Canada is pressuring supermarkets to reduce prices by threatening heightened taxes and regulations, but such tactics might not be as effective in Australia due to its powerful supermarket duopoly. The Canadian public and opposition are criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for not addressing the soaring cost of living and escalating grocery bills. In response, Trudeau has warned of tax hikes if supermarkets don’t lower food prices and has set up a Grocery Task Force to oversee these price cuts and identify consumer-unfriendly practices.
This Canadian strategy influenced major chains like Costco and Walmart to commit to significant price reductions. However, Matt Grudnoff from the Australia Institute believes that Australian giants Coles and Woolworths may resist similar governmental pressures due to limited market competition.
Grudnoff points out that while there’s a current focus on inflation, supermarkets might comply temporarily. In the long run, genuine market competition is the key to ensuring fairness in pricing. Interestingly, Trudeau’s targeted supermarkets hold roughly the same market share as Coles and Woolworths, about 70%, a consequence of Australia’s lax merger laws leading to market domination by few corporations.
The Australia Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is probing price gouging, with the public predominantly concerned about supermarket prices. Joseph Mitchell of the ACTU emphasized the need for these profitable businesses to reduce prices and address the issue of low wages.
Despite Australian food prices growing faster than inflation, the two major supermarkets continue to report massive profits. Grudnoff suggests other measures, like a super profits tax, if supermarkets maintain inflated profits. The ACTU is set to conduct another hearing soon, with interim findings expected in November.
When questioned about adopting a mechanism similar to Canada’s Grocery Task Force, Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, and Treasury, mentioned that the Albanese government is considering a review of the Food and Grocery Code.
Recent years have seen an increasing concentration in Australia’s domestic markets, with a majority now controlled by a handful of dominant companies. Grudnoff proposes anti-trust laws to foster competition by dividing large firms, leading to more consumer-friendly prices.
Concluding, Grudnoff remarked on Australia’s evolution into a country dominated by few corporations, emphasizing that this status quo can change.
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