VIAGOGO, a global online ticket marketplace, has taken an interest in Canberra matters.

Simon Corbell’s anti-scalping measures in the Major Events Bill 2014 has earned their ire.

The Bill “will see event-goers punished to the tune of around $4,200, or just under the state’s average monthly wage, for something as routine as selling a ticket to your friends for an event you can’t attend anymore,” Viagogo spokesperson Alex Levenson said.

“According to our independent research, 4 out of 5 Australians believe it’s their right to on-sell a ticket if they want to, at a price that they choose. This new Bill introduces an unprecedented and unnecessary level of punishment to ticket resale at odds with the views of everyday people.

“When you make things more difficult, people choose the easiest route. In this case, that will be a return to selling tickets on the black market in pubs, car parks and outside venues. It’s a step backward, not forward.

“The Bill favours primary ticket sellers and promoters who want to restrict and control the market at the expense of consumers. If the ACT government insists on pushing ahead with it, we call on them to consult the people of the ACT and provide evidence that this is what consumers really want.

“The ACT government should really be focusing their efforts on improving consumer protection, by insisting on such things as guarantees, refunds, replacements, secure delivery and customer service,” Levenson said.