House debates

Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill 2009

Consideration of Senate Message

Bill returned from the Senate with requested amendments.

Ordered that the requested amendments be considered immediately.

Senate’s requested amendments—

(1)    Clause 2, page 2 (table item 2), omit the table item, substitute:

2.  Schedule 1

If this Act receives the Royal Assent before 1 January 2010—1 July 2010.

If this Act does not receive the Royal Assent before 1 January 2010—a single day to be fixed by Proclamation.

A Proclamation must not specify a day that occurs before 1 July 2010.

However, if this Act does not receive the Royal Assent before 1 January 2010 and any of the provision(s) do not commence within the period of 6 months beginning on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent, they commence on the day after the end of that period.

(2)    Clause 2, page 2 (table item 4, 1st column), omit “39”, substitute “32”.

(3)    Clause 2, page 2 (table item 7, 1st column), omit “75”, substitute “74”.

(4)    Schedule 1, heading to Part 1, page 4 (line 2), omit “and prohibited”.

(5)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 4 (line 22), omit the definition of prohibited term in section 1.

(6)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 5 (line 9), omit the heading to Part 2, substitute:

Part 2—Unfair contract terms

(7)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 5 (line 10), omit the heading to Division 1.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 5 (line 29), omit “term.”, substitute “term; and”.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 5 (after line 29), at the end of subsection 3(1), add:

             (c)    it would cause detriment (whether financial or otherwise) to a party if it were to be applied or relied on.

(10)  Schedule 1, item 1, page 6 (lines 4 to 7), omit paragraph 3(2)(a).

(11)  Schedule 1, item 1, page 6 (line 20), before “Without”, insert “(1)”.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 1, page 7 (after line 21), at the end of section 4, add:

        (2)    Before the Governor-General makes a regulation for the purposes of subsection (1)(n) prescribing a kind of term, or a kind of effect that a term has, the Minister must take into consideration:

             (a)    the detriment that a term of that kind would cause to consumers; and

             (b)    the impact on business generally of prescribing that kind of term or effect; and

             (c)    the public interest.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 1, page 8 (lines 1 to 18), omit Division 2.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 1, page 8 (line 19), omit the heading to Division 3.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 2, page 9 (lines 29 to 31), omit “, and paragraph (b) has not already applied in relation to the contract”.

(16)  Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (line 3), omit “applies to the contract”, substitute “applies to the term”.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (after line 6), after subitem (2), insert:

(2A) If paragraph (2)(b) applies to a term of a contract, subsection 2(2) and section 7 of Schedule 2 to the Trade Practices Act 1974 applies to the contract.

(18)  Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (line 7), after “paragraphs (2)(a) and (b)”, insert “and subitem (2A)”.

(19)  Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (line 7), after “contract”, insert “, or a term of a contract,”.

(20)  Schedule 1, item 5, page 12 (lines 3 and 4), omit “or 6(1)”.

(21)  Schedule 1, item 11, page 13 (line 16), omit “(1)”.

(22)  Schedule 1, item 11, page 13 (lines 18 to 20), omit subsection 130(2).

(23)  Schedule 1, item 11, page 13 (line 21), at the end of the heading to section 131, add “etc.”.

(24)  Schedule 1, item 11, page 13 (lines 24 to 26), omit subsection 131(2), substitute:

        (2)    Despite section 130, Part 2 of the Australian Consumer Law does not apply to, or in relation to:

             (a)    contracts that are financial products; or

             (b)    contracts for the supply, or possible supply, of services that are financial services.

(25)  Schedule 2, item 28, page 44 (lines 8 to 11), omit the item.

(26)  Schedule 2, item 30, page 44 (lines 23 to 26), omit the item.

(27)  Schedule 2, items 33 to 39, page 45 (lines 5 to 22), omit the items.

(28)  Schedule 2, item 40, page 46 (line 2), omit “38”, substitute “32”.

(29)  Schedule 2, item 43, page 46 (line 20), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(30)  Schedule 2, items 44 and 45, page 46 (lines 21 to 25), omit the items.

(31)  Schedule 2, item 47, page 46 (line 30), omit “or 6(1)”.

(32)  Schedule 2, items 51 to 55, page 47 (lines 9 to 22), omit the items.

(33)  Schedule 2, item 59, page 48 (line 9), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(34)  Schedule 2, item 60, page 48 (lines 15 and 16), omit “of Part VC or of the Australian Consumer Law”, substitute “or of Part VC”.

(35)  Schedule 2, item 71, page 49 (lines 25 and 26), omit the item.

(36)  Schedule 2, item 73, page 50 (line 2), after “paragraph (1)(b)”, insert “or (d)”.

