The Project’s Waleed Aly slams government’s plan to save Aussies from rising food prices: ‘Won’t work’

Soaring grocery prices are leaving Aussies ‘slammed’ says The Project star, who hit out at the government’s attempts to fix it.

Waleed Aly has suggested he knows the reason Australians are getting “slammed” by high grocery prices.

Thursday’s episode of The Project discussed a new report showing that Aldi’s prices are markedly cheaper than those of Woolies and Coles.

Waleed Aly hit out at the Australian supermarket giants on Thursday. Picture: Network 10.

The research was funded by the federal government as part of its action on supermarket pricing, in a bid to shake up the current duopoly.
“I can’t see how this will in the end make a difference because the most revealing aspect of this report to me was Coles and Woolworths’ prices seem to be higher in areas that don’t have an Aldi,” said Aly.

“That says to me that while there are all sorts of things with cost of supply and supply chains and all this sort of stuff, ultimately it seems the prices we’re paying are not out of

necessity but out of competition and that’s what it all comes down to,” he continued.

“Where you don’t have anything beyond the two in your area, you’ll pay a higher price because there’s no reason not to. Why would they charge you less? You can say you want Aldi’s market share to be greater, that would make a difference, but then it’s three. When you travel overseas and you see there’s eight or something like that. And you speak to people there and they say you get slammed on groceries. I think it’s clear now this is why.”

However, Liz Ellis suggested there’s a big reason why many shoppers are still choosing Woolies and Coles over the cheaper prices Aldi offers.

Aly said that Aussie's are getting slammed by the two biggest chains, Woolies and Coles. Picture: Network 10

“I wouldn’t use Aldi’s way of doing the checkout,” she admitted. “It gives me anxiety when the stuff gets thrown at me.”

“I think that would put a lot of people off,” agreed Georgie Tunny. “And if Aldi isn’t in your immediate vicinity because it is a convenience thing too, if you have worked a 12-hour day and have to pick up groceries on the way home [and don’t want to go out of your way]”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier this year announced a review into the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, warning supermarkets to pass on any savings they make from suppliers to consumers.

The code is currently voluntary, an interim report called for it to be made mandatory, which would result in huge financial penalties on supermarkets with annual revenues above $5bn that breach the agreement.

The final review is reportedly expected this later week.

Originally published as The Project’s Waleed Aly slams government’s plan to save Aussies from rising food prices: ‘Won’t work’