National Consumer Congress 2013

The 2013 National Consumer Congress was held on Friday 15 March 2013 at the Swissotel Sydney.

Topics covered included energy, online shopping, financial hardship, food and health, and best practice campaigning.

Theme

Consumer Justice Now!

The 2013 congress looked at the role of advocacy in protecting consumers. It coincided with World Consumer Rights Day, a global effort to raise awareness about consumer rights.

Program

Time	Item	Speaker
9.00–9.30	Registration
9.30–9.35	Welcome	Delia Rickard, Deputy Chair, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
9.35–10.00	Opening address	Rod Sims, Chair, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
10.00–10.45	Energy markets and consumers—a crystal ball	Convenor Michelle Groves, CEO, Australian Energy Regulator Speakers Andrew Reeves, Chair, Australian Energy Regulator Carolyn Hodge, Senior Policy Officer, Public Interest Advocacy Centre Jo Benvenuti, Executive Officer, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre Gerard Brody, Director Policy and Campaigns, Consumer Action Law Centre
10.45–11.00	New Superannuation Consumer Centre	Jenni Mack, Chair, CHOICE
11.00–11.30	Morning tea
11.30–12.00	Advocating for consumer rights— lessons learnt and future opportunities	Catriona Lowe, co-CEO, Consumer Action Law Centre Alan Kirkland, CEO, CHOICE
12.00–12.30	Nudging consumers—insights from the UK ‘Nudge Unit’	Dr Rory Gallagher, UK Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team
12.30–13.10	Research soapbox—advocacy based on good research	Convenor Gordon Renouf, Deputy Chair, Consumers’ Federation Australia
13.10–14.00	Lunch
14.00–14.50	Parallel sessions Session 1—Virtual worlds: seeking consumer justice online	Convenor Rod Stowe, Commissioner, New South Wales Fair Trading Panellists Sarah Court, Commissioner, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Matt Levey, Head of Campaigns, CHOICE Bernard Keane, National Political Correspondent, Crikey
14.00–14.50	Session 2—What’s for dinner? Consuming issues	Convenor Jenni Mack, Chair, CHOICE Panellists Angela McDougall, Food Policy Advisory, CHOICE Clare Hughes, Practice Manager, Cancer Council NSW Hannah Nelthorpe, Master of Dietetics student
14.00–14.50	Session 3—Behind the numbers: how hardship affects people	Convenor Fiona Guthrie, Executive Director, Financial Counselling Australia Join Fiona on the couch with financial counsellors and their clients discussing their experiences with debt and financial assistance
14.50–15.10	Report back on parallel sessions	Convenors from each parallel session
15.10–15.30	Afternoon tea
15.30–16.10	Speed campaigning—consumer campaigns in 30 minutes	Facilitators Carolyn Bond, co-CEO, Consumer Action Law Centre Panellists Teresa Corbin, CEO, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Tony Masterson, Practice Manager, Murray Mallee Community Legal Advice Karen Skinner, Campaigns Director, Change.org Sarah Wilson, Senior Campaigner, Consumer Action Law Centre
16.10–16.30	Closing address: consumer justice issues on the horizon	Delia Rickard, Deputy Chair, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
16.30	Close

National Consumer Congress 2013

Theme

Consumer Justice Now!

Program

See also

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