Information on the court case between Gerry Harvey ( HArvey Norman)and
Alan Fels (ACCC)mentioned in article below
When is the next case? What is the case being fought on?
Harvey-Fels war of attrition
Scott Murdoch
30jun03
RETAIL magnate Gerry Harvey sent his long-time nemesis Professor Allan
Fels a stinging farewell yesterday, labelling the retiring head of the
ACCC a dangerous "megalomaniac".
The Harvey versus Fels debate began last year when the competition
watchdog accused the Harvey Norman chain of "bait advertising" to lure
customers to a discounted computer software package.
Since then the two have publicly battled head to head a number of
times, Professor Fels saying Mr Harvey thought himself "above the law"
in the way he ran the retail company.
The feud escalated dramatically yesterday when Mr Harvey launched yet
another vitriolic attack on Professor Fels on the eve of his
retirement as the eight-year chairman of the ACCC.
Professor Fels had polarised the organisation so much, Mr Harvey said,
he was now feared by federal politicians who were too scared to
intervene.
In November last year, Mr Harvey said he "hated" Professor Fels with
"a passion".
"I think he is mischievous and dangerous, I think he has done
irreparable harm to the Australian economy," Mr Harvey told Channel
Nine's Business Sunday.
"I think in years to come he will be judged and others that are
intimidated at the moment will speak out and they will say what they
really think. And the truth will come out.
"I think he is egotistical, I think he is a megalomaniac, that he is
too powerful. I think he is the most powerful man in Australia. He has
scared the politicians."
Preliminary hearings into the ACCC accusations have been heard in the
Federal Court but an outcome has yet to be delivered.
Harvey Norman is alleged to have deliberately misled thousands of
customers about the availability and associated tax benefits of a $199
software package which came with a free bonus offer worth $900.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Harvey Norman
used "misleading and deceptive conduct" in a June 2000 catalogue,
pitched at consumers and businesses hunting pre-GST bargains.
Professor Fels retaliated and claimed Mr Harvey had proven
unco-operative in the watchdog's investigation and that he had tried
to "bully" the commission into dropping the charges.
"There has been massive resistance by Harvey Norman at every stage of
the inquiry which has made things go very slowly," he told Channel
Nine.
"There was very heavy public criticism by him of us during the period
when we were privately investigation him, he never told the media he
was under investigation when he was slamming us and there was just an
attempt to put some pressure on us.
"An old fashion attempt to bully the commission. We don't buckle to
that sort of thing." |
