MICHELLE ROWLAND MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
MEMBER FOR GREENWAY

ACMA REPORT HIGHLIGHTS SIX YEARS OF LIBERAL FAILURES ON TELEPHONE SCAMS

The Combatting Scams report released today highlights the industrial scale laziness of this third-term Liberal Government on telephone scams.

Australians are expected to lose a record $530 million to illegal scams in 2019, according to the ACCC, with older Australians among the most affected.

What consumers needed was strong and timely action, yet this Government has dragged its heels for absolutely no reason.

The elementary steps and trials outlined today could and should have been commenced years ago.

Minister Fletcher’s foreshadowing of “expected benefits” in the next few months shows just how hopeless this Government has been. If it was possible to deliver benefits in a few months, why has it taken years?

Australians have suffered because of this incompetence and inaction.

As Labor has noted, the UK and United States are well advanced in implementing measures and trials to reduce scams and caller ID spoofing.

British Telecom introduced a free service called Call Connect, which the company reports reduced the volume of scam and nuisance calls by 65 per cent, with over 2 million UK households signing up in the first three months.

Australians want to see a strong and effective plan to tackle telephone scams. The Morrison Government ought to stop playing word games, and get on with job.

WEDNESDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2019