From David Warr.
I WRITE with regard to the unreserved apology offered to the motor industry by the Consumer Council over their rip-off allegations.

With all due respect to the Consumer Council a public apology simply isn’t good enough. Where were the checks and balances when it came to ensuring that the lurid headline was based on fact?

Those at the head of the Consumer Council must remember that they have the power to destroy someone’s livelihood. As a business owner I would be appalled if I was taken to task on a matter that was unsubstantiated but which destroyed my livelihood. What good would an unreserved apology be to me?

This matter needs to be investigated urgently by an independent body. Where did the individual researching the topic get their information from? Who verified that their conclusions were valid, and finally who authorised their publication?

I would suggest that rather than hiding behind the collective umbrella of the Consumer Council, someone might have the decency to admit Mea Culpa. The purpose of the Consumer Council is to provide impartial information that informs the consumer in an independent and impartial way. Ill-informed research that uses terms such as rip-off in a way that is completely misleading smacks of covert and dubious political agendas.

The credibility of the Consumer Council is at stake here, so the sooner an investigation takes place and its conclusions published the sooner l, for one, will once again trust the council’s commentary.