McKee delivers real estate fix, ACT says regulators must be pulled further into line

“Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee deserves credit for removing a disproportionately harsh penalty that could stop real estate agents from working for five years,” says ACT Public Service spokesperson Todd Stephenson.

“This is a welcome common-sense fix. It brings real estate agents into line with other regulated professions and ensures people are not driven out of their livelihood over a missed CPD requirement.

“But it does not solve the bigger problem which was out of scope of this Bill. Professional regulators should not be able to impose woke or ideological CPD requirements in the first place.

“Nicole McKee has made clear to the Real Estate Authority that CPD requirements should be relevant to real estate practice. But Ministers should not have to personally keep regulators in line. The law should do that.

“That is why ACT is campaigning to go further.

“Professional regulators were set up to ensure competence, safety, and ethical conduct. They should not be ideological enforcers.

“ACT’s policy would restrict mandatory training to matters directly related to professional competence and public safety, require regulators to remain institutionally neutral on political and ideological issues, and stop regulators disciplining members for lawful expression outside their professional practice.

“To be clear, professional misconduct should still be dealt with firmly. But if someone expresses a lawful political opinion, supports a political party, signs a petition, attends a protest, or posts a view online in their own time, that is none of their regulator’s business.

“Nicole McKee has delivered a fairer deal for real estate agents. ACT’s next step is to protect professionals across the board from regulators that think their job is to police beliefs rather than professional standards.”

Note to editors:
ACT's Regulated Professions Policy can be found here.