Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Walsh. I thank you for your question and for the focus that you bring to the cost of living and alleviating cost-of-living pressures on Australian households. We understand, very much, that Australians are under cost-of-living pressure and that a lot of that pressure is being felt at the checkout. Anyone who does their shopping has seen how prices have increased over the last 18 months. That's why we commissioned Dr Craig Emerson to review the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct to make sure it is protecting suppliers and encouraging a competitive grocery sector that delivers a fair deal for Australians.

The review found that the current voluntary code is failing to address the imbalance of bargaining power between supermarkets and their suppliers, including farmers, so we are acting immediately. We're strengthening the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct and accepting all recommendations of the independent review into the code. This will mean cracking down on anti-competitive behaviour in the supermarket sector so Australians get fairer prices at the checkout, including: making the code mandatory for all supermarkets with an annual Australian revenue of more than $5 billion; commissioning consumer group CHOICE to provide quarterly price reporting; strengthening formal and informal dispute resolution arrangements; introducing penalties for the more harmful breaches of the code, with the maximum penalty being the greatest of $10 million, three times the benefit gained from the contravening conduct or 10 per cent of turnover of the preceding 12 months; creating an anonymous supplier and whistleblower complaints mechanism within the ACCC; placing greater emphasis on addressing fear of retribution; and improving outcomes for suppliers of fresh produce.

This is all about getting a fair go for families at the checkout and a fair go for farmers for their produce. Our plan supports competition, puts downward pressure on prices and gives Australians more choice. This is what a government that's focused on the cost of living looks like in action through the work that we have been doing on— (Time expired)