Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to bring to the attention of the House two very important events that took place in my electorate of Calwell last week. The first was the launch of the MoneySmart financial website. The second was the release of a consumer rights fact sheet which has been produced in 29 different languages. Both launches were held at the Hume Global Learning Centre, which is appropriate in itself considering the launches, like the centre itself, are part of a pioneering vision to change how residents approach and manage their daily lives and aspirations.

The MoneySmart website was launched by Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten, the member for Maribyrnong, and developed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. The website is aimed at helping residents control their spending and sharing information about different financial options. It contains 26 calculators and tools, including specially designed mobile phone applications to help residents, especially the younger people in my electorate, find the answers to questions they may have about money—whether about their first mobile phone contract, starting a family or saving for their retirement.

Members of the Broadmeadows Historical Society were among the first consumers to test-drive the website and were very impressed. Elayne Whatman from the society said that it was easy to navigate and that she and her husband Alan had managed to put together their household budget in little over 10 minutes. Elayne is quoted as saying, ‘If I can do it then anyone can; it is thumbs up from me.’ The website is the first part of the national financial literacy strategy and an important step in the first stage of the federal government’s new banking competition public awareness campaign. I am pleased to say that the website’s tools are also available in different languages, which brings me now to the importance of the launch of the translated versions of the ‘Your shopping rights’ fact sheet.

The fact sheet was launched last week in my electorate by Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon. David Bradbury. Its purpose is to help people from non-English-speaking backgrounds understand their rights as consumers. The idea is to help consumers—whether they speak English, Mandarin, Spanish or Croatian—with practical information about their rights and to help them know where to go if they have questions of concern.

Under the Australian Consumer Law which began on 1 January 2011, consumers have clear rights that are now applied consistently around the country. The law guarantees quality of goods and services no matter whether the product was purchased at home, interstate or online. Bearing in mind that I have one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse constituencies in the country, I am very pleased that my constituents now have at their service this wonderful fact sheet. (Time expired)

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