As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, increase their electoral campaigns,
The cost of groceries has been a particular focus of attention and was subject to a carried out by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Australia (ACCC).
The research examined price practices, gain margins and the power of Colles and Woolworths in the industry.
In its report, the ACCC did not find any evidence of pricing.
In spite of this, Albanese announced on Sunday that, if re -elected, the Labor will introduce legislation to make prices illegal.
In contrast, Dutton has suggested that the coalition would impose powers of divestment of supermarkets to address anti -competitive behavior.
Supermarkets respond to pricing accusations
Colles and Woolworths have repeatedly rejected the statements to reread prices, although prices increase 24 percent in the last five years.
In a statement published on Sunday, a spokesman for the Colles said these prices largely reflected the highest cost of doing business.
“What is needed are measures that address real factors that drive the highest prices of groceries, which are increased costs such as energy, fuel, labor, insurance, production, load and distribution,” they said.
Woolworths has rejected price break claims. Fountain: AAPA / Darren England
A spokesman for the Woolworths group said the organization had provided thousands of documents and millions of data points to the supermarket research to explain how inflation throughout the economy is affecting suppliers.
“We recognize that our clients have experienced several years of significant inflation, with an escalation in the cost of mortgages, rent, transport, insurance, energy, food and many other essential elements of households.”
According to spokesman, Woolworths Group has already taken measures on many of the ACCC report recommendations to improve experience and transparency for customers and suppliers.
Labor plan to prohibit prices increase
While the ACCC found that Australian supermarkets are among the most profitable worldwide, supermarket giants have argued that their profit margins are comparable to their peers in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The laws to protect customers from companies that participate in the price break already exist in the United Kingdom, the European Union and dozens of states in the United States.
Albanese said that if work wins the federal elections of May 3, work would introduce similar laws in Australia.
“We will enter the legislation that makes the price price illegal at the end of this year,” he said in the ABC privileged information program.
“What we want to make sure is that they (supermarkets) know that they are being observed. They know that the government is prepared to take strong measures and take energetic measures.”
The Minister of Finance, Katy Gallagher, said that the pricing laws are a “missing part” of Australian competition laws.
“We believe that this is something that has worked abroad, is in its place abroad, and this is another tool in the tool kit so that the ACCC covers concerns about excessive prices in supermarkets,” said ABC Radio Radio National Breakfast on Monday.
Although Gallagher acknowledged that the supermarket investigation did not find any evidence of price breakup, he said he had found examples of price increasing considerably, and also highlighted the growing market share of the main supermarkets.
“I would not say that the ACCC report gave supermarkets a clean health bill, I don’t think he has done it at all,” he said.
The specific details of government policy, including the way it would determine the breakdown of prices, have not yet been published.
A working group would be established to advise on the introduction of an excessive price regime for supermarkets to be monitored by the consumer guard dog.
The group would include the treasure, the consumer guard dog and other experts that would consult and inform the federal government within six months.
Are supermarkets being unjustly attacked?
The ACCC report is not the only investigation into the increase in supermarket prices.
The Australian Union Council, a select committee of the Senate, an independent review for the parliamentary consultations of the Treasury and the state in Queensland and Australia del Sur, have examined the practice of price break.
While some claim that it exists in the supermarket sector, others have not found evidence.
Professor Gary Mortimer, professor of marketing and consumer behavior at the Business School of the Technological University of Queensland, said he believes that supermarkets are being unjustly attacked.
“It is disappointing that both political parties, and I would include the greens here, have decided to focus on supermarkets instead of the most significant and complex social and economic problems faced by the Australian public,” he said.
“When you are a minister and face problems such as youth crimes, housing crisis, rental crisis, hospital ramp, teachers’ shortage, those problems are significantly [more] challenging to fix, so it is easier to apply [a] Distraction strategy and focus on the price of a chocolate bar. It becomes better. “
Mortimer said that he believes that the increase in the costs of supermarket goods is largely due to the “supplies costs” of supermarkets (costs incurred to make a product) and pay more for fuel and load, goods, wages and wholesale licenses.
It is unlikely that the laws against the increase in prices affect the prices of the edibles or help buyers unless these costs are addressed, he said.
“They can certainly launch the legislation to prohibit price relief, but if the price increase is not happening, fines will not be granted and will not really reduce prices,” he said.
“What will reduce prices is a lower corporate tax rate, field subsidies, less bureaucracy, less bureaucracy, less input costs.”
– With additional reports from Australian Associated Press
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