(37)  Schedule 2, item 73, page 50 (line 6), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(38)  Schedule 2, item 74, page 50 (lines 10 to 12), omit subsection 87AC(1), substitute:

        (1)    The Court may, on the application of a party to a consumer contract or on the application of the Commission, declare that a term of such a contract is an unfair term.

     (1A)    Subsection (1) does not apply unless the consumer contract is a standard form contract.

(39)  Schedule 2, item 75, page 50 (lines 15 to 17), omit the item.

(40)  Schedule 3, heading to Part 1, page 51 (line 3), omit “and prohibited”.

(41)  Schedule 3, page 51 (before line 5), before item 1, insert:

1A  Subsections 12AE(1) and (3)

Before “Subdivision C”, insert “Subdivision BA (sections 12BF to 12BM),”.

(42)  Schedule 3, item 2, page 51 (lines 8 to 10), omit the item.

(43)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 52 (line 6), omit “and prohibited”.

(44)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 52 (line 28), omit “term.”, substitute “term; and”.

(45)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 52 (after line 28), at the end of subsection 12BG(1), add:

             (c)    it would cause detriment (whether financial or otherwise) to a party if it were to be applied or relied on.

(46)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 53 (lines 1 to 4), omit paragraph 12BG(2)(a).

(47)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 53 (line 17), before “Without”, insert “(1)”.

(48)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 54 (after line 20), at the end of section 12BH, add:

        (2)    Before the Governor-General makes a regulation for the purposes of paragraph (1)(n) prescribing a kind of term, or a kind of effect that a term has, the Minister must take into consideration:

             (a)    the detriment that a term of that kind would cause to consumers; and

             (b)    the impact on business generally of prescribing that kind of term or effect; and

             (c)    the public interest.

(49)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 55 (lines 6 to 25), omit section 12BJ.

(50)  Schedule 3, item 7, page 56 (line 25), omit “or 12BJ(1)”.

(51)  Schedule 3, item 8, page 56 (lines 32 to 34), omit “, and paragraph (b) has not already applied in relation to the contract”.

(52)  Schedule 3, item 8, page 57 (lines 5 and 6), omit “applies to the contract”, substitute “applies to the term”.

(53)  Schedule 3, item 8, page 57 (after line 8), after subitem (2), insert:

(2A) If paragraph (2)(b) applies to a term of a contract, subsection 12BF(2) or section 12BK of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 applies to the contract.

(54)  Schedule 3, item 8, page 57 (line 9), after “paragraphs (2)(a) and (b)”, insert “and subitem (2A)”.

(55)  Schedule 3, item 8, page 57 (line 10), after “contract”, insert “, or a term of a contract,”.

(56)  Schedule 3, heading to Part 8, page 79 (line 2), omit “and prohibited”.

(57)  Schedule 3, item 33, page 79 (lines 4 to 6), omit the item.

(58)  Schedule 3, items 35 and 36, page 79(lines 18 to 21), omit the items.

(59)  Schedule 3, item 37, page 79 (line 28), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(60)  Schedule 3, items 38 to 41, page 80(lines 1 to 12), omit the items.

(61)  Schedule 3, item 42, page 80 (line 19), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(62)  Schedule 3, item 43, page 80 (lines 20 to 22), omit the item.

(63)  Schedule 3, item 44, page 80 (line 25), after “paragraph (1)(b)”, insert “or (d)”.

(64)  Schedule 3, item 44, page 80 (line 29), omit “or a prohibited term”.

(65)  Schedule 3, item 45, page 81 (line 3), omit “BA,”.

(66)  Schedule 3, item 55, page 82 (lines 15 to 20), omit subsection 12GND(1), substitute:

        (1)    The Court may, on the application of a party to a consumer contract or on the application of ASIC, declare that a term of such a contract is an unfair term.

     (1A)    Subsection (1) does not apply unless the consumer contract is a standard form contract that is:

             (a)    a financial product; or

             (b)    a contract for the supply, or possible supply, of services that are financial services.

(67)  Schedule 3, item 56, page 82 (lines 23 to 25), omit the item.

6:36 pm

Photo of Gary GrayGary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

The government, working closely with the opposition, moved a number of amendments to this bill in the Senate. Both parties agree that these amendments improve the bill. The government’s amendments moved the start date from 1 January 2010 to 1 July 2010; changed the definition of ‘unfair’ to include the consideration of detriment to the consumer; removed the minister’s power to blacklist certain terms; introduced specific criteria that the minister must take into account when listing examples on the grey list; and made a number of technical and transitional changes. The opposition moved an amendment to remove two rebuttal presumptions in the unfair contract terms provisions of the bill. The removal of these rebuttal presumptions would undermine the ability of private consumers to use the unfair contract terms law at all. Therefore, the government could not agree to this amendment. Senator Xenophon also moved a number of amendments, none of which the government could agree to. I commend the amendments.

Question agreed to.