Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Like many Australians at Christmas or on birthdays, Father's Day or Mother's Day, I have received and given gift cards as presents. A gift card is one of the simplest and easiest gifts for loved ones or for an office Kris Kringle. There is nothing worse than going to David Jones, JB Hi-Fi or Bunnings, picking the thing you want or need and, once at the counter, realising the gift card has expired. It is essentially lost money. After all, there is no expiration date on money. That is why I'm happy to see the Treasury Laws Amendment (Gift Cards) Bill 2018 before the parliament. It will make things fairer for consumers and give the certainty that consumers and businesses need. No longer will people wake up on Christmas Day, unwrap a gift from their loved ones, perhaps an uncle, see a gift card and worry about onerous terms and conditions, which can be viewed only through a microscope or with the aid of a magnifying glass, and worry about the expiry time frame.

When we talk in this place about economic reform, we normally talk about the importance of creating greater wealth for our community and the people who live in Australia, whether that's more job opportunities or whether that's lower taxes, more innovation or whatever. But this too is economic reform, because it's going to benefit the lives of so many Australians, providing them with opportunities to use gift cards that previously they couldn't use because the expiry date had passed. This is major economic reform. This is what a government that governs for the many, not the few, looks like. We Liberals in the past have taken on big oil and big tobacco and today we will take on the big gift card industry.

The previous speaker said that he was worried about the difference between state laws and the federal law. Well, the reason this law is so important is that the government has become aware there are some people, in places like Tasmania, who have been considering setting up what are effectively call centres to sell gift cards into New South Wales and South Australia, where unsuspecting consumers don't realise they're not covered by the laws introduced by the excellent state minister Matt Kean, the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation. As Mr Kean has pointed out, sometimes better regulation is more regulation, but today we are here to praise smarter regulation, because under this law the gift card boiler rooms that we feared might be established in places like Tasmania, selling to the unsuspecting consumers of New South Wales, will not be possible. Under this law, nowhere now will you be able to take advantage of Australian consumers.

When this government talks about putting people before profit, it knows that you can't have profit without people. That is why Minister Robert, who has introduced this excellent piece of legislation, says that as he walks past stores and shopping malls in Brisbane and the Gold Coast people come up and hug him. It is no longer just because of his rugged good looks; it's because he's introduced a piece of legislation that the people of Australia love. And he is a beloved minister of this government. It's an example of how we are responding to the needs of consumers, not just in New South Wales and in Australia but right around Australia.

Therefore, it is disappointing to see that the Labor Party felt it necessary to move amendments to this incredibly good piece of legislation. What is Minister Robert to say to people when they come and hug him in the street, unsuspecting as they may be? Is he to say, 'Well, we're trying to get this done but the Labor Party has moved amendments to it?' Hopefully, they will see that this piece of legislation is critical economic reform. It is critical to advancing the needs of and, indeed, the importance of, what all consumers need in this country, because when we make the lives of one consumer better we make the lives of all Australians better. Thank you.

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