The Greens will oppose Labor’s Scams Prevention Framework Bill in the House of Representatives because it fails to adequately support people who have been scammed and hold corporations accountable.
“Labor has delivered for big banking corporations by making sure this Bill is more about protecting profit than helping people who have been scammed,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“This whole Bill is a scam because it claims to support people who have been scammed but is designed to make it almost impossible for them to get compensation.”
“Labor’s Bill leaves Australians who have been scammed to fight a complicated, lengthy battle against big banks, telcos, and social media giants to get their money back.”
“This legislation creates a David and Goliath scenario where scam victims face a convoluted and lengthy process, likely taking years, to seek redress.”
The Greens said the bill should include a presumptive reimbursement model, similar to the successful UK scheme, which ensures scam victims are reimbursed quickly. Under this model, banks would refund victims promptly and recover costs from other companies involved, such as telcos and social media platforms.
“The Greens will continue fighting for stronger protections, quicker reimbursements for scam victims, and incentives for businesses to prevent scams in the first place.”
“We will also push for the Bill to be referred to inquiry so we can hear from stakeholders and the community.”
“The big banks made almost $32 billion in profit last year, yet Labor has designed a bill to protect their bottom lines instead of protecting Australians.
“As is often the case, Labor is more interested in appeasing its corporate donors than protecting customers and helping scam victims.”
