Andrew Leigh

Here’s my annual round-up of books that made the biggest impression on me this year. Some are fresh off the press, others have been waiting patiently on the shelves. The 53 books are organised by theme, and within each group I’ve listed them in the rough order of how much they resonated with me. I’d welcome your own recommendations.

Stories to Escape Into

Erica Bauermeister, No Two Persons – The title comes from the saying that ‘no two persons ever read the same book’. In this delightful book, we see how nine different readers are affected by reading the same novel.

Sally Rooney, Intermezzo – ‘Like a stage fight where it turns out the knives are real’. A delightful exploration of romantic entanglements, family dynamics, and chess, set in modern-day Ireland.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2GB, SYDNEY NOW WITH CLINTON MAYNARD
MONDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2025

SUBJECTS: Banning unfair trading practices, subscription traps and drip pricing

CLINTON MAYNARD: You might be one of the many, many Australians who signs up to a subscription of some sort, or you buy something online only to find out there are a lot of associated costs down the track that you weren't aware of. The federal government's going to be introducing new laws next year. These have been unveiled today by the Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh, and the Assistant Minister joins me on the program. Hello Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH: G’day Clinton, great to be with you.

CLINTON MAYNARD: Good raising this one. I know this will be an issue before Parliament next year. What are you trying to achieve through these laws?

ANDREW LEIGH: Well, subscriptions can be a good thing but not being able to get out of them can be a pretty bad thing. And right now, many Australians are finding it frustrating to cancel online subscriptions. Sometimes you'll be able to sign up with a couple of clicks, but then they tell you to pick up the phone to cancel, or else they'll tell you that you have to pay all your back payments before you can cancel a subscription, potentially throwing people into debt.

We’re cracking down on drip pricing too which is where you go to buy something and then right at the end, you discover there's some mandatory handling fee that you weren't told about up front. We're making things fairer for consumers and better for decent competitors.

CLINTON MAYNARD: So with the subscriptions - does the way it works at the moment, I would assume there is something in the fine print that maybe a lot of us don't read. Something in the fine print that would alert you to these ongoing costs?

ANDREW LEIGH: Yeah, there might be something in the fine print, or else, sometimes they're just relying on inattention, on the fact that many of us live busy lives. We don't have hours to spend on cancelling subscriptions. I've even heard of stories where people have cancelled a credit card because it was easier than trying to battle their way out of a subscription they didn’t want.

CLINTON MAYNARD: Yes, yes. I mean, there are also issues the way scams watch and scams work, and that can infiltrate that area as well?

ANDREW LEIGH: That's right. And there's existing laws that take care of some of this, that deal with scam and deal with some of these sort of really egregious practices. But often they're just sort of relying on putting a whole lot of extra friction into the system. Companies are automatically renewing you where you hadn't expected to be auto renewed or telling you that you've got to cancel through painfully onerous processes. Over in the US, there's been a case brought by their competition regulator that's seen one and a half billion dollars paid back by Amazon for engaging in subscription trap behaviour. We don't want it to go that far in Australia, we just want to see the firms do the right thing.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP 
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury  

Ending the Unfair Tricks and Traps that Exploit Consumers

Manning Clark House,
Canberra

Monday, 1 December 2025

1. Introduction: The Shape of Modern Fairness

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, traditional owners of these lands, and all First Nations people present. Thank you for being here this evening, and to director Luciana Todd for the invitation to address you in this august venue. Manning Clark House has always been a place where ideas are treated with respect – a place where history, politics and culture intersect in ways that slow the pace and lift the level.

It is a fitting place to reflect on something that sits quietly behind everyday life, yet shapes the choices Australians make: the fairness of the marketplace, and the growing influence of design on consumer decision-making.

In the modern economy, some of the old cues of the marketplace have faded. What was once mediated by a shopfront, a conversation and a paper receipt now happens through interfaces whose workings are largely invisible. Increasingly, the consumer experience depends on micro-decisions made by designers, engineers and product teams we never meet. Some of those choices are benign. Others – timed prompts, default settings, labyrinthine cancellation paths – work against the consumer. As work on dark patterns has shown, design is never neutral; it relies on assumptions about attention, behaviour and cognitive limits.

This economy has delivered extraordinary convenience, but it has also heightened vulnerabilities that standard economic models tended to understate. Research on consumer decision-making shows that hidden fees, obscured contract terms and complex choice environments all place heavy demands on attention and cognitive capacity. Across the economy, there is a danger of business models that rely on optimising for engagement or revenue rather than clarity or fairness. Behavioural evidence shows how limited attention, fatigue and overload can lead to decisions people later regret. Taken together, these findings show that consumers can be placed at a structural disadvantage when firms design environments that exploit predictable blind spots.

