The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Chris Pearce, today released The Australian Guidelines for Electronic Commerce.
‘Consumer confidence is fundamental to the growth of electronic commerce’, Mr Pearce said. ‘The principles set out in these guidelines are not mandatory but they seek to enhance consumer confidence by providing businesses with guidance on how to deal with consumers online.’
Speaking to the National Consumer Congress in Melbourne, Mr Pearce said that ‘the guidelines deal with a number of important areas where consumers’ experience of electronic commerce differs from that in the traditional retail environment’.
The guidelines update and replace the Australian E-commerce Best Practice Model, which was released by the Australian Government in May 2000 and has recently been reviewed by the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC).
Mr Pearce praised the role of CCAAC in the development of the guidelines. ‘I value the contribution that CCAAC makes to the policy process and I commend it for its work on the guidelines.’
Copies of the guidelines are available online at www.treasury.gov.au or from:
The Manager, Consumer Policy Framework Unit
Competition and Consumer Policy Division
The Treasury
Langton Crescent
PARKES ACT 2600
Phone: 02 6263 3874; fax: 02 6263 3964
MELBOURNE
17 March 2006
Media contact: Gillian Harvey 03 9887 3890