Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government is taking decisive action to help consumers get fairer prices at supermarkets, in stores and online, including:

(a) the release of an interim report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which looks at a wide range of concerns, from land-banking to shrinkflation;

(b) making suppliers follow the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, a mandatory code, following the recommendations of former competition minister Craig Emerson; and

(c) revitalising the National Competition Policy to boost productivity and living standards;

(2) notes the Government believes that alleged misconduct in the supermarket sector is unfair, unacceptable, and it makes cost of living pressures worse for Australians, so it is:

(a) providing $30 million package of additional funding for the ACCC to crack down on misleading pricing practices and poor conduct; and

(b) funding CHOICE, the consumer organisation, over three years to report on supermarket prices across Australia; and

(3) recognises the Government's number one priority is tackling the cost of living pressures facing hard working Australians and making sure they are paying a fair price at the checkout, and Australian farmers are getting a fair price for their goods.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to tackling the cost-of-living pressures facing Australians. We won't stand by as supermarkets and retailers take advantage of the people that they are meant to serve. This motion recognises the critical role that our government is playing in building stronger, more competitive markets that put downward pressure on prices for all Australians.

It's clear that people in our community have been doing it very tough. The supermarket check-out is one of the sharpest reminders of the pressures on household budgets. Just a couple of months ago, the ACCC announced legal action against major supermarkets for allegedly engaging in deceptive pricing practices. The ACCC claimed that both Coles and Woolworths were temporarily inflating their prices so they could later mark them as discounts. That, in reality, offered no real savings—sometimes even charging more than the original price for the same products. This kind of behaviour is more than just deceptive; it shows utter contempt for Australian shoppers trying to stretch their budgets just that little bit further.

The Albanese Labor government is determined to take decisive action to prevent this type of manipulation and ensure that consumers get fairer prices at the supermarkets, in stores and online. Australians deserve transparency, fairness and honesty in pricing, and we're committed to delivering real, impactful solutions. That's why we've announced $30 million in additional funding to boost the ACCC's ability to monitor, investigate and enforce against pricing practices that raise such concerns. This funding will empower the ACCC to actively pursue cases where supermarkets and retailers may be unjustifiably inflating prices—all while hiding behind vague or misleading practices.

But we are not stopping there. The Treasurer is also working closely with state and territory leaders with the Council on Federal Financial Relations to reform planning and zoning regulations. These outdated frameworks, which include restrictive zoning laws and planning restrictions, currently stand as obstacles to genuine competition. They allow land banking, keeping prime retail space off the market, driving up costs for consumers and limiting choices in our communities. We're dismantling these barriers to ensure that more stores can open and consumers can get real choice.

The government is fully aware of the challenges Australian households are facing. For many, the rising cost of groceries is not just inconvenient; it's a source of real financial strain. That's why we are backing up our commitments with action and resources. The ACCC has reported that it is facing numerous issues in the sector that it would like to investigate, but the resources simply haven't been there—until now. The additional $30 million in funding over the next 3½ years will allow the ACCC to pursue its vital work. It will help ensure that supermarkets play fair and Australians can see genuine relief.

These changes come in addition to the Albanese Labor government's recently announced overhaul of Australian merger laws. That legislation currently before the House focuses particularly on supermarket mergers and is critical to protecting fair competition in a sector that impacts on every Australian household. By ensuring the ACCC is notified of all proposed mergers in the supermarket industry, we are making it clear that consolidation in this sector will not go unchecked. Supermarket mergers have the potential to reduce competition and drive up prices, directly affecting families, pensioners and everyday Australia trying to stretch their budgets. By keeping the supermarket sector as competitive as possible, we are working to deliver fairer prices at the checkout and prevent the formulation of monopolies that would hurt consumers in the long term.

This motion and the measures the Albanese Labor government is putting forward are about delivering genuine relief to Australians feeling the weight of cost-of-living pressures. We know that Australians are being stretched thin, and we are committed to using every lever available to promote fair competition, reduce unnecessary price hikes and ensure that grocery bills reflect real value for our communities. By equipping the ACCC with the resources it needs, strengthening our competition policy and implementing reforms to scrutinise supermarket mergers, we are protecting Australians from inflated prices and helping to keep more money in their pockets.

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