Claire Clutterham
Sturt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Some in this House have asked: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the Albanese Labor government's 1 July 2026 tax cuts? But I ask: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the money that you save from seeing a GP for free?”
“The eSafety Commissioner has identified serious compliance concerns and is actively investigating five major platforms due to their noncompliance.”
“But we need action from the entire parliament, in this place and in the other place, for that to happen. I call on all members and senators to walk together to take this action. I do that because this issue is also deeply personal for me. In my first speech to this parliament, I spoke about my own experience of bullying at school.”
“One of the early scenes in the 2010 movie The Social Network depicted young women at Harvard recoiling in disgust as they discover a website created by one of their peers that allowed male students to compare them based on their so-called 'hotness'. The website was a precursor to what would become Facebook.”
“Social media is a part of the world they have always known, yet they were remarkably forthright about its downsides. They spoke about algorithms that keep them scrolling, the pressure to seek approval through likes and followers, and the impact social media was having on their confidence, self-esteem and mental health.”
“That is why keeping children safe online should be a bipartisan issue. When the Albanese Labor government introduced the social media minimum age of 16 last year, we did so because we listened to parents, educators, experts and young people.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,071 lines we hold for Claire Clutterham, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 22.
“It sets out the conditions for making a national emergency declaration, which include: (a) an emergency has recently occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur (whether in or outside Australia); and (b) the emergency has caused, is causing or is likely to cause nationally significant harm in Australia or in an Australian offshore area.”
“I'll start by thanking the member for Forde for his contribution and especially for his shout-out to my home state, the great state of South Australia, particularly with respect to energy. In South Australia, we are leading the way in the transition to renewable energy, with 80 per cent of our energy needs being met on any given day by renewables. So South Australia is the state you want to be in. Today we talk about the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026 , which I speak on in support. In this country, we've got a range of legislation that exists to cover what are termed national emergencies. The National Emergency Declaration Act is a case in point.”
“What would help is bipartisanship, encouragement and a shared commitment that meeting these targets is good for the Australian people, not gleeful proclamation that targets won't be met nor feverish speculation about how many homes won't be built. We need to say yes to schemes that help people to buy, to schemes that help people to rent and to doing whatever we can reasonably to increase housing supply for the Australian people.”
“It's a small number in my electorate, but so what? Any progress when it comes to first home buyers or social and affordable housing is good progress. Sometimes it takes baby steps. Like the interminable renewable energy debate we have in this country, increasing housing supply also takes time and effort. We need to act promptly, and we are, but we also need to be patient. A target of 1.2 million homes is ambitious, but we need to be ambitious when it comes to housing. A target of 55,000 social and affordable homes is ambitious, but why would we strive for anything less? To be clear, these targets, which this government is striving to meet, are in place for the betterment of the Australian people. We are determined to meet these targets to provide the quality housing that people deserve.”
“Some people will argue that 500 people is not many and that this scheme is not doing much in Sturt, but that view is wrong—share that view with the 500 people who now have secure housing, a roof over their head that belongs to them and their own place on the earth that they wouldn't have had without this scheme. Five hundred first home owners is 500 first home owners while 75,000 of them over the decade is 75,000 new first home owners. In Sturt, we also don't have the same level of social and affordable housing as some other electorates do. Again, some have said, 'Well, what's the point?' But in Sturt the housing accelerator project has helped low-income households get into secure, quality housing that's in a good location which is close to transport links, supermarkets, schools, parks and the city.”
“It will be dedicated to enabling works, which are one of the key barriers that complicate the delivery of housing supply. Enabling works are the initial steps taken on a worksite before construction can begin, like the water, roads, pipes, powerlines, pavements and utilities. It's the practical work that means a house can be built. Enabling works unlock supply, and that's what the Local Infrastructure Fund is all about. Then, in my community of Sturt, just under 500 people have taken advantage of the five per cent deposit scheme that's available to first home buyers, which has helped them into their first home.”
“They include housing supply, high demand and investor dominance in the housing market, which makes it nigh on impossible for first home buyers to enter the market, plus rising construction costs and supply chain disruptions, which began during COVID, have kept going and are now being exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East. There's also a shortage of the skilled labour required to build the houses we need. But within this challenging environment—which is being led by a very activist, driven and consultative Minister for Housing, who is encouraging Commonwealth, state and territory and local governments to work together to pull in the same direction—the Albanese Labor government is acting. One of the key announcements in the recent federal budget was the $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund.”
