act in the best interests of their clients.
June 2017 – Insurance in super: member engagement
The Insurance in Superannuation Working Group was looking for feedback on how it could help consumers understand what insurance they have within superannuation. We called on the industry to provide more simplified information, such as a Key Fact Sheet and commit to user testing to ensure information remains relevant and engaging.
May 2017 – Insurance in super: claims handling
The Insurance in Superannuation Working Group proposed changes to the way superannuation funds process life insurance claims. We said the entire industry needs to commit to improved claims handling time-frames and release data on how they perform.
April 2017 – Superannuation: Alternative default models - draft report
The Productivity Commission proposed reforming the way consumers are defaulted into superannuation funds. We said it was important to make changes which would cut down on the $150 million a year wastage caused by multiple default funds and to introduce consumer-led competition into fund selection.
April 2017 – Insurance in super: account balance erosion
The Insurance in Superannuation Working Group proposed changes to reduce the erosion of superannuation balances due to insurance premiums. We said the industry needs to improve the design of insurance so it better matches the needs of consumers at an affordable price.
April 2017 – Changes to the GST Low Value Threshold
The Senate Economics Committee asked what we thought of proposed changes to the GST on low-cost imported goods. We said we're worried that no one has assessed the impact on consumers or competition in retail markets.
March 2017 – Consumer protections in the banking, insurance and financial sector
Consumers are getting a bad deal from the banking sector in big and small ways. We told the Senate Economics Committee that urgent action is needed to address the lack of competitive pressure, to lift standards for professionals and improve consumer support across the banking sector.
February 2017 – Inquiry into Australia's General Insurance Industry
Consumers are getting squeezed as premiums increase and policies become more restrictive. There is a lack of publicly available data to help consumers easily compare policies and help find more competitive offers. We need to find simple, well tested ways to improve consumer access to and understanding of insurance policy comparison data.
January 2017 – Australian Consumer Law enforcement and administration
Our consumer law may be strong in theory, but penalties are too low to be an effective deterrent to bad behaviour. We wrote to the Productivity Commission to call for higher penalties for breaches of the Australian Consumer Law.
January 2017 – CHOICE's recommendations for the 2017-18 Federal Budget
Consumer needs must be a priority for the next Federal Budget. We called for action to address poor value health insurance, high cost credit cards and a gap in consumer protections in the financial sector.
January 2017 – Timesharing schemes
Timeshare schemes are sold using aggressive and likely misleading tactics. We argue that current exemptions and special protections for the timeshare industry need to be rolled back and replaced with stronger consumer protections to help people easily find out what they'll be getting for excessively high prices.
22 December 2016 – Objective of superannuation
Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics calling for a clear objective for superannuation to improve policy making and fairness.
22 December 2016 – Proposed industry funding model for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
CHOICE and the Consumer Action Law Centre supported the Federal Government's proposal to make the finance sector pay for to regulate their industry but the model must lead to better consumer outcomes and maintain ASIC's independence.
19 December 2016 – Data availability and use
Submission to the Productivity Commission's final report regarding access to data.
16 December 2016 – Indigenous consumers and unsolicited sales
Joint submission to Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand from CHOICE and nine other organisations regarding door-to-door sales in Indigenous communities.
9 December 2016 – Interim report for the review of the Australian Consumer Law
Submission to Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand regarding the review of the Australian Consumer Law.
7 December 2016 – The telemarketing and research industry standard
Submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority regarding nuisance calls and the Telemarketing and Research Industry Standard.
2 December 2016 – Applying GST to low value goods imported by consumers
We fear that proposed changes to the GST low value threshold (LVT) are a poorly designed and would restrict consumer access to goods without measurable economic benefit.
December 2016 – Australian Consumer Law (Free Range Egg Labelling Standard) Information Standard
When consumers buy free range eggs they rightly expect that hens actually go outside, have room to move inside and that animal welfare practices are used. The Draft Standard would not require eggs labelled as 'free range' to meet these basic expectations and would let industry groups effectively mislead consumers looking for a good egg.
29 November 2016 – Inquiry into the life insurance industry
Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services in which we called for improved consumer protections in response to poor industry behaviour.
18 November 2016 – New car retailing industry market study
Submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission regarding the new car market and the Australian Consumer Law.
31 October 2016 – Superannuation alternative default models
Submission to the Productivity Commission regarding how consumers are allocated to new superannuation funds.
28 October 2016 – The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
Submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
30 September 2016 – Misuse of market power
Submission to the Commonwealth Treasury regarding the Exposure Draft Competition and Consumer Amendment (Competition Policy Review) Bill 2016.
23 September 2016 – Superannuation competitiveness and efficiency
Submission to the Productivity Commission on how to make the superannuation system more competitive, efficient and better serve consumer needs.
