The Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, the Hon Dr Craig Emerson MP, has released an Issues Paper, Consumer rights: Statutory implied conditions and warranties, on behalf of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC).

On 12 March 2009, the former Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs announced a review of the Australian law on implied conditions and warranties (implied terms) by CCAAC.

The Issues Paper explores the adequacy of the current laws on implied terms and the need, if any, for amendments to improve existing laws and to empower regulators to ensure compliance with these laws. The Issues Paper also considers some of the related issues, such as ‘lemon laws’ to protect consumers where goods repeatedly fail to meet expected standards; the existence of extended warranties and their interaction with laws on implied conditions and warranties; and other possible means to improve the operation of the existing laws on implied terms in Australia.

The closing date for submissions is Monday, 24 August 2009