Supermarket giants snub Qld Premier Steven Miles’ inquiry

Coles and Woolworths bosses have delivered a bitter blow to Steven Miles’ crusade against price gouging, with the Premier not holding back his feelings over the move.

Coles and Woolworths bosses will not give evidence before Queensland’s supermarket inquiry this week, in a bitter blow to Premier Steven Miles’ crusade against price gouging.

After fronting a landmark federal inquiry into supermarket pricing practices mere months ago, the chief executives of both Woolworths and Coles will be absent from a state replica inquiry launched by Premier Steven Miles.

Instead, the supermarket giants have elected to send senior staff, with Government and Industry Relations Manager Vittoria Bon and Head of Public Affairs Adam Fitzgibbons attending on behalf of Coles and Chief Commercial Officer Paul Harker and Queensland Director of Operations Danny Baldwin representing Woolworths.

Mr Miles said he was disappointed in the notable absence of top level executives as the big supermarkets had “a lot to answer for”.

“I was not satisfied with the answers given when I met with the CEOs of Coles and Woolworths earlier this year, and I’m disappointed they won’t front our parliamentary inquiry next week,” he said.

“It’s a shame the big supermarkets value profits over providing Queenslanders with the answers they deserve.”

Premier Steven Miles. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Queensland’s Supermarket Inquiry Committee will enter two days of public hearings on Monday and Tuesday to examine the causes and effects of increased supermarket prices and transparency issues for both consumers and farmers.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the government issued a summons to a Coles employee to attend the public hearings, but this was later discharged after it was discovered the person no longer worked for the company.

It is understood a second summons was sent to Coles, however the grocer argues it had already accepted the invitation.

A Coles spokeswoman said the company reaffirmed its commitment to assist the state inquiry by sending two senior members, one of whom also attended the federal inquiry.

“We know cost-of-living pressures are front of mind for our customers in Queensland, and we have met with a number of Queensland ministers including the Premier to discuss how we are working to provide value to Queenslanders,” she said.

“In addition to lodging a submission and agreeing to assist the Committee at a hearing, Coles met with the Premier, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and the Minister for State Development and Infrastructure earlier this year to discuss food and grocery prices and farm gate prices.”

Paul Harker, Chief Commercial Officer at Woolworths, will be one of two representatives for the supermarket giant. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths

The Premier in January issued a public letter to supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles asking to meet with their chief executives to discuss pricing decisions, stating his concerns over disparities between decreasing meat and livestock prices alongside increasing shelf prices.

Following the meeting, he launched an official state inquiry effectively mimicking an existing federal investigation, with a state inquiry committee established within the month.

Monday will see evidence from Woolworths and Coles representatives, with the committee to hear from Aldi, Metcash and Foodworks, which own a combined 35 per cent share of the market, on Tuesday.

The inquiry will be chaired by Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith MP, with Member for Warrego Ann Leahy as deputy chair.

Other panel members include Steve Minnikin MP, Tony Perrett MP, Joan Pease MP and Jess Pugh MP.

A report is due by the end of the month.