Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) (13:14): In addressing the Treasury Laws Amendment (Australian Consumer Law Review) Bill 2018, I firstly thank the senator opposite, who made a significant contribution to this debate. Since January 2011, Australia has sought to empower and protect consumers through the Australian Consumer Law and similar consumer protections in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The Australian Consumer Law is essential to the functioning of the Australian economy. It has played an instrumental role in improving consumer wellbeing through consumer empowerment and protection, fostering effective competition and enabling the confident participation of consumers in markets. The Consumer Law operates within an ever-changing market landscape that is shaped by factors such as rapid technology change, trade liberalisation and changing consumer preferences. To be effective in this environment, the law must appropriately balance addressing consumer harm in a meaningful way and not imposing unnecessary compliance burdens on business or stifling effective competition and market innovation. The Australian Consumer Law review found that since its introduction the Australian Consumer Law has benefited consumers and traders. In particular, the review found that the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law has helped empower consumers, lower the incidence of consumer problems and ease the regulatory burden on traders. While the introduction of the Australian Consumer Law has been an important microeconomic reform benefitting consumers and traders, the review also identified areas where the law can be improved. This bill amends the Australian Consumer Law and the ASIC Act to clarify and strengthen consumer protections relating to consumer guarantees, unsolicited consumer agreements, product safety, false billing, unconscionable conduct, pricing, and unfair contract terms. The amendments will ensure that the Australian consumer protection regime continues to be fit for purpose. Schedule 1 to this bill amends the Competition and Consumer Act to ease evidentiary requirements for private litigants through expanded follow-on provisions, enabling litigants to rely on admitted facts from earlier proceedings. Schedule 2 makes amendments extending the Australian Consumer Law and the ASIC Act's unconscionable conduct protections to publicly listed companies. Schedule 3 amends the Australian Consumer Law definition of 'unsolicited services' to allow the false billing provisions to apply to false bills for services not provided. Schedule 4 amends the Australian Consumer Law to ensure that the unsolicited selling provisions operate as intended by clarifying that the provisions can apply to public places. Schedule 5 amends the Australian Consumer Law to enhance price transparency in online shopping by requiring that any additional fees or charges associated with preselected options are included in the headline price. Schedule 6 amends the Competition and Consumer Act to strengthen the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's powers to obtain information about product safety by broadening the power to apply to persons who are likely to have relevant information rather than only the supplier. Schedule 7 amends the Competition and Consumer Act and the ASIC Act to enable regulators to use their existing investigative powers to better assess whether or not a term is unfair. Schedule 8 amends the Australian Consumer Law to allow third parties to give effect to a community service order where the trader in breach is not qualified or trusted to do so. Schedule 9 to the bill amends the Australian Consumer Law to clarify the scope of an existing exemption from the consumer guarantees regime for the transport or storage of goods where those goods are damaged or lost in transit. Schedule 10 amends the ASIC Act to address inconsistent terminology in relation to the sale or the grant of land. Schedule 11 amends the ASIC Act to clarify that all Australian Consumer Law related consumer protections that already apply to financial services are also applied to financial products. These amendments, taken together, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia's consumer protection regime. I commend this bill to the Senate. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.