“This government knows and understands that Australia is facing one of the most severe housing crises in its history. We do have skyrocketing costs of homes, increasing rent prices and an undersupply of housing. It's placing immense pressure on Australians. This crisis was decades and decades in the making; it didn't pop up overnight. It's not only affecting prospective homeowners but also having a profound impact on renters, low-income households and now even middle-class Australians, who are struggling to afford housing in major cities. In metropolitan Adelaide, where I live, the median price of housing is close to a million dollars. It's a figure that was basically unheard of in the pre-COVID era. There are many causes. They are generational, inextricably linked and complex. They are difficult to solve.”
“So, if we are talking about cost-of-living promises, then this is what the government promised to deliver: cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing, more urgent care clinics, more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, more tax cuts, 20 per cent relief from student debt, and free TAFE, just to name a few initiatives. These have been delivered. This government is delivering, and it will continue to craft policies that have cost-of-living relief for the Australian people at the heart of the agenda for the rest of this term and beyond.”
“The reduction in student debt of 20 per cent, welcomed by thousands of students across Australia, is not just an education policy; it is a cost-of-living policy. Equally, free TAFE has a dual design. Not only has it encouraged thousands of Australians to obtain a qualification in a critical industry or an industry with skill shortages; it is a cost-of-living measure. Paid prac, where students studying—for example, teaching nursing or social work—receive a $300-a-week payment when they are out on what are sometimes multiple week-long placements, is a cost-of-living measure. The multiple rounds of energy bill relief rolled out by the government were also a cost-of-living measure. More recently, the government cut the fuel excise in a deliberate, targeted and effective effort to provide cost-of-living relief to Australian families.”
“Short-term initiatives, such as a few hundred dollars of relief here and there, are often the source of criticism, but they are not the backbone of the government's cost-of-living agenda. The backbone can be found in many areas of the lives of Australians, such as tax cuts, which are a feature, in three rounds, plus the instant $1,000 deduction plus the Working Australian Tax Offset, and cheaper medicines, at $25 or $7.70 frozen until the end of the decade for concession cardholders. This is not just a healthcare initiative; it is a cost-of-living initiative. More bulk-billed GP visits—I note that fully bulk-billed clinics have doubled in my electorate of Sturt since the beginning of 2026—are not just a healthcare policy. They are a cost-of-living policy.”
“What is for certain, what's always being talked about, is what the government is doing on the cost of living. It's the No. 1 priority, which is why it is always the No. 1 topic in this place and in households across Australia. What the government is doing on the cost of living may not always please everyone, but the level at which it is reported on, examined, dissected and measured means there is always a cost-of-living initiative happening. You're talking about it because we're delivering it. This is the No. 1 item on the government's policy agenda: the economy—how to grow it, how to make it more productive, how to improve living standards, how to take pressure off working Australian families.”
“Again, a combination of approaches depending on the context in and purpose for which standards are being measured is probably right. What is not up for debate, however, is this government's focus on cost-of-living relief for Australian families. No matter which way you look at it, cost-of-living relief has been the government's No. 1 focus. The government, as we just heard, is frequently criticised for spending on cost-of-living relief, is frequently criticised for endeavouring to find savings and efficiencies to pay for that cost-of-living relief and is then criticised for not doing enough to relieve cost-of-living pressures. These arguments, which unhelpfully seek to criticise rather than constructively hold the government to account, are unproductive, but that is just the political climate we live in.”
“What are living standards? Are they the level of wellbeing of households, which encompass various dimensions such as consumption, income, health, education, nutrition and housing? Are they a set of material conditions that people everywhere ought to have, no matter their intentions or conception of a good life or what other rights they may claim, or are they all of those factors that contribute to a person's wellbeing and happiness? It is probably right that they're a combination of all of those things and that what someone considers an adequate standard of living differs from the person down the street, in another community or in another state or territory. There's also quite rightly a debate in how to measure living standards: GDP, the Human Development Index or some other metric.”
“These small businesses, which are the product of sometimes years and years of dedication, sacrifice and plain hard work, often start out as dreams, as promises, and then they flourish and provide our community with diverse goods, services and connection. Whether it be a cafe, a pub, a hairdresser or a gym, 'my local' is a phrase you hear time and time again thanks to small business. I look forward to further celebrating small businesses in Sturt at the Sturt Small Business Forum on 21 May 2026.”