9 September 2016 – Review of retail banking sales commissions and payments
Right now, banks hide exactly how they pay retail staff. We called for the banking sector to release as much information as possible about the commissions and sales payments that front-line staff and their manager's receive.
9 September 2016 – Life Insurance Code of Practice
Submission to the Financial Services Council recommending improvements to the life insurance industry code of practice.
30 August 2016 – Consumer law enforcement and administration
Submission to the Productivity Commission regarding the enforcement and administration of consumer law.
5 August 2016 – Data availability and use
Submission to the Productivity Commission regarding access to data.
July 2016 – ASIC's proposals to facilitate innovation in financial services
Innovation can increase options for consumers but there's no guarantee that innovation will lead to a net benefit. We strongly argued against reducing consumer protections for consumers of financial services by allowing new businesses to operate without a license (AFSL).
30 June 2016 – Redesigning VET FEE-HELP
Submission to the Department of Education regarding consumers' experiences of FEE-HELP in vocational education and training.
21 June 2016 – Cutting credit card confusion
Submission to the Australian Treasury's 'Credit cards: improving consumer outcomes and enhancing competition' consultation paper.
1 June 2016 – Intellectual property arrangements
Submission to the Productivity Commission regarding intellectual property in response to its draft report.
May 2016 – Consumer protection and the economic empowerment of women in Papua New Guinea
We partnered with an academic based in Papua New Guinea to support the development of stronger consumer laws in the Pacific.
26 May 2016 – Issues paper for the review of the Australian Consumer Law
Submission to Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand regarding the review of the Australian Consumer Law.
18 May 2016 – Corporations Amendment (Professional Standards of Financial Advisers) Bill 2016
CHOICE strongly supports lifting professional, ethical and education standards for financial advisers. We called for all advisers to have to pass a basic exam and for no exemptions for advisers selling poor-value timeshare schemes.
April 2016 – Scrutiny of Financial Advice (SoFA) Inquiry: comments on the life insurance industry
CHOICE, Consumer Action and the Financial Rights Legal Centre worked together to explain to the major issues with life insurance to the Senate Economics Committee.
29 April 2016 – Private Health Insurance
To help the ACCC prepare its report to the Senate, we told the regulator that consumers were frustrated by the poor quality information provided about private health insurance products and about dramatically increasing prices.
8 April 2016 – Vehicle emissions discussion paper
Submission to the Federal Government regarding fuel efficiency and real-world testing procedures.
March 2016 – Causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia
Submission to the Senate Economics References Committee on gift cards and the collapse of listed retailers.
March 2016 – NSW Home Building Compensation Fund
Consumers need strong protections when they are building or repairing their home. We argued for a stronger domestic building insurance system for consumers in NSW.
14 March 2016 – Comments on ASIC's Mortgage Broker Remuneration Review Research
Mortgage brokers act for consumers but are paid by credit providers. ASIC's research into consumer outcomes is essential but needs to look closely at the nature of conversations or advice that brokers give to consumers.
11 March 2016 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, investor-state dispute settlement and transparency in treaty negotiations.
7 March 2016 – Corporations Amendment (Life Insurance Remuneration Amendments) Bill 2016
The Bill being considered by the Senate Economics Committee would reduce, but not remove, commissions that financial advisers can still receive when selling life insurance. ASIC research is clear - when an adviser receives a commission it leads to poor customer outcomes. CHOICE supports the Bill but wants a long-term plan of action.
February 2016 – CHOICE recommendations for the 2016-17 Federal Budget
We called for the next Federal Budget to address poor value health insurance, to increase funding for the finance regulator and to fix a long-standing gap in consumer protections in the financial sector.
February 2016 – Regulation of Agriculture, Issues Paper
Food labels are essential for consumers and need to give them the information they value the most to make informed decisions. We told the Productivity Commission that food labels need to be meaningful, consistent, accurate and designed for consumers, not industry.
February 2016 – Country of Origin Food Labelling
CHOICE strongly supports the Federal Government's proposal to improve country of origin labels. We worked with over 26,000 campaign supporters to develop ten recommendations to improve food labels for consumers.
12 February 2016 – Misuse of market power
Submission to the Commonwealth Treasury regarding competition law and misuse of market power.
30 November 2015 – Intellectual property arrangements
Submission to the Productivity Commission regarding intellectual property.
30 October 2015 – NSW consumer complaints register
Submission to NSW Fair Trading regarding the Consumer Complaints Register.
24 July 2015 – Free trade agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People's Republic of China (ChAFTA)
Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties regarding investor-state dispute settlement in ChAFTA, a free trade agreement between Australia and China.
1 June 2015 – Tax discussion paper on GST Low-Value Threshold
Submission to the Federal Government's regarding lowering the GST low-value threshold.
29 May 2015 – Review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989
Additional submission to the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development regarding restrictions on importing cars.
26 May 2015 – Competition policy review final report
Submission to the Commonwealth Treasury regarding the Final Report of the Harper Review of Australia's competition policy framework.
