The Greens are prioritising a crackdown on price gouging in the upcoming minority Parliament, unveiling a bold plan to hold major supermarkets accountable and ease cost-of-living pressures.
Their proposal includes establishing a Prices Commission (PsC) to monitor corporate pricing and illegal price hikes, with offenders facing heavy fines or potential breakups. The PsC would launch on 1 July 2025 and work alongside a strengthened Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), which would gain extra resources to enforce new anti-gouging laws.
A Freshwater poll found 70% of Australians rank the cost of living among their top voting concerns, with groceries a major issue. Despite an ACCC inquiry into supermarket pricing being completed last week, the government has yet to release its findings. The Greens demand transparency and immediate action.
Key Elements of the Plan:
- Prices Commission (PsC): A national body to monitor pricing, staffed at Productivity Commission levels.
- Stronger Laws: New price gouging legislation with enforcement by the ACCC and courts.
- ACCC Expansion: 20 additional investigators to tackle anti-competitive practices.
Greens’ Position:
Leader Adam Bandt asserts the Greens will make price gouging illegal to protect Australians struggling with rising grocery costs. He criticises Labor and the Liberals for siding with big supermarkets while the Greens fight for consumers.
Senator Nick McKim emphasises the Greens’ commitment to challenging supermarket duopolies, ensuring fair pricing, and preventing corporate exploitation. He highlights ongoing legal action against Coles and Woolworths, rising worker pushback, and farmers’ demands for fairer treatment.
While the major parties hesitate, the Greens pledge to take on powerful corporations and secure lower prices for Australian households.
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