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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-03 Daily Xml
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GIFT CARDS

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about gift cards.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Over recent years, gift cards have become increasingly popular. According to the recent American Express annual Christmas survey, gift cards will be the most popular present this year, with one in five people intending to purchase gift cards in 2009, up from 13 per cent in 2007. Consumer organisations have raised concerns relating to gift cards, in that gift cards tend to expire and the rules that shops apply are sometimes regarded as unreasonable.

In the United States, regulators have acted to require all charges and fees to be clearly displayed at the point where the card was purchased, and for all cards to be valid for at least five years after they are issued. Retailers would be unable to charge a fee for replacing an expired card if money remained on it.

My questions for the minister are: has the government or the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs looked at ways to protect Australian consumers in relation to gift cards, and is the government intending to act to protect consumers in this area?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for his Christmas question, and it is a most important question too. I always marvel when the honourable member raises concerns. I could be wrong, but to the best of my recollection I do not think that he has ever written to me about this matter, but I may stand corrected. The member comes into parliament and raises a question and, to the best of my knowledge, he is the only person who has ever raised it, along with a whole heap of these sorts of matters that he raises here.

To the best of my knowledge, this matter has not been raised before with me, but as I said I will double check all of my correspondence, including my Christmas correspondence. Our officers are diligent and are always on the look out for new dirty tricks, and we are always looking to protect our consumers as best we can. If the honourable member has any specific details about this matter I will be happy to receive them and have my officers check them out.

The PRESIDENT: It is very surprising that some people are even too tight to spend their gift cards.

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