16 April 2015 – Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015
Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee regarding online copyright infringement.
23 March 2015 – Copyright notice scheme industry code
Submission to the Communications Alliance regarding the proposed Industry Code C653:2015, to set up a copyright infringement notice scheme.
27 February 2015 – The Commonwealth's treaty-making process
Submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee regarding the treaty-making process with particular reference to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
17 November 2014 – Competition policy review draft report
Submission to the Federal Government regarding the Harper Review of Australia's competition policy framework.
20 October 2014 – Review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989
Submission to the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development regarding restrictions on importing cars.
29 August 2014 – Online copyright infringement public consultation
Submission to the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department regarding online copyright infringement and access to digital content.
10 June 2014 – Competition policy review issues paper
Submission to the Federal Government regarding the Harper Review of Australia's competition policy framework.
Public complaints
August 2020 – CHOICE complaint to the ACCC about Tinder's misuse of data and discriminatory pricing
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the ACCC about Tinder's use of customer data to engage in discriminatory pricing practices. CHOICE asked the ACCC to investigate Tinder for breaches of the Australian Consumer Law in relation to misleading and deceptive conduct and use of unfair contract terms that are not sufficiently transparent.
August 2020 – CHOICE complaint to the ACCC about non-alcoholic hand sanitisers
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about non-alcoholic hand sanitisers. CHOICE asked the the ACCC to investigate potentially misleading advertising claims made by companies about the protection offered by quaternary ammonium compound-based hand sanitisers.
August 2020 – CHOICE complaint to the TGA about non-alcoholic hand sanitisers
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the Therapeutic Goods Administration about non-alcoholic hand sanitisers. CHOICE asked the TGA to investigate potentially misleading advertising claims made by companies about the protection offered by quaternary ammonium compound-based hand sanitisers
March 2020 – Complaint about Mosaic Brands Pty Ltd engaging in misleading and deceptive advertising
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the ACCC about Mosaic Brands Pty Ltd engaging in misleading and deceptive advertising during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
January 2020 – Complaint about bundled products offered by GMHBA
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the ACCC about health insurer GMHBA bundling a rewards program with some of their health insurance policies, not disclosing the cost of the rewards program, and not allowing people to opt-out of the program when purchasing health insurance online.
November 2019 – Complaint about misleading and deceptive mortgage broker claims
CHOICE lodged a complaint with ASIC about potentially misleading and deceptive mortgage broker industry advertising.
November 2019 – Complaint about unconscionable conduct in the funeral industry
CHOICE lodged a complaint to the ACCC about InvoCare's administration fee, which we believe is an example of unconscionable conduct in the funeral industry.
October 2019 – CHOICE Shonky Awards 2019 Winner: Suggested case for investigation and enforcement
CHOICE submitted a complaint to the ACCC, highlighting misleading marketing claims on foods advertised to children.
June 2019 – Complaint about timeshare industry practices
We lodged a complaint to ASIC about misleading and deceptive conduct and poor financial advice in the timeshare industry.
July 2017 – Complaint about remedies provided in the Takata airbag recall
A major CHOICE investigation into the Takata airbag recall found that some car manufacturers were replacing fault Takata airbags with like-for-like potentially faulty airbags. We made a formal complaint to the ACCC about this conduct, resulting in the establishment of a taskforce and prioritised ACCC investigation.
March 2017 – Complaint against ticket resellers Viagogo and Ticketmaster Resale
We lodged a complaint to the ACCC about misleading and deceptive conduct, drip pricing and unfair terms and conditions in the ticket resale industry.
February 2017 – Freedom of Information request for mandatory safety reports
We lodged a Freedom of Information request with the ACCC, seeking access to the more than 10,000 mandatory product safety reports made by suppliers that are currently kept confidential.
December 2016 – Fare Play? Terms and conditions in Australia's airline industry
We submitted this 'super complaint' to the ACCC where we asked for a market study into the airline industry and immediate enforcement of the Australian Consumer Law.
October 2016 – Camel milk's health claims
Camel Milk Victoria claimed that camel milk could aid in the treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases. Following our complaint to the ACCC, Camel Milk Victoria removed the claims from its website.
September 2016 – NSW Taxi Council
We complained to the ACCC about the NSW Taxi Council ad which stated that ride-sharing is no safer than hitch-hiking.
May 2016 – Thermomix product safety mass incident report
We referred over 80 cases of Thermomix product failure and serious injuries to the ACCC. Consumers reported that Thermomix blamed customers when something went wrong and belittled or intimidated them when they made a complaint.
October 2015 – Kleenex flushable wipes
We complained to the ACCC following the CHOICE Shonky Awards regarding Kleenex 'flushable' wipes claims. Our testing found that wipes didn't break down like toilet paper and shouldn't be flushed. In December 2016, the ACCC initiated court proceedings.
