Recent entries
- 4BC Farewell Michael Smith
- Labor progress
- Thank you Michael
- AWM cutbacks
- Fatal boat crash
- Exorcism
- Australia’s worst taxi driver?
- Soldiers of Islam
- RSS Syndicate this blog (XML)
What we're talking about
- Durkim on New Zealand Gangs Mm, yeah... Real funny, Randhil... more
- Kayli on The Boats God help me, I put aside a whole afteroonn to figure this out. more
- Raynes on Tax and Pollution Until I found this I thoguht I'd have to spend the day inside. more
- James Brown on Mark Latham Mark, you must fell as if you are pushing it uphill, but you are the hope of the side. Keep it up! more
- Michael on Halal certification The Halal Choices website is http://www.halalchoices.com.au/product_lists.htmlIt lists all the products that have been ... more
- a barker on A few facts on illegal boat people We are the Lucky Country, or are we?.15 years ago maybe.How many Indonesian Officials are taking a a bribe from the people ... more
- Robin on The Boats Hey,Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come ... more
- dan on A few facts on illegal boat people From what i can see if we dont do something about this flood gate issue,we will have the same nonsense thats happening over ... more
- Randhil on New Zealand Gangs This info is the cat's pajmaas! more
- Keshawn on CMC Complaint into Queensland Health That's rlelay shrewd! Good to see the logic set out so well. more
- howard on Learning from one another? We are such a politically correct and multiculturally sensitive country Islamists are flourishing here. Just as they ... more
- PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
- PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
- anne white on Halal certification A website that lists all Australian food products that are halal is, HALAL CHOICES.Also I phoned COLES (1800 061 562) and ... more
- john on The Taxi Industry No one have the right to do anything they dont want.. you want to drive cabs do it you are not force to do something you do ... more
- Diana on Halal certification I just found out about this today! Does anyone know how to get a list of products bearing this logo so we can boycott them? more
- lol on New Zealand Gangs lol... this isnt good at all more
- Ann on Support our Diggers Is it possible to buy this sticker? I'm sure any number of people would be proud to support our diggers by displaying the ... more
- Mimosa on Smith with PM Gillard You mean I don't have to pay for expert adcvie like this anymore?! more
- figsen/hypolgirl on Anna Bligh as President Hope you're checking this out Wobblyone. Your comment is one of the cleverist/funniest I have read. Couldn't stop laughing. ... more
Choice
Kevin Rudd campaigned on a fair go for consumers. Grocery prices, fuel prices, bank fees – they were all fair game.
The Choice organisation used to be a pretty good source of independent commentary about how the government was performing against its promises. Well today I wonder just how independent the Choice voice really is. When Choice pipes up about the government's performance, who is paying the piper?
Choice had been the independent consumer's voice in Australia for years.
Here are a few statements from Choice's website.
"No advertising, no bias ... just reliable, expert advice. CHOICE is fiercely independent: we do not receive ongoing funding from any commercial organisation."
Well up until the last year or so I believed those statements.
But late last year the Federal Government started cosying up to Choice. The old adage "keep you friends close but your enemies closer" springs to mind. Chris Bowen, the Assistant Treasurer released Choice's report on Good Practice in Consumer Protection Enforcement - link
It was no surprise that they were close – Bowen had arranged for Choice to take over the Government's disastrous Grocery Choice website in a deal reputedly worth $13 million to the hitherto independent organisation. - link
At the time of the announcement a director of Choice resigned over the issue. Robin Brown was the director of the Canberra-based Foundation for Effective Markets and Governance and chairman of Choice's policy advisory group. - link
He told ABC radio at the time "My view is that this was such a momentous decision for Choice, quite unprecedented in its 50-year history [in that it involved] a large amount of government money and a matter that was really quite political. I thought that there was a significant risk to Choice's reputation as an independent commentator on public policy on the way markets work ... and a risk to its bipartisan approach to politics."
The Federal Government has two major consumer protection agencies – the ACCC and the ASIC.
You'd think that between them they could enforce consumer law and register and maintain complaints. Well apparently not – today Chris Bowen the Assistant Treasurer is reportedly launching laws that will protect people from "unfair" contracts. The new Australian Consumer Law will apparently include provisions that will allow the consumer group Choice to immediately ask for an investigation into the fees. - link
You can't help but wonder about Choice and its relationship with the government.
Choice now receives millions of dollars in funding from Chris Bowen. How independent can their views now be?
Blog comments
-
And pigs can fly!
This reeks of grandstanding protectionism! Opposition: DO something about another farce and spending of our Tax dollars please!
Concerned,
Ria LohuisRia Lohuis Tuesday 17 February, 2009 - 3:12 PM
