Ms LAWRIE - 2002-10-10
Minister, the Consumer Affairs Council has been advertising in recent newspapers for new members to be nominated. Why is the council being restructured and what has been changed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am very excited about the Consumer Affairs portfolio, and I am looking forward to the reinvigoration of the Consumer Affairs Council. As we speak, people are being sought from throughout the Territory to start membership of that council for its next term and we are wanting to get a very wide representation of membership. We want to see members from our regional centres, from Darwin and from our remote communities.
The council received very little support or attention from the last government. We intend to see Consumer Affairs take a much more prominent role in the priorities of our government. The council has recently developed a new strategic policy and procedures plan, and that is to be implemented along with the new council membership.
The activities of council members are to advise me on consumer issues; have input into educational programs on consumer affairs; assist the development of strategies on a range of consumer issues; and provide comment from a consumer perspective on new and reviewed legislation.
I am particularly proud that, as a result of my attendance at the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs in Adelaide, the Northern Territory has been trusted to take carriage, at a national level, of Indigenous Consumer Affairs issues. We will then, on an ongoing basis, prepare submissions back to the MCCA, and it is our responsibility to consult with indigenous people regarding the issues that particularly impact on them.
I am therefore concerned to see indigenous and remote area consumers represented on our council, and to be generally involved in the input to government positions on these very important matters. Today’s examples I brought to this House in the form of the fax scams are just one of hundreds of different examples of what Consumer Affairs are working with every day.
I look forward to working both with the council and with the Consumer Affairs Commissioner to get some of these issues sorted out in the near future.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am very excited about the Consumer Affairs portfolio, and I am looking forward to the reinvigoration of the Consumer Affairs Council. As we speak, people are being sought from throughout the Territory to start membership of that council for its next term and we are wanting to get a very wide representation of membership. We want to see members from our regional centres, from Darwin and from our remote communities.
The council received very little support or attention from the last government. We intend to see Consumer Affairs take a much more prominent role in the priorities of our government. The council has recently developed a new strategic policy and procedures plan, and that is to be implemented along with the new council membership.
The activities of council members are to advise me on consumer issues; have input into educational programs on consumer affairs; assist the development of strategies on a range of consumer issues; and provide comment from a consumer perspective on new and reviewed legislation.
I am particularly proud that, as a result of my attendance at the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs in Adelaide, the Northern Territory has been trusted to take carriage, at a national level, of Indigenous Consumer Affairs issues. We will then, on an ongoing basis, prepare submissions back to the MCCA, and it is our responsibility to consult with indigenous people regarding the issues that particularly impact on them.
I am therefore concerned to see indigenous and remote area consumers represented on our council, and to be generally involved in the input to government positions on these very important matters. Today’s examples I brought to this House in the form of the fax scams are just one of hundreds of different examples of what Consumer Affairs are working with every day.
I look forward to working both with the council and with the Consumer Affairs Commissioner to get some of these issues sorted out in the near future.
Mr STIRLING (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016