Senate debates
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Questions without Notice
Carbon Pricing
2:57 pm
Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. In February this year, the then Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Defence Materiel, Senator Kim Carr, stated that he had genuine concerns about the way in which our supermarket chains were treating our local suppliers. Senator Carr said:
I continue to receive complaints from manufacturers about the way in which contract negotiations are conducted and contract terms are applied. There are many ways in which these problems could be fixed, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind of the consequences of doing nothing.
With this in mind, what actions has the federal government taken about the serious concerns raised by Senator Kim Carr?
robyn furci
Posted on 19 Aug 2012 2:57 pm
The concerns of Senator Carr are indeed warranted. The government has allowed the supermarket chains to offer our own local suppliers the very bottom line price for their produce. As consumers, we are now offered such a very low percentage of Australian products on supermarkets' shelves. We are becoming increasingly alarmed at the amount of imported canned and frozen food,whether it is packed in New Zealand or Italy, etc.,to the detriment of Australian growers. More important, what guarantee do Australians have when they purchase imported fresh/frozen/canned food as to health safety? Under what conditions is this food grown and what, if any,written health and safety regulation is carried out in the country of origin? Our own farmers are being virtually forced to sell the farm because of low supermarket prices and, coincidentally, a new foreign buyer is at hand to step in. How about a genuine, very transparent full inquiry into this farce? Has the government placed Australians at the very bottom of their concern in this, and so many other areas today? We wish to fully support Australians.