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Minister Kean debates the Fair Trading Amendment (Ticket scalping and gift cards) Bill 2017

18 October 2017

Mr MATT KEAN ( Hornsby—Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation) (13:07): I acknowledge the legitimate issue raised by The Greens, but it is a bit of a stunt. This Government has been working on this bill for six months to get us to this position. We have engaged constructively with the Labor Opposition and anyone else who wanted to participate in getting reforms around gift cards that will put consumers first. We have tried to balance the rights of customers to get what they paid for against the needs of, particularly, small businesses that may have to make some changes to the way they deliver their business model or gift cards. I have no sympathy for the big retailers when it comes to them pocketing the cash of hardworking consumers in this State. I have no sympathy for those who are pocketing the vast majority of the $60 million of hardworking shoppers' money without providing goods or services in return.

I say to Russell Zimmerman, the Australian Retailers Association and the Shopping Centre Council—those big lobby outfits that want to put pressure on governments to roll over and put consumers last—that it is not on. I will not be pushed around by Russell Zimmerman, the Shopping Centre Council or big retailers that are profiteering at the expense of customers in New South Wales. This is good reform that protects the rights of customers, and balances them against the needs of small businesses to have certainty about the liabilities that they will carry on their books. We will look at things in the future. If The Greens want to work with me to find new ways to protect consumers in this State I am more than happy to do so.

I will work constructively with The Greens, as I have been working with the Opposition. Let there be no mistake. This is about the turf war between The Greens and Labor. The Greens are trying to position themselves as a better consumer advocate than the Labor Party. The Government will work with The Greens, the Labor Party and anyone in this State who wants to put consumers first on this issue. We are balancing the rights of consumers against the needs of small businesses in this State. We will look at how this works and if we need to go further to protect consumers, I will welcome The Greens working with us to achieve that outcome.