The Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs (MCCA) consists of all Commonwealth, State, Territory and New Zealand Ministers responsible for fair trading, consumer protection laws and credit laws.

The role of MCCA is to consider consumer affairs and fair trading matters of national significance and, where possible, develop a consistent approach to those issues.

The Ministers meet once a year, and there are also several sub-committees that meet throughout the year to discuss specific aspects of consumer protection.

At the top level there is the Standing Committee of Officials of Consumer Affairs (SCOCA), which consists of all chief executive officers of consumer protection agencies. Under SCOCA, there are four advisory committees and a taskforce which deal with different aspects of consumer protection:

• The Fair Trading Operations Advisory Committee (FTOAC)is made up of consumer protection agency compliance officers and provides advice on the enforcement of consumer laws and fair trading operational issues.

• The Consumer Products Advisory Committee (CPAC) consists of consumer product safety officers and provides policy advice on product safety standards, bans and recalls.

• The Trade Measurement Advisory Committee (TMAC) is made up of consumer trade measurement officers and provides advice on technical and enforcement issues associated with trade measurement.

• The Uniform Consumer Credit Code Management Committee (UCCMC) consists of credit and policy officers from consumer agencies and deals with matters relating to the management of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code, the nationally-consistent law which regulates consumer credit in Australia.

• Education and Information Taskforce consists of consumer education officers who work together to help identify, develop and implement new strategies to empower the consumer.

Strategic National Consumer Affairs Agenda

The MCCA Strategic National Consumer Affairs Agenda identifies the projects MCCA intends to focus on for the next twelve months and foreshadows work that will be undertaken in the future. The Agenda, however, is not exhaustive and does not prevent MCCA from discussing or undertaking work on new issues that may arise during the year.

The MCCA reviews the Agenda annually and invites input and comment from the consumer movement, business, government bodies and other interested agencies and parties.

• Go to the MCCA Mission statement.

• Go to current MCCA members.

• Go to current MCCA projects.

• Go to latest MCCA Meeting.

MCCA Ministers at their meeting on 23 May 2008

(left to right) Mr Gary Clements (representing the Hon Chris Burns MLA (NT)), Hon Linda Burney MP (NSW), Hon Kerry Shine MP (Qld), Hon Chris Bowen MP (Commonwealth), Mr Brett Phillips (representing Mr Simon Corbell MLA (ACT)), Hon Judith Tizard MP (NZ - Chair), Hon Tony Robinson MP (Vic), Hon David Llewellyn MHA (Tas), Hon Sheila McHale MLA (WA), Hon Jennifer Rankine MP (SA).