Media Release
Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity
Minister welcomes new telco consumer leadership group
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today welcomed the appointment of senior officers to lead Australia's new telecommunications consumer peak representation body.
"The Rudd Government has made a commitment to raise the voice of consumers in the telecommunications sector," Senator Conroy said.
"The appointment of senior office holders following the first Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) board meeting this week is an important step in that process."
The ACCAN senior office holders announced today are:
| Chair: | Alex Varley (CEO, Media Access Australia) |
|---|---|
| Deputy Chair: | Holly Raiche (Executive Director, Internet Society of Australia) |
| Secretary: | Kyle Miers (President, Deaf Australia) |
| Treasurer: | Aaron Davis (CEO, Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network) |
"I would like to personally congratulate all four appointments to the ACCAN leadership team," Senator Conroy said. "All four office holders bring a wealth of experience in consumer representation and will be of great value to this new organisation."
The Rudd Government recently provided a $700,000 grant to support ACCAN as it works towards launch in 2009. The grant followed allocation of $87,000 in transitional funding in June 2008.
"Consumers are frustrated that their needs and complaints are not adequately recognised by telecommunications providers," Senator Conroy said.
"ACCAN is an important development for consumers, who through this new group will have a more powerful voice and will be better represented in the establishment of frameworks for future service delivery."
The establishment of ACCAN is being coordinated by the Consumers' Telecommunications Network: www.ctn.org.au.
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Date: 19 December 2008
Contact: Tim Marshall 0408 258 457
