Former competition regulator Graeme Samuel has slammed Labor’s push to outlaw price gouging in the supermarket sector as major player Coles said politicians should focus on measures to bring down energy, fuel and labour costs to reduce the checkout burden on consumers.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to establish a six-month inquiry to design laws to make supermarket price gouging illegal if Labor wins the May 3 election. The fresh review comes despite an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report released this month finding no evidence of price gouging by Coles and Woolworths.
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Carrie LaFrenz is a senior journalist covering retail/consumer goods. She previously covered healthcare/biotech. Carrie has won multiple awards for her journalism including financial journalist of the year from The National Press Club. Connect with Carrie on Twitter. Email Carrie at carrie.lafrenz@afr.com
Tom McIlroy was the Financial Review’s Canberra bureau chief.
Ronald Mizen is the Financial Review’s political correspondent, reporting from the press gallery at Parliament House, Canberra. Connect with Ronald on Twitter. Email Ronald at ronald.mizen@afr.com
