Yesterday the Minister for Small Business, Housing, and Homelessness, the Hon Julie Collins announced that the review of Australia’s Franchising Code of Conduct will be led by Dr Michael Schaper.
Dr Schaper has extensive experience with the franchising and broader small business sector with his previous appointments including, Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Small Business Commissioner for the Australian Capital Territory, and CEO/board member of several peak industry and professional associations.
This Franchising Review is a critical opportunity to examine the regulatory settings in place to support Australia’s franchising sector, including by evaluating the effectiveness of previous reforms such as the New Car Dealerships provisions enacted in 2021.
The Minister has also released the Terms of Reference for the review, and a discussion paper and subsequent consultation process will ensue in the coming weeks.
As the discussion paper is released, the AADA will engage with members and dealer councils to gather feedback to inform the AADA’s response.