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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-10-18 Daily Xml
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CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:33): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about South Australia's elderly consumers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: It is the responsibility of the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs to oversee the protection of consumers by promoting awareness within the community and, in particular, empower vulnerable consumer groups. Could the minister inform the chamber of recent initiatives by Consumer and Business Services to keep older consumers informed of their rights?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:33): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. I am very pleased to provide the chamber with an update on the latest initiatives by Consumer and Business Services (CBS). Elderly and mature-age South Australians can sometimes be seen as vulnerable and provide an easy target for fraudsters and those seeking to take advantage of consumers. Many are open to exploitation through high pressure and misleading sales tactics and unfair strategies that can pressure people into entering into a sales agreement which they cannot afford and does not meet their needs. I am not suggesting that all of these tradespeople are unscrupulous; most do the right thing, but unfortunately there are some who do not.

This year has seen CBS bolster its efforts in a number of areas to provide additional information and protections for vulnerable consumer groups, including older South Australians. The 'Do not knock' campaign is a new initiative from CBS, and includes a new poster and sticker for consumers who do not want to interact with door-to-door salespeople. The sticker can be displayed prominently on or near the person's front door, and will act as a deterrent for unsolicited salespeople.

It is anticipated that this campaign may also be a popular initiative with a broad range of household consumers, including shiftworkers, those with chronic illness and the financially illiterate, but will have particular appeal to older people and those looking after their loved ones who are concerned they might be exploited. 'Do not knock' stickers have been supplied to Housing SA to send to clients who are predominantly low-income, vulnerable disadvantaged tenants, and will be available through organisations such as the Council on the Ageing, Seniors Information Service, Service SA and other related organisations.

Another popular initiative released earlier this year, and which has been approved for a re-release, is a publication entitled Savvy Seniors: A guide to consumer rights for older people. This guide is produced by CBS through collaboration with the Department for Families and Communities and the Office for the Ageing. This initiative has been hailed a great success by consumers. There is a vast range of topics including things like: top travel tips and safeguards—working out a budget, keeping track of your income and expenses; having a contingency plan; registering online in case things do not go exactly as planned when one is overseas; and money-saving tips, like applying for a seniors card, joining your local library and the dos and don'ts of signing up for a credit card.

Importantly, and in light of recent revelations about the maliciousness of scammers and their attempts to target Australian retirees, there is also an entire section on scams and ID fraud and some of the things older Australians can do to help protect their hard-earned savings, plus a vast range of other topics, including consumer guarantees, telemarketing, buying mobile phones and advice on how to become tech-savvy.

CBS was invited to participate as a stallholder at the International Day of Older Persons at the Adelaide Festival Centre on Friday, 30 September. The materials distributed included Savvy Seniors, the 'Do not knock' stickers, and promotional magnets, carry bags and the like. The demand for these resources was extremely strong, and it is estimated that CBS staff distributed resources to approximately 1,000 older South Australians who attended the event.

There has been extremely positive feedback from the community on the Savvy Seniors booklet. They continue to be distributed to local councils, the Office for the Ageing and electorate offices, and can be downloaded by visiting the CBS website and accessing the link on the homepage. South Australia's older population makes an amazing contribution to our community, and I congratulate CBS on their efforts to support and educate them around protecting themselves from unscrupulous and unwanted traders.

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