RLC critic exits as Consumer Affairs turnover hits six in six years

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan today unveiled the new-look Cabinet she will take to the State election, promoting the Minister who tried to “bully” the Retirement Living Council’s Executive Director, Daniel Gannon.

Nick Staikos, who held the junior ministry of Consumer Affairs, is a close ally of the Premier, and has been given the portfolio of Building and Housing and Suburban Rail Loop.

Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, a firefighter and teacher, has been given his first ministries: Minister for Consumer Affairs, Renters, Cost of Living and Minister for Men and Boys.

“Victoria now has its sixth Minister for Consumer Affairs in six years – in the same government – while major retirement living reforms are precariously scheduled to commence in 11 business days,” Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon said.

“Since the reform process began, responsibility passed from one minister to the next – with different ministers leading the early reform work, drafting the legislation, tabling and passing the Bill, and now another tasked with finalising and embedding the regulations. This is hardly a recipe for reform success.

“With regulations still unresolved and guidance incomplete, uncertainty is flowing through to the ground, creating operational challenges for villages, hesitation for investors and builders, and uncertainty for prospective residents.

“If capital goes where it’s welcome, it’s hard to point to Victoria as a premium destination given the uncertainty it is creating.”

Minister and Gannon faced off

The Consumer Affairs Minister had spoken at the Property Council Retirement Village Outlook event in Melbourne on 24 February and discussed the new Retirement Village Act coming into force on 1 May – now just two weeks’ away – this year.

“Some regulations will commence later in 2026. These include the Code of Practice for industry operators and the standard form contract,” the Minister told the audience.

Daniel then spoke, criticising the Minister and seeking a deferral of the new Act.

“The legislation relies heavily on regulations for guidance that do not yet exist. No matter how long the legislation itself has been in the market. Too much is left to the regulations for anyone to act with confidence today,” Daniel told the Minister.

The Minister then took to all his social media platforms and used a video using a section of ABC 7.30’s 2024 story Retirement Rip Off and the interview by reporter Adele Ferguson with Daniel Gannon. He declared in the clip that he would not be spoken to like that in the future.

The Minister then barred the Retirement Living Council from any negotiations on the enforcement of the new Retirement Villages Act.

“Moving into a retirement village is a significant life decision. When contracts and rules remain unsettled, confidence is undermined, decisions are delayed, and people can remain in housing that no longer suits their needs,” Daniel added.

“We’re keen to work constructively with the new Minister, but stability, clarity and follow through are essential if these reforms are to achieve their intended outcomes for residents.”