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- 29 November 2001
Young People Mobile Phone Use
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Page: 19132
The Hon. HENRY TSANG: My question is directed to the Minister Assisting the Premier on Youth. What action is the New South Wales Government taking to help young people to avoid mobile phone debts?
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: I thank the Hon. Henry Tsang for his question because the issue of young people and mobile phone debt is a very real issue and it is a very real concern for the New South Wales Government. It is a real issue for a couple of reasons but it is especially concerning because young people aged between 12 and 18 years make up the fastest-growing segment of the mobile phone market. Any parents with teenage children would attest to the fact that mobile phones are regarded as almost a necessity for young people. I must admit that many parents are happy for their children to have mobile phones because there is a range of security issues involved and parents are able to maintain contact with their children. Some parents are quite happy for their children to have mobile phones but there are issues associated with that.
The Hon. Michael Egan: They weren't a necessity when I was a teenager.
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: No, they were not a necessity when the Treasurer was a teenager. That is because they did not exist then. What were they using in those days, Treasurer—quills? This matter is especially concerning because, as I said, young people make up the fastest-growing segment of the mobile phone market. This is an issue that I draw to the attention of both young people and the wider community whenever I get the chance. Mobile phones are now an integral part of the lifestyle of young people, particularly text messaging [SMS]. However, the ease of access to this technology is getting some young people into debt at a time when that should be the last thing on their minds. A 1999 Communications Law Centre report reveals that 18 per cent of young mobile phone users found paying the bill a bit difficult, seven per cent were struggling to pay the bill, and 17 per cent reported some anxiety or depression associated with bill payment.
The Hon. Michael Gallacher: Point of order: From recollection, on 19 September, the Minister not only answered this question but also answered it in exactly the same way as she is answering it now. Perhaps the Minister might table her answer and refer to her earlier answer that was given to the House.
The Hon. Michael Egan: There are two points to make: Opposition members are slow learners so they often need to hear things more than once, and it is likely that my interjections will be different on this occasion.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: Further to the point of order: There is a rule on wasting the time of the House.
The Hon. Michael Egan: That is what you are doing.
The Hon. Duncan Gay: The Treasurer should be careful. He has had one hammering today and if I were he, I would back off. Given that this answer is already recorded in Hansard it would be better just to refer to the relevant page of Hansard in September. The Minister should clear out her House file.
The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt: Further to the point of order: I find it difficult to understand how the Opposition can take such a point of order when I have not in fact completed my answer. It would have been rather hard for me to have given an answer in September about an event that occurred last week, and that forms part of my answer.
The PRESIDENT: Order! For the information of honourable members, there is no rule stating that a member cannot waste the time of the House. There is no point of order. The Minister may proceed.
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: I will continue, Madam President, because this is an important issue. However, I understand why the Opposition is not keen to hear about the issue of mobile phone debt of young people and I know why members of the Opposition are not concerned. That is because the issue of who regulates mobile phone contracts is a federal one. On any number of occasions, the New South Wales Government—
[Interruption]
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Dr Brian Pezzutti to order.
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: On a number of occasions, this Government has raised this issue with the Federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts who made absolutely no response. [Time expired.]
The Hon. HENRY TSANG: I ask the Minister a supplementary question. Will the Minister elaborate further on her answer?
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: I will be glad to provide further information to the House. As I said, this issue has been raised with the Federal Government's Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts on a number of occasions, but the New South Wales Government has never received any response—which just shows the commitment of the Coalition to the issue of the mobile phone debt of young people. In fact, I think it probably underscores the commitment of the Coalition to young people in general. My colleague the former Minister for Fair Trading, the Hon. John Watkins, raised this issue with the Federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts but received no reply. I raised the issue with the Federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, and I received no reply.
The Hon. John Ryan: What was your suggestion?
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: I suggested a number of things, including a cooling-off period, allowing customers to cancel mobile phone contracts within a limited period after signing and credit limits for mobile phone accounts, obliging service providers to warn users when their bill exceeds a preset limit.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: What is a cooling-off period going to do?
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: The Hon. Greg Pearce has no understanding of the issue. A cooling-off period would allow young people to get some advice because what we are finding is that some mobile phone companies—
[Interruption]
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Greg Pearce will come to order.
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: Not all mobile phone companies, but some, are marketing heavily to young people and they are not giving young people the time to properly consider the contract. I know that the Hon. Greg Pearce is a fine master of matters legal, but not all young people are. It is actually sensible to allow young people some time to consider the contract and some time to get some advice before they sign it. Another suggestion made by the Government is pre-contractual disclosure of significant contract terms. Our information shows that young people often do not understand what they are signing up for. Another suggestion made by this Government is the specific ban on unfair conditions in contracts. Despite the fact that the Federal Government shows absolutely no interest in this issue, I am pleased to say that the New South Wales Government has taken a number of initiatives. The issue I particularly want to advise the House of is the release of the Listen Up kit. [Time expired.]
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