MICHAEL PETTERSSON MLA WELCOMES ACT GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT TO INVESTIGATE COMMERCIAL AGENT LICENSING REGIME

Commercial agents hold a trusted position within our community. They conduct activities like collecting debt, serving legal documents, and repossessing property. Although this work is important and necessary, inherent in this dynamic is a power imbalance that favours the commercial agent.

All Australian jurisdictions except the ACT regulate commercial agents in some way, whether that be through positive or negative licensing schemes. Canberrans don’t want to live in a legislative grey zone and rightly expect that the commercial agents that operate here are held to a high standard.

I am pleased that today, following the passage of my motion with tri-partisan support, the ACT Government has agreed to investigate establishing a commercial agent licensing regime in the ACT, with consideration of existing regulations in other states and territories.

The ACT Government will report back to the Legislative Assembly with their findings during the last sitting week of the year.