Rod Sims

Australia's competition regulator says it will not oppose a planned merger between mortgage aggregators Australian Finance Group and Connective, despite holding previous concerns around competition.

The consumer watchdog has criticised Qantas for failing to tell customers they were entitled to refunds for flights cancelled due to coronavirus.

The Federal Court has ordered private health insurer Medibank to pay $5 million in penalties for making false representations to customers.

The owners of the giant Waitsia gas field intend to export half the gas rather than reserve it for the domestic market after securing state government approval for their plans.

Perth-based HealthEngine has been ordered to pay $2.9 million in penalties by the Federal Court. It comes after the tech company achieved rapid growth but incurred big financial losses.

Facebook is threatening to stop Australian users from sharing news if the social media giant is forced to compensate media companies for publishing their stories.

Australia’s top competition body will closely scrutinise the domestic flight market as restrictions have led the nation's major airlines to consider strategic overhauls.

Peters Ice Cream has been accused of stopping other distributors from selling single-wrapped ice creams at petrol stations and convenience stores.

Telstra Corporation will appear before the federal court after admitting to ‘unconscionable conduct’ when selling post-paid mobile contracts to Indigenous consumers.

Australian retailer Kogan.com has been found guilty of misleading consumers by falsely claiming to offer a discount on some items, as part of a four-day promotion.

Australia's competition regulator has rejected an undertaking by Alphabet Inc-owned Google that sought to address competition concerns over its planned $US2.1 billion ($A2.8 billion) acquisition of fitness tracker maker Fitbit.

Google's power over the multi-billion-dollar online world of advertising is front and centre of a new consumer watchdog report.

Australia's media code will be tweaked to make it clear tech giants are expected to pay news organisations a lump sump rather than for every time an internet user clicks on a link.

The federal government's attempt to invest taxpayer money in new gas projects faces stiff opposition in parliament.

Australia's world-first news media bargaining code will soon be in force after legislation cleared federal parliament.

Australians looking for cheap flights are already benefitting from Rex's entry into the domestic market, after Jetstar and Virgin cut prices in response.

A national report has highlighted the sharp fall in profits by the country’s big airports with worse to come this year as passenger numbers struggle to recover.

Seven West has finalised a five-year content-sharing deal with Google and signed another three-year deal with Facebook.

Australia's competition watchdog is opposing a Qantas plan to resume flights between Australia and Japan.

A $50 million penalty imposed on Telstra for fleecing vulnerable Indigenous consumers is a warning for corporate Australia, the head of the consumer watchdog says.

Woolworths' takeover of distributor PFD Food Services will go ahead despite concerns the move will eventually lead to fewer workers in the industry.

Households could save almost $200 a year by shopping around for electricity, the consumer watchdog says.

Australia’s three biggest internet providers are being taken to court over NBN promotions that the ACCC claims misled hundreds of thousands of customers.

Three payments providers will be allowed to merge despite concerns charges for electronic transactions could later rise.

A Qantas plan to resume flights between Australia and Japan has been grounded after the competition watchdog said it would reduce competition.

Australia's competition watchdog says it needs new powers to curb Google's dominance in advertising technology that sells ads for sites such as YouTube.

Australia’s competition watchdog will not oppose Bunnings’ acquisition of specialist tile retailer Beaumont Tiles.

The consumer watchdog is seeking feedback on Veolia’s divestiture offer before ruling on whether the French waste management company can acquire fellow-French competitor Suez.

Online retailer Booktopia is being taken to court after refusing to offer refunds to consumers who received faulty or incorrect items.

The federal government will appoint Gina Cass-Gottlieb as the ACCC's first female head, replacing outgoing chairman Rod Sims.

The ACCC will not oppose Woodside’s plan to acquire BHP petroleum assets, clearing the way for two of WA’s largest natural gas suppliers to merge.

Australia’s competition regulator has granted interim authorisation allowing manufacturers to work together to address looming shortages of AdBlue.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has challenged the prime minister to make rapid antigen tests free, backing calls for them to be available for all Australians.

Annual wages grew 2.3 per cent as of the December quarter, the highest since mid-2019, but still lagged well behind the rate of inflation at 3.5 per cent.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison won't freeze fuel excise, even as global oil prices near $US100 per barrel with Russia and Ukraine on the brink of all-out war.

Two members of the federal coalition's junior partner have called for a cut in the fuel excise as petrol prices continue to climb above $2 a litre.

Australia’s competition regulatory body is suing the owner of social media giant Facebook over “celebrity-endorsed” scam ads, following a similar legal action by billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest.

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable has pushed back against calls by former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims for higher taxes on mining profits.

Recent federal government reports highlight the cost of industrial activity at our ports.

Western Australia’s peak business lobby has called for a quick end to debate over imposing higher taxes on mining sector profits after a lift in the petroleum sector's profit tax.