Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks on his food and grocery code of conduct review, to combat cost-of-living struggles at supermarkets with former minister Craig Emerson leading the review.
Albanese Addresses Supermarket Code of Conduct Review
In a recent move to address the rising cost-of-living struggles faced by Australians, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shed light on his intentions to review the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. The review will be led by former minister Dr. Craig Emerson, as the Albanese Government seeks to enforce stricter regulations on the supermarket industry.
The Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is a non-legislated commitment under the Competition and Consumer Act that grocery retailers and wholesalers can opt to sign up to. The code’s main objective is to regulate relationships between supermarkets, distributors, and suppliers. However, this voluntary code has come under scrutiny as some believe it does not go far enough to protect consumers from the rising cost of living.
Dr. Craig Emerson, who has been appointed to lead the 2023-24 review of the Code, will bring years of experience and expertise to the role. His appointment reflects the Albanese Government’s commitment to taking a hard look at the practices of Aldi, Coles, Woolworths, and IGA, among others.
However, the announcement of the review has been met with skepticism by some experts. Former ACCC chiefs Graeme Samuel and Rod Sims have expressed concerns that the review is unlikely to reduce people’s grocery bills. This highlights the complexity of the issue and the challenge that lies ahead for the Albanese Government and Dr. Emerson.
Despite these concerns, Albanese remains adamant about the necessity of the review. He has warned supermarkets to lower prices and stated that the examination of the current voluntary Code of Conduct could result in further mandates.
The review will assess the effectiveness of the Code at improving relationships between supermarkets, distributors and suppliers. The government has threatened to pull ‘all levers’ to ensure fair prices for consumers.
This review comes at a crucial time when many Australians who are feeling the pinch of rising costs are calling for a review. It remains to be seen how the findings of this review will impact the supermarket industry and whether it will result in any significant changes to the current code of conduct.
Albion News is a great place to find informative, up-to-date news articles. We provide a wide range of unique articles that offer an interesting perspective on current events from around the world and from various different sources. You can easily search for the topics that matter most to you and explore in-depth pieces that provide insight into the issues and important debates occurring today. Albion News helps you stay informed with carefully researched and credible stories!
