MATT SHIRVINGTON: Great news for travellers. Mon, if you’ve ever been left out of pocket after a delayed or cancelled flight, things are set to change. The Federal Government will roll out a consumer protection scheme, taking the weight off passengers and putting it back onto the airlines, these new minimum standards will be paired with independent regulator, ensuring airlines and airports follow the changes. But before the policy takes off, Labor wants to hear from passengers, inviting you to have your say. For more, Transport Minister Catherine King joins us live in Melbourne. Great to have you with us. So, will Aussie passengers get a fairer deal under these changes? 

CATHERINE KING: Well, that’s certainly the plan, and we’re putting out this consultation paper today. It’s the last round of consultation to get passengers to have their say. They can go to infrastructure.gov.au, get on the website and fill out a form quickly there to let us know what you would like to see as part of these Australian aviation consumer protections. We know that we want to lift the passenger experience here in this country, that we really want to, you know, it’s been too hard often for people to try and get a rebooking or a refund. They’re often offered flight credits when they don’t want that. And the carriage service often, you know, for them, you haven’t necessarily read every single line when you’re booking an air ticket. You’re focused on getting yourself on holiday or getting to work. There’s lots of different terms and conditions. So this is what really this is about, trying to get minimum standards, make it easier for people. 

MATT SHIRVINGTON: So, Minister, what are the obligations of the airlines here? 

CATHERINE KING: Well, what the airlines will be obliged to do is meet the minimum standards. So the Consumer Charter basically will say this is what you should expect as a passenger in terms of rebooking time, quick and prompt refunds, accommodation, transport if you need it or a meal voucher if that’s what you need and this is the sort of things and the timeliness with which you can expect it. What we’re trying to do is, in the immediate circumstances where people are delayed, have lost their baggage, trying to really get that done quickly, rather than often people are trying to, days or sometimes weeks and months later, trying to get some form of redress, trying to get it quickly. 

MATT SHIRVINGTON: And often don’t have the funds to be able to do it. Minister, really appreciate your time. We’ll stay across this one. 

CATHERINE KING: Thank you.