This matters because markets run on trust. When people feel misled or worn down, trust begins to fray. And when trust erodes, honest firms lose ground to those willing to use trickery as a competitive strategy. Over time, that corrodes both consumer confidence and the competitive process itself. That is why the Australian Government, with agreement and support of state and territory governments, is delivering on this commitment. Our reforms do three things. First, we introduce a principles-based and economy wide ban on unfair trading practices, a clear rule against conduct that manipulates or distorts consumer decision making, causing harm. Second, we put a stop to subscription traps. Businesses will be required to disclose key terms before sign-up, provide timely reminders at critical points, and remove unreasonable barriers to cancelling. Third, we strengthen protections against drip pricing. Mandatory per-transaction fees must be disclosed upfront and prominently, to ensure no more surprises at checkout.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC RADIO SYDNEY, BREAKFAST WITH CRAIG REUCASSEL
MONDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2025

SUBJECTS: Banning unfair trading practices, subscription traps and drip pricing

CRAIG REUCASSEL: Now look, subscriptions - they can be tough to get out of. The new model is kind of getting you into subscriptions. So many things want to get you into it. Steve texts in. He says, ‘I ordered a product to try and stop my Jack Russell pup from peeing in the same spot. The kit contained a deodoriser as well, being about 500mls which I thought would last a while. The next month I received another delivery and money deducted from my bank account. Yeah, so I ended up having to phone up to get out of this subscription.’ So, phoning up thinking you're getting a single product but you actually end up in a subscription It can be quite difficult.

Somebody else says, ‘Good morning, The Australian newspaper - very hard to cancel the subscription. You have to call to cancel and the phone line took me several goes over several days to speak to a person who could cancel the subscription, but only after the next payment,’ says Carly. Yeah, that's absolutely the case. I think The Chaser website at one point had a thing where it could automatically help you unsubscribe from The Australian website as well.

Somebody else says they got ‘anti-advertising for TV - didn't work and couldn't unsubscribe. Had to change bank details. What a nightmare.’

And somebody else says, ‘It's easier to get out of Long Bay Jail than a Fitness First contract.’ Yeah absolutely, I totally agree with that. But what's going to be done about this? Well, the federal government is proposing new laws to make it illegal. Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh is making a speech in Canberra about the new legislation today. He joins us now. Morning Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning Craig, great to be with you.

CRAIG REUCASSEL: Yeah, good. So, talk us through the subscription traps that you're going to be looking at. It's not your kind of Fitness First, is it? What is it you're going to be trying to get rid of?

ANDREW LEIGH: It'll be across the board Craig. Right now, subscriptions are incredibly useful in many Australians’ lives. But too many of us find that when we want to quit them it's a bit like the Hotel California situation - you can check out but you can never leave. And so we're making it more straightforward by putting control back in the hands of consumers. It'll be a breach of the consumer law if you attempt to trap consumers in subscriptions by for example, allowing them to sign up online but then requiring a physical phone call in order to cancel.

The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP 
Treasurer

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

The Hon Dr Anne Aly MP
Minister for Small Business

Instant Asset Write‑Off Passes The Senate

27 November 2025

Today, the Albanese Labor Government has passed important laws that extend the instant asset write‑off, modernise our markets and protect consumers.

This will help small businesses to invest and grow, improve confidence in our markets and ensure a fairer energy market for Australian families.

We are extending the $20,000 instant asset write off until 30 June next year, which will boost cash flow and incentivise small businesses to invest in new equipment and technology.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP 
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

Opinion Piece

Crackdown coming on dodgy tactics exploiting our busy lives

Published in The West Australian

27 November 2025

Australians deserve markets that are fair, transparent and competitive. Yet too often, consumers are being steered into decisions they didn't intend to make, trapped in subscriptions that are hard to cancel or hit with hidden fees at the last click. These are part of a growing pattern of unfair trading practices that distort choice, erode trust and tilt the playing field against honest businesses.

That's why the Albanese Government, with support from States and Territories, is introducing a ban on unfair trading practices. This reform will outlaw manipulative tactics such as subscription traps and drip pricing, strengthen consumer guarantees and ensure businesses compete on clarity, not confusion.

The way choices are presented matters. Every button, prompt and default setting can influence behaviour. Some firms use this power responsibly. Others use it to frustrate consumers, burying key terms in fine print, making cancellation harder than sign-up, or hiding unavoidable fees until the last step.

Research shows these tactics exploit predictable blind spots: limited attention, fatigue and optimism bias. Australians know the feeling, signing up for a free trial only to be slugged with expensive charges, or spending longer trying to cancel a gym membership than it takes to do a Zumba class. These practices aren't just annoying; they're deliberate strategies.

Statement on Significant Matters
Consumer Reforms

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

House of Representatives

Wednesday 26 November

Aunty June just wanted a simple mobile phone. She walked into a Telstra shop in a remote Indigenous community and walked out with multiple postpaid contracts she didn't understand, extras she didn't ask for and monthly bills she couldn't pay. The Federal Court later fined Telstra $50 million for unconscionable conduct. Sales staff had exploited language barriers and financial vulnerability. They weren't helping consumers; they were harvesting them.

Josh thought he was downloading a digital bodyguard. The app Onavo Protect promised to keep his data secure. Instead, it quietly funnelled his browsing history back to Meta. The court fined Meta $20 million for misleading conduct.

