The Australian Greens have welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) concerns about the Big Two supermarkets’ moves to cut out competition in the fuel market.

 “The real cost of the supermarkets big reward schemes will hit independent retailers, creating a fuel duopoly which will hurt South Australian consumers in the long-run,” Australian Greens Consumer Affairs spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Greens have welcomed the ACCC’s plan to raise awareness on the dangers of lithium batteries.

 “Five children are taken to emergency wards around the country every week after swallowing lithium batteries, and we welcome any action taken to raise awareness and prevent further disasters,” Greens Consumer Affairs spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said. 

“Parents need to be aware of this danger in every Australian household and the fact that these tiny batteries can fall into tiny hands.

A mandatory national scheme is needed to make Australian companies work towards improving the terrible and dangerous conditions in foreign sweatshops, like those revealed in a Four Corners report this evening, the Australian Greens have said.

“The real cost of Australia’s cheap clothes isn’t measured in dollars and cents, it’s measured in human suffering,” the Greens’ consumer affairs spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The concern over a recent Instagram announcement regarding copyright laws shows how important it is to ensure we have clearly explained protections for social media users, the Australian Greens said.

“The Greens want guaranteed protections for consumers against commercial exploitation by social media corporations,” the Greens’ consumer affairs spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today.

The Australian Greens say the government's proposed amendments to credit reporting and improved privacy protections are a long-overdue development that must result in better protections for consumers.

"These must compel credit providers to list in clear, simple language what information they are asking, how it will be used, and where it will be stored," Greens' consumer affairs spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.