The Minister for Small Business DR Craig Emerson has announced the creation of an expert panel on franchising and unconscious conduct, as part of the ongoing inquiry into reforming these areas of trade practices law. The proposed reforms aim at providing increased protections for small business from anti-competitive conduct by more powerful and unscrupulous business. The current Franchising Code of Conduct is a mandatory industry code, prescribed under the Trade Practices Act and is administrated by the ACCC [read more].