The Nationals candidate for Bullwinkel Mia Davies MP has welcomed the introduction of the Food and Grocery (Mandatory) Code of Conduct Bill 2024 as part of The Nationals plan to restore fairness for consumers, families, suppliers and farmers.
The Private Members Bill has been introduced into the Federal Parliament and aims to deliver stronger penalties for anti-competitive behaviour in the supermarket sector.
Ms Davies said the Bill sent a strong message to big business that price-gouging and anti-competitive behaviour would not be tolerated under a Liberal-National Government.
“We need to make sure our fruit and vegetable growers have protections and are getting a fair deal when dealing with the major supermarket chains,” she said.
“In the electorate of Bullwinkel there are some amazing food producers and they deserve our support and a fair return for their hard work to deliver top quality fresh produce.”
She said the bill would also assist in delivering cost of living relief at the check-out for families and households struggling to pay the bills.
“We are committed to delivering competition policy that supports consumers at the check-out and smaller businesses – not big corporations and lobbyists,” she said.
Since the last Federal election, food prices have gone up by 12 per cent.
“Under the Albanese Labor Government there are more and more families feeling pain in their hip-pocket every time they go to the supermarket.”
The legislation includes the following elements:
- Mandatory Code: applies to supermarkets with an annual turnover of $5 billion or more.
- Substantial Penalties: for breaches of the code, the greater of $10 million, three times the benefit obtained, or, if undetermined, 10 percent of annual turnover.
- Infringement Penalties: fines of $2 million for specific breaches.
- ACCC Compliance Audits: empowers the ACCC to audit supermarkets for code compliance.
- Supermarket Commissioner: establishes a confidential resource for farmers and suppliers, protecting them from potential retribution.
- Divestiture Powers: allows the ACCC and courts (not politicians) to enforce sector-specific penalties as a last resort to curb price-gouging.
Ms Davies said the Labor Party had let Western Australians down.
“Whether you’re a family struggling to put food on the table, or someone growing the food to put on the table you have been forgotten by the Albanese Labor Government,” she said.
