Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
8. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Consumer Affairs 
: What recent announcements has the Government made on protecting consumers from loan sharks? 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 This week the Government announced a new freephone number to help protect consumers from being preyed on by unscrupulous loan companies. The number 0800 LOAN STRESS will give consumers better access to services to help them understand their rights and resolve disputes from finance companies. This will empower people to seek protection when they believe they are getting a raw deal. 
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga 
: What else is the Government doing to prevent loan sharks from preying on vulnerable people? 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN 
: The Government will reform consumer credit laws to better protect consumers. This will include preventing essential household items from being used as security for loans and creating a code of responsible lending. Draft legislation will be released in March and I will be holding a range of meetings across the country to discuss the issues involved. 
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga 
: What is the Government doing to target unregistered loan providers? 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN 
: All financial service providers are currently required to be registered with a dispute resolution service. Unregistered lenders will be targeted through new provisions in the consumer credit law. One of the proposed changes is that if a lender is not registered the consumer will not be required to pay any of the costs of borrowing. The 0800 LOAN STRESS service will also assist consumers in finding out whether their loan provider is registered and which dispute resolution service they are registered with. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This is the first time that I have ever seen this occur in all my time in Parliament where a question has been put down in the name of a member has been circulated in the name of a member—in this case Jonathan Young—but between the publication of the questions and the time of the House it has been changed. I know of no precedent and no ability to make that change. You are allowed to change the Minister who answers it but in the past it has always been done “on behalf of” after circulation. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am not aware of circulation being any particular cut-off time for such matters. A number of changes happened to questions on the question sheet and I do not think the House need take more time on it. It is an absolutely trivial matter. It is not something that in my view we should be concerned about at all. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the ability of a member to lodge a question—to have a question in that member’s name—is not a trivial matter and for it to change after a member has lodged it is unprecedented. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We do not need to take more time. Clearly the members agree on that. It is not as if it is a problem between parties. Both members are from the same party. There has obviously been agreement that the question should be asked by a different member and that is the end of the matter as far as the Speaker is concerned.