Bill will close loopholes in Commerce Act

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 2

Bill will close loopholes in Commerce Act

PA Wellington A bill to close loopholes and correct anomalies in the Commerce Act, 1975, was introduced in Parliament yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Adams-Schnei-der). The Commerce Amend-, ment (No. 2) Bill provides: for the appointment of asso-; ciate members of the Com-, merce Commission. It also: gives applicants and some other parties the . right to appear before the commission, a right which is at present restricted to the Examiner of Trade Practices. It also brings the actions of Government corporations/ and departments which trade, within the scope of rhe trade practices section: of the act. The Minister said an important change was a clause which rewrote an existing category of examinable trade practices to include collective boycotts by traders. He emphasised that the Commerce Act was "fund-

Camentally sound and did not; .(need restructuring.” but said ’ the administration of the! ■ law had highlighted a num- ’ ber of areas in which ctari,'fication, and in some cases ! simplification, was clearly i ’idesirable. 'I The Minister said the) amendments had been con’isidered by a working party! ’! including representatives ' of I ’ consumer interests and the ') manufacturing and dis’itributive sectors. ' I Mrs A. Hercus (Lab., Lyt’■tehdn). said she w'aS con-! \carned; about a provision; in! jj'the bill/which: would allow : the Commerce Commission, to prohibit the publication ’■.of any part of books or '[document’s produced at a) ’ meeting of the commission. i The present provision is; ■j limited to books or docujments produced at any hear-1 'ling of the commission. The bill was referred to) I the Commerce and Mining; ! Select Committee for further) consideration, and the hear-) > ing of submissions on the) -! proposed legislation.