NO.102

The Treasurer, Mr Peter Costello, today announced the re-appointment of Professor Allan

Fels as full-time Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

until 30 June 2004. At the same time he also announced the re-appointment of Dr Tom

Parry until 6 June 2005 and the appointment of Mr Alan Tregilgas until 31 March

2004 as associate members of the ACCC. The appointments have been made with the support of

all States and Territories.

has been Chairman of the ACCC since November 1995 and

was Chairman of the former Trade Practices Commission from July 1991 until November 1995.

He was also Chairman of the Prices Surveillance Authority from March 1989 until October

1992. Professor Fels was the Director of the graduate School of Management, Monash

University from 1985 until 1990 and is now an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of

Business and Economics at Monash University.

Since the ACCC was formed nearly five years ago, it has played a significant regulatory

role in progressing microeconomic reform in a number of important sectors including

electricity and telecommunications. The past year has been particularly challenging. In

particular, the ACCC had the extra responsibility to protect consumers against price

exploitation in relation to the New Tax System. The ACCC also had to maintain all of its

normal regulatory and enforcement functions under the Trade Practices Act 1974,

Prices Surveillance Act 1983 and related legislation.

’s re-appointment to the ACCC follows his re-appointment as the

Chair of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales. Dr Parry has

served as Chair of that Tribunal since it was created (originally as the Government

Pricing Tribunal of NSW) in 1992 and he was appointed as an associate member of the ACCC

when it was created in November 1995. He is a former dean of the Faculty of Commerce at

the University of Wollongong, was previously Associate Professor in the School of

Economics at the University of New South Wales and is a current member of the NSW Council

on the Cost and Quality of Government.

’s appointment was made on the nomination of the Northern

Territory and follows his appointment as the Territory’s inaugural part-time

Utilities Commissioner. Mr Tregilgas has extensive experience in public policy and

economic analysis.

CANBERRA

2 November 2000

Contact: Niki Savva (02) 6277 7340