Media Release

Telecommunications consumer stakeholder forum

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, today announced that a forum to identify ways to make consumer representation in telecommunications policy making more effective will be held in Canberra on Thursday 1 May 2008.

“The Telecommunications Consumer Representation Stakeholder Forum will examine the effectiveness of current consumer representation in the Australian telecommunications industry,” Senator Conroy said.

“I want to give consumers a more powerful and effective voice in the development of telecommunications policy.”

“The sustainability of the telecommunications market depends on maintaining a healthy relationship between industry and consumers. Providing better consumer protection is a priority for the Government,” Senator Conroy said.

Prominent stakeholders in the telecommunications market—including consumer, carrier, disability, government and industry representatives—have been invited to attend. The forum will provide these stakeholders an opportunity to discuss ways in which current consumer representation strategies can be improved.

“I am also interested in exploring a range of options that will provide the strong voice consumers need. This could be along the lines of a federated peak body and substructure as proposed by the Productivity Commission in its draft report, Review of Australia's Consumer Policy Framework (December 2007),” Senator Conroy said.

Anyone interested in expressing a view on this issue can lodge a submission electronically at consumer.forum@dbcde.gov.au, or by post to:

The Manager
Telecommunications Consumer Strategies
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Burns Centre, 28 National Circuit
FORREST ACT 2601

Submissions must be lodged by midday 30 April 2008 AEST. All submissions will be published on the Department's website.

ends

4 April 2008

Contact: Tim Marshall 0408 258 457