Policy
Engaged in multiple sectors, our team conducts rigorous consumer and policy research to uncover market failures and consumer harm. We actively collaborate with partners, leveraging national and international perspectives to identify and understand issues within markets. By openly sharing insights, we contribute to the creation of impactful policy solutions, fostering momentum for positive change and advocating for consumer welfare.
November 8, 2024
This submission supports the insights and recommendations made by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). Implementing FARE’s recommendations will ensure that the Code is fit for purpose and genuinely delivers on its intention to “broadcast content of commercial free-to-air television according to current community standards.
November 7, 2024
This Briefing Note outlines the key findings of Stage B of a three-stage research study, exploring the experiences, perceptions, and behaviours of Australian consumers in relation to purchasing large household appliances in the context of a cost of living crisis and rising energy bills. We investigated consumer financial constraints and expectations for appliance energy-efficiency, durability, perspectives of repairability, and understanding of consumer rights.
November 7, 2024
This submission brings together evidence showing the challenges that consumers have in finding good quality products and then repairing those products if something goes wrong
October 11, 2024
While the first tranche of privacy reforms is an important initial step with some key positive developments,Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC)urges the Federal Government to urgently commit to a clear timeline to close crucial gaps in Australia's privacy protections.
October 10, 2024
The regulatory settings for financial markets should be designed to help Australians to finance a purchase of a property that they can afford, and to ensure as many people as possible can maintain that property in times of hardship or stress. This submission combines the insights of consumer organisations with the cases we see from our work helping people in financial stress.
October 4, 2024
The proposed mandatory guardrails and the proposal to introduce an AI Act are steps in the right direction. However, reforms to consumer and privacy laws are needed to create a fair and safe digital ecosystem for Australians.The Federal Government needs to prioritise the following economy-wide reforms to prevent harms from AI
July 10, 2024
Every person deserves to live in a healthy, comfortable and affordable home. For people who rent, ensuring their home is energy efficient and of a liveable standard is not always in their control.
June 7, 2024
Australia has a major gap in its consumer law compared to the EU – in Australia there is no ban on unfair business practices.1 The EU has had a ban on unfair practices since 2005, allowing it to stop instances where companies treat customers unfairly, beyond misleading or lying to them.
April 17, 2024
Search is a service that connects consumers with information and, frequently, is a starting point for engaging with businesses or services. Accuracy matters yet increasingly people are presented with the most profitable answer for search services rather than the information they need.
April 15, 2024
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) inquiry into supermarkets in Australia is a welcome opportunity to uncover the specific practices that supermarkets undertake that harm consumers and competitive markets.
March 28, 2024
Each year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects data from more than 20,000 Australians in relation to their experiences of different types of fraud, including scams.
March 22, 2024
For the electric vehicle market to work well for all Australians, there need to be easy ways to have problems with faulty cars fixed and clear penalties for companies that fail to repeatedly offer repairs, refunds or replacements as required under Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Our research shows that complaints handling is not working effectively for people with faulty Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and there is a high risk that existing processes will also poorly serve people with EVs.
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