Anna Rawlings, chairperson of the Commerce Commission will step down when her term concludes later this year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) says.
The search for a new Commerce Commission chairperson will begin shortly, and Rawlings will continue until they are appointed.
“Ms Rawlings has advised the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that she will not be seeking reappointment after her current term ends on 31 May,” said Andrew Hume, general manager small business, commerce and consumer policy at MBIE.
Rawlings has been chair since 2019 and during her term she oversaw the implementation of a new fibre broadband regulatory regime, new criminal enforcement powers for cartels, and implemented the Commission’s new market studies power. Prior to stepping into the top job, succeeding Mark Berry, Rawlings was a Commerce Commission commissioner for five years.
She "led the Commission through a period of major growth and change," said MBIE.
Before becoming chair, Rawlings worked as a commissioner and worked on on mergers and enforcement decisions under the Commerce Act, consumer matters under the Fair Trading Act and Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), and aspects of telecommunications regulation under the Telecommunications Act.
Prior to her tenure at the Commerce Commission she was a partner in dispute resolution at law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts.
4 Comments
Commerce Commission, perhaps one day it can be targeted at our duopoly businesses, food, building supplies, logistics and while they are at it perhaps actually create a electricity market. The only area of strength at the moment is Telecommunications which seems to be competitive based around established price floors through fibre. Certainly the Electricity "market" is broken, dairy regulation is a joke, the Airports continue to hold us hostage, (no bus to Wellington Airport and the parking costs are eye-watering) and Fuel prices have little to no connection with the actual landed price of said fuel in the country.
Was just about to comment this. The last time I recall them doing anything was when they forced Telecom to allow their competitors to have access to their telecommunications assets. It didn't have any real impact on the market, as any new improved internet plan was a slight bump up in speed and still came with a 10gb cap. The improvements came when the Government rolled out UFB.
Internet speeds were an issue, but for some reason a supermarket duopoly is not an issue?
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