Ms Isolde Goggin:

I thank the Senator. We will likely have to come back to him on the issue of hearing aids.

On the Chairman's question, we have some guidance out there for trade associations on what to do and what not to do. It is something we should probably update because it has been out there for a while and it needs to be focused on more but we are able to be clear on what to do and what not to do. We say the prices of goods and services supplied should be independently set, invitations or requirements to discuss prices or costs with competitors should be reported to the CCPC and staff should be trained not to discuss or share commercially sensitive information with competitors or bodies that act on their behalf. We say they should not discuss their benchmark prices and costs together with competitors, such as sales or purchase prices, including related cost elements, minimum prices, standard prices or list prices. They should not discuss price increases or decreases, they should not discuss price-related factors such as discounts and so on and they should not attend meetings that involve these matters.

As for monitoring the activity of the producer organisations, these operations are quite new in most areas. There have been a couple in the area of mushroom production for quite some time. The producer organisations have never come across our radar and it is unlikely they would because they have such a broad exemption from competition law. Within the producer organisation is the Department-----