Greens MP Stephen Bates has flagged his social gathering will likely be introducing a non-public members’ invoice to create divestiture powers to interrupt up the Coles and Woolworths duopoly.
Bates asks the prime minister: “Will your authorities stand on the aspect of Australians and tackle the large grocery store companies will you simply [give] your weak excuses in regards to the Soviet Union and let the enormous supermarkets proceed to jot down roughshod over Australians?”
Albanese responds, with a joke:
I’ve been ready to get a query in regards to the Soviet Union and I’ve one from the Queensland Greens member. Who would have had that on their bingo card?”
He then gave his extra critical reply:
We’ve directed the ACCC to conduct an inquiry into grocery store costs … We’ve appointed Dr Craig Emerson to guide a evaluate of the meals and grocery code, we’re partnered with CHOICE to supply Australian households with the comparative value of products, we have now elevated penalties for anti-competitive conduct, we have now banned unfair contract phrases.”
Maintaining with the teasing tone of this query time, Albanese went on to make enjoyable of Nationals Chief David Littleproud for partnering up with the Greens to assist their personal members’ invoice.
[Littleproud] has mentioned that the Coalition have been too gradual, and on that, we agree with the chief of the Nationals. He has mentioned that the Nationals needed to maneuver quite a bit faster … when it comes to a obligatory grocery code, and I say to the chief of the Nationals, breakaway, breakaway, there are alternatives to interrupt from the shackles of the Liberal Social gathering which have been holding you again for all of this time.”