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

I thank Senator Smith for the question and for focusing on those key cost-of-living issues affecting Australians. The government believes that Australians deserve a fair deal when they do their weekly supermarket shop. Last week, we announced a crackdown on dodgy supermarket practices, including tackling shrinkflation, where customers are charged the same for less product. We don't want to see ordinary Australians, families and pensioners being taken for a ride by the supermarkets, and we're taking steps to make sure they get a fair go at the check-out.

We have provided the ACCC with a $30 million boost to crack down on market conduct, including misleading and deceptive pricing practices. We've commenced consultation on a mandatory food and grocery code. We've commenced work with the states and territories to revitalise national competition policy, including on planning and zoning for supermarkets. We have supported CHOICE to release its second Albanese government funded price-monitoring report, giving Australians accurate data on where to get the cheapest groceries. These are real commonsense reforms that will make a difference to Australians when they're doing their shopping, and it's backed by the ACCC. These aren't the thought bubbles and political bluster that come from the unholy alliance that we've been seeing developing between the Australian Greens and the coalition.

Whilst undertaking these reforms to make the system fairer, we're also providing immediate cost-of-living relief in the form of tax cuts and power bill relief. It always wakes you up, though, doesn't it, because it's so uncomfortable. We're reducing health costs for Australians with cheaper medicines and increasing bulk-billing and free urgent care clinics across the country, with 76 more of those to come. We're working hard to get the budget and the economy in order after a decade of mismanagement by the coalition—back-to-back surpluses, less of Australia's money spent on Liberal debt and bringing down inflation. (Time expired)