Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Wednesday 24 October 1973, page 9


â– ivicmoers or tne interim Commission on Consumer Standards with the Minister for Science, Mr Morrison, yesterday. They are, standing from left, Mr Jack Hannes, the managing director of Hanimex Corporation Ltd; Mr Rupert Sweeney, a senior industrial officer with the Electrical Trades Union and a member of the Metric Conversion Board; Mr Morrison; Professor Robert Street, the chairman of the commission, who is professor of physics at Monash

University, Melbourne, and the chairman of the National Standard Commission and the Australian Research Grants Committee; Mr David Bottomley, a senior consultant with PA Management Consultants Ptv Ltd, ot Melbourne, and seated, Miss Margaret Fulton, left, a writer with an active interest in consumer items used in the home; and Dr Leanna Thomas, a lecturer in common law and consumer protection at

Monash University.

First meeting of consumer bodv

© j

The Australian Gov

ernment would provide the biggest incentive to producers to meet consumers standards, the Minister for Scicnce, Mr Morrison, said in Canberra yesterday after the first meeting of. the Interim Commission on Consumer Standards.

The Government would be the "fang tooth" behind the commission.

"The Government is the largest consumer in

Australia and will attach itself to those products that meet the standards set by the commission", he told a press conference.

Mr Morrison said also that the trade-practices legislation would make it obligatory to meet stand

ards.

The chairman of the interim commission, Professor Robert Street, said the commission's problem was to reach as many groups as possible so it could find the areas where action was most urgent.

"The commission is giving high priority to making contact with voluntary

consumer bodies and educating the community on the meaning of standards", he said.

"Contact with the many voluntary consumers' organisations will be made through advertisements, and the groups are invited to register with us.

"We have decided to publish a pamphlet written in English, Turkish, Italian and Greek, explaining the significance of the flammability warning labels on children's nightwear based on the recently developed Australian standards", he said.

The commission riot only wanted to hear from organised groups but any consumer who had a complaint.

"Anyone has access to the commission, we want to involve as many people as possible in our inquiry"

he said.

The interim commission is to make its final recommendations to the Government on the setting up of a permanent statutory body in 10 months.

Mr Morrison said the commission would bring home to the housewife the need to recognise stand

ards.