Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. I must say that I support the member for Kennedy in his desire to be heard on this matter of urgency that he and the member for Clark have brought to this place. I believe that leave should've been granted for the member for Kennedy to have his say on this very important issue to not only the people of country Queensland but country Australians everywhere—indeed, Australians all over our great nation, because this is a very urgent matter that this House faces today. This cost-of-living crisis is doing immense damage all around our country. It's being made much worse by the actions of supermarket giants who are price gouging farmers at the farm gate, and they are price gouging consumers at the checkout as well. Therefore, I am a very strong supporter of the member for Kennedy and the member for Clark's Reducing Supermarket Dominance Bill 2024 because it actually takes real and effective action to do something about this arrant price gouging that farmers and consumers have been putting up with for far too long. It actually brings in, and ushers in, real change and lasting change, not more talk.

With respect to the major parties, we have seen a lot of talk on this issue but not enough real action. What the member for Kennedy and the member for Clark are doing in this House today is giving members the opportunity to vote for real and effective action that would reduce the market power of the supermarket giants and limit the amount of profits they could make. They would stamp out the price gouging and every member of this House will have an opportunity to vote on this game-changing legislation.

We've heard a lot about the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. Well, folks, I'm here to tell you, the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is not worth the paper it's written on. It is an absolute joke. It has been ineffective for years, and making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory, as the major parties are suggesting, won't do anything. I'm pretty shocked that the National Party is suggesting that making it mandatory will have some sort of effect. All of the major players are already signed up—signed, sealed and delivered into the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct—and it has made no difference for years. It has not stopped the price gouging. It has not stopped the damage that is being inflicted on farmers and consumers all around our country. What the bill from the member for Kennedy and the member for Clark will do is actually bring in real and mandatory divesture of the supermarket giants. I know that the Liberals and Nationals have brought in their own bill, but it would be totally ineffective. As drafted, their divestiture powers are highly unlikely to ever be used, and if they are it will just amount to a lawyer's picnic that will last for years and will do nothing to stop the rampant price gouging in the cost-of-living crisis that is occurring right now. This conduct which farmers and consumers are putting up with day in and day out is unconscionable.

The coalition is spruiking, as I said, that the code will now be mandatory. The government is now spruiking that as well, but the major supermarkets signed up to that long ago, and it hasn't stopped farmers and consumers being stung by them for years. What the member for Kennedy and member for Clark are doing is giving members of this House the opportunity to take real and effective action right now—to stand up for our farmers and not just talk the talk but actually cast a vote in this House, our national parliament, to do something about finally reducing the dominance of these supermarket giants who are doing so much damage to farmers and consumers around Australia.

That's why I fully support the member for Kennedy and the member for Clark in their efforts. This legislation is game changing. I had the member for Kennedy come to my own electorate to speak to local residents and local farmers about the importance of backing this bill. We were rudely interrupted, when he came to Orange, by a National Party senator. I'm very pleased that the member for Kennedy, in a style that only he could fashion, shirt fronted the National Party senator, actually sat that Senator down and sent him on his way. It just shows you that the major parties, including the National Party, are not serious about stopping the price gouging and getting behind real legislation that can make a difference to farmers and consumers around Australia.

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