“Finally, the awards also celebrate a business that has achieved hall-of-fame status. This year that business was Art Images Gallery. Established in 1985, Art Images Gallery is a leading contemporary art gallery in Sturt which specialises in showcasing contemporary painting, sculpture, prints, ceramics, glass and jewellery by local artists. There is a thriving arts community in Sturt, and Art Images Gallery takes pride of place within it. Congratulations to all the nominees, as well as to all the winners. The small business community in Sturt is such an important part of our community, with businesses driving economic growth, acting as drivers of job creation and employment and keeping money circulating within our local economy.”
“Best Independent Small Business and Best Professional Service were both won by Tito Pinetti Training & Consulting which like Taste of Nepal, also achieved legend status. We also had Best Health/Fitness, won by MOTUM Health; best retail outlet, won by 48 flavours; and Best Food/Beverage Manufacturer, won by Prove Patisserie, who also achieved legend status. Can I just give a bit of a shout-out to Prove Patisserie? I'm a genuine lifelong coeliac who needs to follow a gluten-free diet, and I can say Prove Patisserie produces one of the best gluten-free chocolate brownies I've ever eaten. It's smooth, fudgy and chocolatey. It is a coeliac's dream because it holds its structure. This is genuinely the coeliac's dream. I'm getting hungry; I wish I had one right now!”
“On Wednesday 22 April 2026, I had the honour of attending the ninth annual Eastside Business Awards hosted by the Norwood, Payneham and St Peters council in my electorate of Sturt, the Eastside Business Awards celebrate the achievements of small businesses, retailers, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues and wellbeing businesses within the council area. The awards were established in 2018 in partnership with Solstice Media. This year just over 700 local businesses were nominated in a range of different categories including arts and entertainment, won by HOYTS Norwood; Best Cafe, won by Doppio; Best Hair/Beauty Salon, won by Cozy Hair; and Best Restaurant/Pub, won by Taste of Nepal, with that business also achieving legend status.”
“Regional Australians don't need to be told they are being left behind; they need governments like the Albanese Labor government to deliver for them.”
“These are not niche programs. They are designed to deliver real and lasting benefits to regional Australia. We should also consider how the government responds in times of crisis. During the recent fuel supply disruptions, it was regional communities that felt the impacts first and most severely. The government recognised this and established a fuel taskforce, working with states and territories to prioritise supply to the regions. Regional communities were not an afterthought; they were a priority. The reality is this: improving outcomes in regional Australia is achieved through investing in infrastructure where it matters, delivering cost-of-living relief and strengthening essential services. The government is doing that.”
“They are permanent structural changes that put more money back into the pockets of hardworking Australians, including families, small businesses and workers in regional communities, where cost-of-living pressures can be even more acute. The newly announced $1,000 instant tax write-off and the $250 Working Australians Tax Offset apply equally to regional Australia. Then take the universal outdoor mobile obligation. This is a landmark reform that will extend mobile coverage across Australia not just where it is commercially viable but where it is needed. For regional Australians that means safer travel, better connectivity and improved access to emergency services. Future investment in low-Earth-orbit satellite technology for direct-to-device connection will also improve this, facilitating mobile connectivity anywhere in this country.”
“The federal government partners with the RFDS through multi-year contracts, and the recent federal budget included a $25 billion boost to public hospitals, directly complementing regional and remote retrieval services. This is targeted practical investment. Just as importantly, the government is delivering broad based reforms that benefit regional Australians, because when you strengthen the fundamentals, regional communities gain the most. That being said, this government's approach is not to divide Australians into 'regional' and 'metro' but to deliver universal policies that lift outcomes for all Australians—including those in the regions—while also making the targeted investments to meet regional needs. Take tax cuts.”
“The budget also provides an additional $20.6 million each year, ongoing and indexed, to support priority local road projects across regional South Australia. That funding will deliver vital upgrades to improve safety, strengthen freight routes and enhance connectivity for regional communities. I've also long been a strong supporter of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which is not just a healthcare provider but a lifeline. Whether it's delivering emergency care, bridging vast distances or ensuring people in remote communities can access specialist services that those in the cities take for granted, the RFDS shows what real support for the regions looks like.”
“But where we disagree with this motion is its suggestion that the regions are being ignored. That is simply not the case. This government is responding to changing conditions and the real impact that they are having on regional Australians. The Regional Investment Framework continues to ensure investment works better for the regions, guided by local voices, grounded in evidence and coordinated across all levels of government. Our regions are central to planning and building a stronger, more resilient future, and we see that clearly in the recent budget. In the member for Mayo's own electorate, this government has announced $45 million for upgrades to the South Eastern Freeway, a significant infrastructure investment that will improve safety for communities across the Adelaide Hills and beyond.”
