Professor Ioannis Lianos, director of the CLES, and Dr. George Barker, associate member of the CLES, have been appointed members of the panel of experts of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This appointment entitles them to provide services on a preferred basis to both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

The major finance daily in Australia, the Australian Financial Review ran a major report on the panel (see http://www.afr.com/p/national/government_business/accc_looks_to_private_consultants_kDs6pRxVb1q2nH3YcHrGZJ), noting 

"Professional groups which make the panel could have a busy time in the next three years. In recent times the ACCC has been displaying an activist touch, with supermarket chain Coles challenged recently on whether pre-baked bread from overseas finished off in store on the day of sale is really “freshly baked”.  National airlines Virgin and Jetstar have been admonished for so-called drip-pricing, where cut-price offerings gradually disclose additional charges during the sales process."

The ACCC and AER rule on what is anti-competitive behaviour, set conditions of access for private infrastructure, and control revenues earned by monopoly infrastructure businesses, such as pipeline or electricity distribution.

The ACCC states that:

  • "The ACCC intends for the panel to form our core supplier base for essential services”
  • "The ACCC is looking for suppliers committed to developing and maintaining strategic relationships over the term of the panel"
  • "The list of services sought confirms the ACCC is looking for major extension of its service performance through close interaction with high-value, expert consultants