The Hon David Littleproud monthly opinion piece for September

If you ask most Australians what is the biggest issue they are currently facing, nearly all of them will say the cost of living.

Since the last federal election, gas prices have risen more than 33 per cent, while insurance has risen by more than 17 per cent and rents are up more than 16 per cent.

However, one could argue that Australians are feeling the brunt of this cost-of-living crisis at the supermarket checkout.

Every day, Australians are making tough choices about what they put in their shopping trollies and in some cases about whether they can even put dinner on the table.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The Nationals have long advocated for stronger penalties to deter supermarkets from price gouging and anti-competitive behaviour.

Earlier this week, the ACCC announced it had commenced legal proceedings against both Coles and Woolworths for allegedly breaching the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of common supermarket products.

While it is important we let the legal procedure take its course it does vindicate The Nationals’ long-held belief that more needs to be done to protect consumers.

In June, the Coalition announced a comprehensive package to deal with anti-competitive behaviour in the supermarket sector including introducing a Supermarket Commissioner, who will act as an impartial confidential avenue for farmers and suppliers, infringement notices of $2 million for contraventions of the code; and divestiture powers to address serious allegations of land banking, anti-competitive discounting, and unfairly passing costs onto suppliers.

However, it’s so disappointing to see Albanese Labor Government is still dragging its heels on potential price gouging.

Further proof of just how out of touch this government is was laid bare when it released draft legislation to reform the Food & Grocery Code – more than three months after the government’s hand-picked reviewer recommended it.

The proposed code changes don’t come into effect until April 2025 and don’t go far enough with infringement notice penalties of just $187,700 compared to the Coalition’s $2 million.

The cost-of-living crisis is now not next year.

Australian farmers and Australian families simply want fairness at the farmgate and the supermarket checkout.

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, Australians need less talk and more action from this government to ensure a fair price from the farm gate to your plate.