Mei took her broken phone to Apple and was told she'd voided her rights because she'd once used a third-party repairer. That wasn't true. Under the Australian Consumer Law she was entitled to a fix. Apple paid a $9 million penalty for misleading customers.

Liam bought a refurbished phone online only to be told his rights had expired after 14 days. They hadn't. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission stepped in and the seller paid a penalty.

Consumers shouldn't have to memorise the law to get what they are owed, but companies should know it before they sell a product. These examples illustrate a basic truth. Consumers are more vulnerable when markets tilt too far towards a monopoly, when competition fades and when consumer protections lag behind. Labor's consumer protection agenda starts with a simple belief: markets only work when they work for people.

Since coming to office, Labor has delivered for consumers. I would like to acknowledge the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer in the House today. We are rebuilding the framework that makes markets fair and households confident. We have outlawed unfair contract terms so the fine print can't be used as a trap. We've increased the maximum penalties for anticompetitive conduct and ripping off consumers. The maximum penalty is now the greater of $50 million, three times the value of the benefit derived from the breach or 30 per cent of turnover.

Constituency Statement
Indian Community in Canberra

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury

House of Representatives

Wednesday 26 November

I rise to recognise the deep contribution that Indian Australians have made to shaping Canberra. Walter Burley Griffin, the designer of our capital, spent his final years in the world's largest democracy. Today, Indian Australians help build the city he imagined.

At the last census, more than 17,000 Canberrans were born in India, making India our largest non-English speaking country of birth. Each February, the National Multicultural Festival turns Civic into a celebration of the world, and ‘India In The City’ has become one of its most energetic anchor events. Run by the Canberra India Council, it fills City Walk with classical dance, contemporary performance, regional associations from across the subcontinent and, inevitably, those long food queues that signal something irresistible.

Whether it's Nav Varsh, Holi Mela or Diwali, Indian community events draw crowds across Belconnen and Gungahlin. I'm a regular visitor to the Gungahlin Mosque, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Taylor, and the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre in Florey, where I especially enjoyed participating in the chariot walk in June. I run into Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner of India, more often than I see any other diplomat.

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP 
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

ACT Shelter: A Half Century of Advocacy and Community Voice

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Congratulations to everyone involved with ACT Shelter on marking 50 years of contribution to the Canberra community.

Canberra’s housing story is unusual. By the late 1950s, 84 percent of all homes here had been built by government. Public housing was not an exception. It was how teachers, nurses, families and public servants came to settle and shape the city. When that model began to change in the early 1970s, the question of who could afford a home became sharper and more urgent.

It was in that moment that ACT Shelter took root. In February 1975, housing activists, tenants, students, union representatives and public servants gathered at University House for the first meeting of what would become ACT Shelter. Those early conversations recognised that housing affordability is not just a policy issue. It is about people’s ability to live with dignity and connection.

The organisation’s history since has been marked by persistence. The Havelock House campaign in the early 1980s showed what organised advocacy and community pressure can achieve. The Inquiry into Homelessness in 1984 helped reshape local policy. In more recent years, ACT Shelter has stood up for renters’ rights, contributed to public housing renewal debates, and continued to speak for those who are too often overlooked in housing decisions.

As a Federal Government, we are taking housing seriously. We are investing in more social and affordable homes, supporting large-scale construction, and working with the states and territories, including the ACT, to boost supply. We know that safe and secure housing is foundational to wellbeing and participation.

To everyone who has guided, staffed, volunteered for and sustained ACT Shelter over five decades, thank you. Your work has made Canberra fairer, more inclusive and more aware of the importance of housing justice.

Congratulations on 50 years, and every best wish for the work still ahead.

ENDS

The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury 

A Big Birthday for Bigheartedness 

Philanthropy Australia 50^th Anniversary Celebrations 

Online Address

Wednesday, 26 November 2025

I’m Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Charities, and it’s a pleasure to be speaking to you from Ngunnawal land.

Congratulations to Philanthropy Australia on turning fifty. It’s a rare organisation that reaches its golden jubilee while still managing to feel genuinely future-focused. If only the rest of us could age with such confidence.

When Meriel Wilmot-Wright and Patricia Feilman gathered colleagues in 1975 to form what became Philanthropy Australia, they weren’t chasing applause. They were building the scaffolding for smarter, more ambitious giving. The name has changed over the years, the stationery has improved, but the purpose has remained steady: connecting people who want to make a difference, and helping their efforts land with real impact.

Look at what has been achieved. Securing private ancillary funds opened new pathways for structured giving. Creating a deductible gift recipient category for community foundations gave communities new tools to back themselves. Championing the national target to double giving by 2030 set a clear, measurable ambition. The Productivity Commission review, coauthored by Krystian Seibert, helped put generosity at the centre of public policy. Influencing practice shifts in philanthropy, including raising awareness of its role supporting charity advocacy, or highlighting the value of ‘Paying What It Takes’. None of these wins came about by accident. They came from persistence, persuasion and a belief that generosity should be part of Australia’s civic fabric.