QUEENSLAND CONSUMERS PAWNS IN HOWARD GOVERNMENT GAME
Published Tuesday, 21 August, 2007 at 05:01 PM
Minister for Tourism, Fair Trading, Wine Industry Development and Women
The Honourable Margaret Keech
Queensland consumers are being used as political pawns by an increasingly desperate Federal Government says Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech.
Mrs Keech said the Howard Government’s hypocrisy on consumer protection issues was breathtaking.
“After years spent ignoring the needs of consumers John Howard and Peter Costello have had a sudden change of heart.
“I’m sure it’s just coincidence that their interest in consumer protection quickly followed the arrival of political research advising that the only way to win was to attack the states.
“It’s clear Howard and Costello aren’t interested in protecting Australian consumers, they only care about their re-election chances.
“You just have to look at Mr Costello’s appalling record on consumer protection in the past.”
Mrs Keech said ‘regulation’ was a dirty word to those in Canberra until the Prime Minister received the infamous Crosby/Textor memo telling him to attack the states for political gain.
“Prior to this weekend, the Howard Government’s only interest in the States’ efforts to regulate mortgage brokers was to oppose it,” she said.
“Peter Costello’s Treasury Department has put up roadblock after roadblock to hinder the Queensland and NSW Governments from pursuing the regulation of mortgage brokers.
“Canberra’s neglect of this issue was so serious that in May this year I announced the Queensland Government will just go it alone.
“My Department is now drafting our own Code of Conduct for mortgage brokers because Peter Costello’s Department dragged the chain.”
The Howard-Costello Government’s hypocrisy was even more evident in the sudden about-face on product safety, said Mrs Keech
“Despite their abject failure to protect consumers in the past, Howard and Costello have suddenly decided they now want to take control of product safety as well,” she said.
“In October last year John Howard agreed the States should lead a review of our product safety legislation. His Government supported the States’ initiative.
“He personally said so again in May and again in June.
“But by the end of June, his Government had changed its tune and suddenly announced Canberra might take product safety power for itself.
“I wonder what happened to cause that change of tune? Could it have been to do with the Crosb/Textor memo?
“When there’s an election on, Howard pretends to care about consumer protection.
“When there’s an election on, Costello pretends he always wanted mortgage broker regulation to be fast-tracked.
“When there’s an election on, Howard backflips on product safety.
“Well, the people of Queensland aren’t that easily fooled. They can see the Howard-Costello Government for what it is – devious, desperate and determined to win at any cost.
“Unfortunately it’s consumers who will pay the price.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3225 1005
Mrs Keech said the Howard Government’s hypocrisy on consumer protection issues was breathtaking.
“After years spent ignoring the needs of consumers John Howard and Peter Costello have had a sudden change of heart.
“I’m sure it’s just coincidence that their interest in consumer protection quickly followed the arrival of political research advising that the only way to win was to attack the states.
“It’s clear Howard and Costello aren’t interested in protecting Australian consumers, they only care about their re-election chances.
“You just have to look at Mr Costello’s appalling record on consumer protection in the past.”
Mrs Keech said ‘regulation’ was a dirty word to those in Canberra until the Prime Minister received the infamous Crosby/Textor memo telling him to attack the states for political gain.
“Prior to this weekend, the Howard Government’s only interest in the States’ efforts to regulate mortgage brokers was to oppose it,” she said.
“Peter Costello’s Treasury Department has put up roadblock after roadblock to hinder the Queensland and NSW Governments from pursuing the regulation of mortgage brokers.
“Canberra’s neglect of this issue was so serious that in May this year I announced the Queensland Government will just go it alone.
“My Department is now drafting our own Code of Conduct for mortgage brokers because Peter Costello’s Department dragged the chain.”
The Howard-Costello Government’s hypocrisy was even more evident in the sudden about-face on product safety, said Mrs Keech
“Despite their abject failure to protect consumers in the past, Howard and Costello have suddenly decided they now want to take control of product safety as well,” she said.
“In October last year John Howard agreed the States should lead a review of our product safety legislation. His Government supported the States’ initiative.
“He personally said so again in May and again in June.
“But by the end of June, his Government had changed its tune and suddenly announced Canberra might take product safety power for itself.
“I wonder what happened to cause that change of tune? Could it have been to do with the Crosb/Textor memo?
“When there’s an election on, Howard pretends to care about consumer protection.
“When there’s an election on, Costello pretends he always wanted mortgage broker regulation to be fast-tracked.
“When there’s an election on, Howard backflips on product safety.
“Well, the people of Queensland aren’t that easily fooled. They can see the Howard-Costello Government for what it is – devious, desperate and determined to win at any cost.
“Unfortunately it’s consumers who will pay the price.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3225 1005