Government dumps do-not-call register extension

The Government has decided against proceeding with its proposal to extend the Do Not Call Register (DNCR) to include business numbers.

Amendments and expansion of the DNCR legislation were under inquiry in the Australian Senate. If the proposal had been approved it would have limited a company’s ability to make marketing and sales calls to potential business customers listed on the registry.

Stakeholders, including the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, were concerned the inclusion of business numbers would impede legitimate business communications.

"The Government is keeping an open mind on this issue and intends to do further research and consultation with stakeholders," the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said in a statement.

Both the Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable cities, Bruce Billson, and the Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Tony Smith, have slammed Senator Conroy, claiming the extension of DNCR to business numbers, was seriously flawed.

“We warned Senator Conroy that his now dumped legislation did not and could not distinguish between telemarketing calls and normal commercial day-to-day business calls,” Smith said.

Billson said the Federal Coalition and small business community had successfully combined to avoid yet more red tape and business obstacles being put in the way of legitimate commercial activity.

“This proposal to extend Do Not Call obligations onto legitimate small business activity is yet another example of the Rudd Labor Government’s lack of understanding and interest in the two million small businesses that are the engine room of our economy,” Billson said.

Managing director of marketing company, Direct IT, John Anderson, claimed if new new legislation was passed it would massively affect an IT company’s ability to use telephone sales to generate new business and customer leads.

Telemarketing is one of the most common methods IT reseller organisations use to source customer opportunities.

Resellers also voiced their concerns on the proposal indicating it would put pressure on other forms of marketing.

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