Projects
CHOICE
- CHOICE - Overview
- CHOICE - Submission to the superannuation review (2009)
- CHOICE - Consumer code development processes (2009)
- CHOICE - Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct Review (2008)
- CHOICE - Consumer Protection in Telecommunications (May 2008)
- CHOICE - Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct Review (2007)
CHOICE - Overview
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CHOICE is a leading Australian consumer representative body, addressing issues such as food regulation and labelling, health and financial services to telecommunications and digital technology, standards codes, ecologically sustainable development and the environment.
Galexia has worked with CHOICE on a number of consumer-related projects, including consumer protection in electronic transactions and consumer protection regulation.
CHOICE - Submission to the superannuation review (2009)
On behalf of CHOICE, Galexia prepared a submission to Phase 2 of the Super System Review (the Cooper Review). Phase 2 of the review deals with the operation and efficiency of Australia’s superannuation system.
The CHOICE submission focuses on a small number of key areas where reform is most needed:
- Increasing the amount and quality of comparative data available to consumers;
- Removing the bias that results from sales commissions to advisers when recommending a superannuation fund to consumers;
- Introducing measures to decrease excessive fees and charges, including a new ‘fee target’ of 1%; and
- Introducing measures to reduce the number and impact of inactive and lost accounts.
CHOICE - Consumer code development processes (2009)
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CHOICE made a submission to the Australian Government’s review of the consumer-related industry codes development process calling for:
- An articulation of high-level code content principles in legislation;
- Power for regulators to be able to initiate code development (rather than only the industry);
- Requirements for the constitution of code development bodies (including a requirement for consumer representatives, and a mechanism for breaking deadlocks);
- Code monitoring and enforcement requirements;
- Code review requirements; and
- External dispute resolution requirements.
In preparation for the submission, Galexia provided CHOICE with a survey of key consumer code approval processes in use in Australia - those of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
CHOICE - Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct Review (2008)
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Following its 2007 review of the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Code of Conduct, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) released a second consultation paper containing its proposed reforms. Galexia assisted CHOICE, the Consumers’ Federation of Australia, and the Consumer Action Law Centre in preparing a joint consumer response to the proposals, in particular addressing liability of consumers and small businesses and monitoring of Code compliance.
CHOICE - Consumer Protection in Telecommunications (May 2008)
Galexia was commission by CHOICE in April 2008 to prepare an issues paper to the 2008 Telecommunications Consumer Representation Stakeholder Forum, held in late April 2008. The paper, entitled Consumer Protection in the Communications Industry: Moving to best practice, provides an overview of consumer concerns with the current co-regulatory consumer protection framework in the telecommunications sector in Australia.
CHOICE - Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct Review (2007)
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Galexia assisted Choice with its submission regarding the 2007 review of the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Code of Conduct, as conducted by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Among the major issues considered by Galexia were the liability of parties in electronic funds transactions, particularly with regard to Internet banking. The project involved detailed technical advice on authentication techniques for electronic transactions.
The revised code was released in 2008.