“Let me begin by saying this: no-one in this place disputes that outcomes in regional Australian communities matter deeply. They do, and they should. It is something I care about personally. I hold a metro seat, like many people, but we are all Australians, and metro seat holders—just like the Albanese Labor government—care about regional Australia. I also grew up in the Riverland, on the Murray River, and I understand firsthand both the opportunities and the challenges that come with living outside our capital cities. When I was a kid, catching a Greyhound bus down to Adelaide and stopping off for chips and a strawberry milkshake at the Blanchetown Roadhouse was an exciting adventure, because the city was big and it felt so far away. I also know those challenges are being felt more acutely in the current climate.”
“The organisation now uses expertly fitted out Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft, as well as the Beechcraft King Air 200 series and Cessna Caravan. Each day, these aircraft travel thousands of kilometres by air across this great country, performing hundreds of landings, facilitating hundreds of patient contacts and hundreds of aeromedical retrievals. For almost 100 years, the RFDS has been there, time and time again, for regional, rural and remote communities of Australia, providing emergency retrievals and primary health care. Let's keep the Royal Flying Doctor Service flying.”
“Between 14 and 17 May each year, Royal Flying Doctor Service Day is celebrated around Australia in the different states and territories. This Saturday night is the RFDS annual black tie gala dinner in Adelaide, which aims to raise funds and increase awareness of this vital service. The RFDS was founded by John Flynn, and this Sunday marks 98 years since the first flying doctor flight took off from Cloncurry, flying 85 miles to Julia Creek in Central Queensland. The aircraft was a de Havilland DH.50 called Victory which was supplied by Qantas. In its first year of operation, the Flying Doctor flew 20,000 miles across 50 flights, becoming the first comprehensive air ambulance service in the entire world.”
“The Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Repealing Offences) Bill seeks to strike that balance between secrecy, transparency and accountability, and I stand with the Attorney-General in bringing this bill before the parliament and in the work that she has done revisiting Australia's secrecy laws. I commend the bill to the Chamber.”
“The practical effect of this is that non-officials will be subject to a higher threshold for criminal culpability than Commonwealth officials by increasing the thresholds to trigger criminal liability. Achieving the genuine purpose of secrecy laws is challenging because it involves a combination of secrecy, transparency and accountability. But that purpose must always be achieved, because if it is not then public confidence in the secrecy framework is eroded, and once this is damaged or gone the challenge to try to regain that trust is almost insurmountable.”
“The bill therefore contains a new requirement that the Attorney-General consent to the prosecution of a journalist for any secrecy offence, with the goal of this being that it must be absolutely clear that any proposed prosecution is in the public interest before it proceeds while noting two things: firstly that protected matters—like providing information to the public, holding governments to account and investigating matters of national significance—are firmly part of the public interest, and secondly that certain information relevant to national security and law enforcement or highly sensitive commercial and personal information must also be protected from disclosure. So significant amendments will be made to the secrecy offences that apply to non-Commonwealth officials, including journalists.”
“Journalists and the press play an important role in providing information to the public, in holding governments to account, in investigating matters of national significance and, ultimately, in some cases, shaping policy decision. This work, when it is done fairly, must never be encumbered.”
“Journalism is being increasingly criminalised, and political hostility to the press is creating a very uneasy climate where speaking out can compromise one's personal safety. We see it time and time again across the globe, including increasingly in countries which we would traditionally have regarded as fully functioning democracies that have historically embraced freedom of the press. In 2025, Norway topped the index, and we must all strive to meet them where they are at, which is a media market that is vibrant and features a strong public service broadcaster and diversified private sector services with extensive editorial independence. Fair and genuine public-interest journalism must never be endangered.”
“The targeted secrecy offence will address this type of conduct, which will apply to Commonwealth officers and persons connected to the Commonwealth where these persons improperly communicate or use Commonwealth information to obtain a benefit or cause a detriment. Finally, press freedoms are contemplated and enhanced by the repealing offences bill. Appropriate protections that promote freedom of the press are growing in importance. We know that if there is an erosion of press freedoms it is a signal of the erosion of an efficient, effective and functioning democracy. In 2025, the World Press Freedom Index, which was compiled by Reporters Without Borders, was at its lowest point in the index's 25-year history.”
“To be clear, this bill will introduce a much more targeted and refined secrecy offence into the Criminal Code. This is not a broad, general secrecy offence that criminalises disclosures that are detrimental to the working of government, which is what the 2023 review recommended. That would be too broad and would undermine trust in the criminalised aspects of the secrecy framework. The bill instead seeks to close gaps that were previously identified following the much reported, unacceptable conduct of a former PwC partner, who allegedly shared confidential Commonwealth information for personal and professional gain.”
