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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-15 Daily Xml
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GATEWAYS TRAINING CAMP

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:01): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about Gateways training camp.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We know that consumers can be treated unfairly by traders for a number of reasons; often it can be that they are not fully aware of their consumer rights. This applies to the whole community, but today I ask the minister to focus on the consumer rights of Indigenous Australians. Will the minister advise the chamber of action to improve Aboriginal people's knowledge of their consumer rights?

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 for the City of Adelaide) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his question. I was pleased to be informed that OCBA recently delivered training in Alice Springs as part of the Department of Families and Communities Gateways training camp. I understand that the aim of the camp held in August this year was to provide training and development opportunities for a group of about 20 Aboriginal people who had just gained employment as home and community care workers and youth workers. OCBA was asked to participate in the camp by providing information on general consumer protection and also the important matter of financial literacy.

I understand that the presentation included things like tips on avoiding credit traps, managing keycards and pin number security, buying a second-hand car, refund and warranty rights and how to go about making a complaint. I understand that the presentation was extremely well received, with the participants asking many follow-up questions, and apparently it was quite a lively discussion and debate involving OCBA staff. I understand that participant evaluations indicated that OCBA's presentation was a highlight and that further presentations to Aboriginal communities would be welcomed. It is also hoped that these participants will return to their communities with that important information they have gained and share it with their friends and families.

OCBA's role in the Gateways training camp was an opportunity to support the delivery of the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy. This strategy seeks to improve the financial literacy of Aboriginal people, to improve housing access and to improve the behaviour of traders in Aboriginal communities, which is often a vexed issue because of isolation and other related issues. In addition to this important new initiative, OCBA works very closely with other government and fair trading agencies, such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, with a view to tackling problems which emerge concerning things like misuse of book-up and other consumer-related issues.

Members might recall that last November I launched an audio CD in Coober Pedy which was based on the Talk About Shopping book, which together with posters is being distributed widely throughout northern South Australia. The CD discusses consumer issues that face people in the lands in English and also APY. It has been translated as well, and it has been done in a way that uses very lively and relevant pictures to make communicating concepts as straightforward and easy to understand as possible.

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