Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Tomorrow the Greens will introduce a bill to create divestiture powers so we can finally break up the Coles and Woolworths duopoly and end the price gouging—powers that already exist in Europe and the United States. Will your government stand on the side of Australians and take on the big supermarket corporations, or will you just trot out your weak excuses about the Soviet Union and let the giant supermarkets continue to ride roughshod over Australians?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We're not going to have interjections before a minister or the Prime Minister speaks—I just want to remind all members of that. I could barely hear that question because of the noise, so can we just make sure that questions are heard in silence, and hopefully answers will be heard in silence as well.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been waiting to get a question about the Soviet Union and I've gotten one from the Queensland Greens. Who would've had that on their bingo card? When it comes to supermarkets what we have done is intervene in a range of ways. Firstly, we have directed the ACCC to conduct an inquiry into supermarket prices and we have made it very clear that, if the ACCC recommend to us further mandating of the current voluntary code of conduct, then we are completely up for that. We've appointed Dr Emerson to lead a review in the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. We're partnered with CHOICE to provide Australian households with better information on the comparative cost of goods. We've increased penalties for anti-competitive conduct. We've banned unfair contract terms. We've introduced legislation in this House to allow designated small advocates to fast-track complaints through the ACCC, and we look forward to it being supported.

We know that the Leader of the Nationals has had some comments to say about this. He has said that the coalition were too slow, and on that we agree with the Leader of the Nationals. He has said that the Nationals wanted to move a lot quicker in terms of a compulsory grocery code, and I say to the Leader of the Nationals: break away! There are opportunities to break away from the shackles of the Liberal Party that have been holding you back for all of this time. I encourage you to break away.

But I'm surprised that the Nats, in breaking away, have indicated their support for the Greens political party. I didn't see that coming, in spite of the colours on their how-to-vote cards. The Leader of the National Party is now saying that the tail, instead of being at the back of the Liberal Party dog, will be wagging away in conjunction with the Greens.

What we will do, as a result of the ACCC, is that we will take those recommendations seriously. We will come to the parliament. We know that more has to be done. We know that, when a farmer gets less for their product—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why'd it take you 12 months, then?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals will cease interjecting or be warned.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that should translate through to cheaper prices at the checkout. I say to the member for interjecting: mate, you were there for 10 years and did absolutely nothing. We have acted more in our under two years that you did in a decade. (Time expired)

Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Divest yourself from the coalition, David.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fenner will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Fenner then left the chamber.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! Wrong time, wrong place.