“What this means is that section 122.4A offences would arise if the non-Commonwealth officer communicates or otherwise deals with information and, among other things, the information is security classified or communication of it interferes with or prejudices enforcement of Commonwealth criminal law, or harms the health or safety of the Australian public. These offences are extremely broad, and the repeal means that the vast majority of these non-disclosure duties will now be subject to more proportionate civil and administrative sanctions. This means criminal liability will only arise where strictly necessary to protect sensitive information, which again better reflects the genuine purpose of secrecy laws. This is significant reform.”
“Following a period of extensive stakeholder consultations led by the Attorney-General and involving contributions from multiple departments and agencies, criminal liability will be removed from more than 300 secrecy provisions, which will take place by repealing and amending specific legislation. Significantly, section 122.4 of the Criminal Code will also be repealed. Courtesy of section 122.4A, the offences in this section apply to people who are not Commonwealth officers in relation to information they communicate or deal with, or which was made or obtained by another person by reason of that other person being or having been a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity.”
“The latter finding of 'essential' cuts across the principle of the genuine purpose of secrecy provisions, creating a risk that justifiable information sharing can be compromised, which only undermines trust and creates suspicion that the genuine purpose is not appropriately reflected in the law. Scope creep, or death by a thousand cuts—whatever you call it when new baselines are constantly set—cannot be the way to legislate. This bill quite rightly makes comprehensive reforms to Australia's secrecy framework in response to these findings. Now to turn to the bill itself and its practical impact—firstly, criminal liability. The 2023 review of secrecy provisions that I referred to earlier found that there existed 168 provisions that no longer required criminal liability but which still attracted it.”
“Asking whether part 5.6 is working effectively required a consideration of what can only be described as really complex questions, such as how potential breaches of secrecy obligations are actually handled in practice, what national security or other harms the criminal offences aim to address, as well as the threshold questions of when a deemed-harm offence is appropriate, what they should cover and who they should apply to. These are complex issues, and multiple reviews of Australian laws relating to secrecy found that the provisions—probably in response—have become complicated, outdated, too broad and, in some cases, no longer essential.”
“These definitions of 'inherently harmful information' and 'causing harm to Australia's interests' are central to how these very serious offences operate, so they must, therefore, be clear and certain. Part 5.6 also contains a general offence pertaining to officials who breach a duty imposed by another law not to disclose information and an offence that applies to any person, not just officials who disclose specified types of information, including information with a security classification of 'secret' or 'top secret', applied in accordance with the Commonwealth policy framework. For prosecutions in this regard to be effective, certainty and clarity about what this all means in practice is required.”
“By way of background, on 21 November 2023, the Albanese Labor government announced it would introduce reforms to Commonwealth secrecy offences to significantly reduce the number of secrecy offences, ensuring remaining offences were fit for purpose and improving protections for press freedom. The Independent National Security Legislation Monitor's 2024 review, which looked at part 5.6 of the Criminal Code, helped to shape this. Part 5.6 of the Criminal Code includes offences that apply to Commonwealth officials, including contractors, who disclose or otherwise deal with what is defined as 'inherently harmful information' or information that falls into a category defined as 'causing harm to Australia's interests'.”
“It is simply a fact that some information held by the Commonwealth must have its integrity and security protected. This is not secrecy for secrecy's sake; this is a genuine purpose. Secrecy provisions must be frequently measured and performance tested to make sure that they reflect this genuine purpose and to make sure that the balance between the genuine purpose, the public interest and human rights is being appropriately and proportionately struck. Drawing on the 2023 review of secrecy provisions conducted by the Attorney-General's Department and the government's response to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor's 2024 Secrecy offences : review of part 5.6 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 , this bill comprehensively tests and reforms Australia's secrecy provisions.”
“On one side of the coin, it is critical that Australia's law enforcement and security agencies have access to powers which may, in certain instances, have the effect of curtailing certain freedoms. This is in order to allow for the proper investigation of serious offending and the obtaining of intelligence regarding legitimate threats to essential public interests. The other side of the coin reflects Australia's democratic values, the rule of law and human rights considerations which dictate that official secrecy provisions must be tempered by a critical right, which is the public's right to accountable government. Secrecy provisions need to be ring-fenced, and proportionately so, to the disclosure of information which would undermine national security or endanger citizens.”
