The ACCC: Guardian of viable markets and consumer rights

Abstract

Since its inception in 1995, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has become a trusted institution in the Australian regulatory landscape. The ACCC has conserved its enforcement mission by adapting to challenges in the political and business environments; through expanding and re-directing its repertoire for regulatory action and broadening its consumer and small business constituencies. This chapter describes the origins of the ACCC and the ways in which its leaders have capitalized on and adapted its organizational capacities to address today's threats to the organization's existence and institutional status.