Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said Labor had badly let down Australian families before its Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review had even started.
Mr Littleproud said Labor spent 2023 spruiking the review, yet was either deceiving families or too incompetent to commence it.
“It is now almost 2024 and Labor still hasn’t appointed a Reviewer for its own review, despite the Assistant Minister for Competition, Dr Andrew Leigh, releasing the terms of reference on October 3 and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt claiming in November that ‘we’ve started this review, which is to report back in about six months’ time’,” Mr Littleproud said.
“How can a Reviewer report back by its due date of 30 June, 2024, when it doesn’t even exist?
“The Nationals have been calling on Labor to act swiftly on supermarkets. Families cannot afford to wait for answers in a cost-of-living crisis and yet it is becoming obvious that time is running out and Labor is not putting its words into action.”
Mr Littleproud pointed out another huge problem, on top of the delay, was that the government’s review takes too long and lacks proper powers. It will only provide recommendations and findings into relationships between retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, rather than focus on prices.
Mr Littleproud has previously called for the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct to be mandatory and for significant penalties to be introduced.
He has also called for an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission price inquiry into supermarket price gouging since November, which would have greater power to act and compel supermarket CEOs to give evidence.
“Our growers and farmers need the confidence to get their fair share, to know they can negotiate in good faith and get paid on the right terms. Families and farmers deserve better than Labor’s lies and failure to act.”