“There is a need for secrecy laws, but of course these laws must be balanced against both the public interest and the fundamental democratic principle of open and accountable government. Secrecy provisions must be justified within that system of open and accountable government, and in a manner consistent with the right to freedom of expression. Now, this requires a balance between the desirability of open government and the legitimate public interest in protecting some information from disclosure for those important reasons, including national security, defence, international relations and privacy. This balance must be clear and it must be appropriate. It's not easy.”
“Any reform to those powers and those processes must be done with significant degrees of care and consideration given the consequences and the magnitude of the making of disclosable conduct. Turning to the bills currently before this chamber, what are secrecy provisions? These are provisions designed to prohibit the disclosure of sensitive information held by government, including some types of personal, commercial, national security and law enforcement information. Secrecy provisions exist not to hide, to obfuscate, to confuse or to concentrate power. They exist to prevent harm to essential public interests such as national security, and they provide assurance to people and entities who provide information to the Commonwealth that their information will be treated appropriately.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Sunsetting Provision) Bill and Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Repealing Offences) Bill. Before I do, I do acknowledge the contribution from the member for Clark. I share his view that the disclosable conduct regime in the Public Interest Disclosure Act, taxation assessments act and the Corporations Act are complex, but they are complex for very good reasons. I would put some of his concerns to rest that the legislation does, in fact, contain robust protections for whistleblowers and robust processes and procedures that organisations in receipt of disclosable conduct submissions must follow.”
“This bill addresses these issues by requiring businesses to clearly disclose that a customer is entering a subscription, what it costs, how long it runs, how it renews and how it can be cancelled, with cancellations required to be straightforward, easy to find and comprised of only reasonably necessary steps. Reminder notices reminding consumers that a renewal is approaching or that a payment is coming up will also be required. This bill is a principled, proportionate and timely response to real harms and frustrations being experienced by the Australian consumer. It does not paralyse business. On the contrary, it recognises the right of a business to grow, to innovate, to make money and to increase productivity but within a marketplace that is fair to the Australian consumer in the rapidly changing way we do business.”
“It turns out I was already stylish and there was no further room for improvement. So I rolled my eyes, chastised myself for actually signing up to this thing and then proceeded to try and cancel, before I got trapped in the endless renewal cycle. Cancelling was quite the exercise. I just wanted out, but I kept being presented with offers, promises and alternatives on a webpage that was clearly designed to make it hard for me to find and activate the cancel button. I had to trawl through the app. I had to go to the settings on my phone. I had to get a couple of codes, and then I had to click on a link in an email that was eventually sent to me. I'm all for businesses promoting their products, but why couldn't I just press a button and cancel? It took me longer to cancel than it did to be told that I look good in white t-shirts.”
“Subscriptions to streaming services, newspapers, gyms, style guides, blogs and software services are often designed on the assumption that the consumer will forget to cancel free trials, will simply shrug off renewals or will find it so difficult to cancel that they'll just roll on. I recently had an experience like this. I consider myself to be a reasonably unfashionable person. Having recently had a birthday, taking me firmly into mid-40s territory, I decided to sign up to a style app which promised to help me find the right colours and the right styles for my body shape—which is inverted triangle, for those playing along at home—and transform me into a modern, youthful style fashionista. Fantastic! Predictably, the app was not a revelation, presenting me with suggestions like jeans and white T-shirts.”
“The proposal in this bill is simply that businesses disclose these mandatory transaction-based charges, like a booking fee, at the same time as they display the base price. The consumer can then decide earlier in the process whether they wish to proceed with the transaction, knowing they will be paying a booking fee and what the amount of the booking fee is. This reform does not prohibit businesses from charging a booking fee, recognising that there are legitimate reasons to do so. All it does is ask businesses to be upfront about these costs. This is entirely reasonable and allows consumers to make informed decisions early on in the transaction. Thirdly, this bill addresses subscription traps.”
“Each matter will necessarily need to be considered on its own facts, but the non-exhaustive examples in the bill are intended to help businesses understand where the line in the sand is, without impeding legitimate commercial action, like promotion and advertising, which every business is entitled to do. Secondly, this bill addresses drip pricing. This is a practice where a consumer buys a service at what appears to be a fair and reasonable price and then experiences price creep, where new, previously unexpected fees start to come in. We've all bought a ticket to a concert, to a show, to live sport or to a movie and then experienced an inexplicable and proportionally large booking fee being tacked on at the very end of the transaction. You still want the ticket, so you pay the booking fee.”