Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the Government is taking strong action to protect Australian consumers and ensure fairer markets by:

(a) banning unfair trading practices economy wide that cost Australians time and money;

(b) ending dodgy subscription traps by ensuring that consumers get clear information upfront, timely reminders before free trials end, and a cancellation process that is just as easy as signing up;

(c) ending drip pricing by requiring businesses to display the full transaction costs upfront ensuring consumers know exactly what they are paying for;

(d) strengthening consumer guarantees so Australians get products that work, repairs that are fair, and refunds they are entitled to;

(e) banning supermarket price gouging from l July 2026 to prohibit very large retailers from charging excessive prices;

(f) cracking down on shrinkflation, so companies cannot disguise price increases by reducing package sizes while charging the same, or more;

(g) making unit pricing clearer and more consistent, backed by penalties for non-compliance, so consumers can spot real value at a glance and are not misled by tricky labels; and

(h) consulting on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's recommendations to boost transparency on prices, promotions and loyalty programs at supermarkets, making it easier for Australians to assess value for money; and

(2) supports this comprehensive consumer protection agenda designed to deliver fairer prices, more competition, and a better deal for Australians.

Strong markets rely on trust. They rely on clear information, genuine competition and the confidence of the people who participate in them every day. Strong consumer laws are a foundation stone of that trust. They ensure Australians are treated fairly, protected from misleading conduct and able to participate in markets with confidence. When consumers have that confidence, competition improves, prices fall, quality rises and innovation should follow.

That's why the government has placed consumer protection at the centre of its cost-of-living agenda. Cost-of-living pressure is not only driven by wages and interest rates but also shaped by whether markets are transparent, contracts are clear and consumers can make informed choices. It's about whether the price displayed is the price actually paid; whether a household can manage its budget by cancelling, for example, subscriptions that it doesn't need—and can do so without the hassle—and whether the weekly shopping reflects genuine competition rather than concentrated market power in the terms that are dictated by it.

The government is committed to taking on dodgy business tactics by banning unfair trading practices that cost Australians time and money. We're ending, for example, subscription traps by requiring the clear disclosure of key terms before signing up, reminders before free trial periods end and cancellation processes that are just as easy as signing up. We're ending drip pricing by requiring unavoidable transaction fees to be displayed prominently and upfront so Australians know the real price before they buy. We're strengthening consumer guarantees so that, when products fail, Australians get the repair, replacement or refund that they're entitled to, backed by civil penalties and stronger enforcement powers. Manufacturers will be required to reimburse suppliers for the cost of providing those remedies, ensuring small businesses aren't left bearing the financial burden of faults they didn't create. These changes protect consumers while also supporting the many businesses that already compete fairly and transparently.

Nowhere is the need for fairness more visible than at the supermarket check-out. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's supermarkets inquiry provided clear evidence of structural issues confronting the sector, and here's what the ACCC told us:

That's pretty damning.

Australians feel cost-of-living pressures most acutely when they buy food for their family. So, when the regulator tells us that anticompetitive behaviour is set to continue for the foreseeable future, we've got to be able to step in, and we've done so. We made the food and grocery code mandatory, for example, and we've increased the ACCC's funding—more than $30 million—to help it investigate misleading pricing and bad-faith conduct. We've backed in CHOICE to publish quarterly price-monitoring reports so shoppers can compare baskets of goods, and from 1 July 2026 we'll ban price gouging by supermarkets, prohibiting them from charging prices that are excessive when compared to the cost of supply plus a reasonable margin. Further work is underway to improve transparency around promotions, loyalty programs and price trends, reflecting concerns raised through the ACCC inquiry. Reforms to merger notification and planning barriers are aimed at making it easier for new competitors to enter the market, strengthening long-term competitive pressure. Australians shouldn't be treated like mugs at the check-out. They deserve transparency.

Work is also progressing on extending unfair-trading protections to small businesses and franchisees and on removing non-compete clauses for lower income workers, supporting mobility, competition and productivity. All these reflect a consistent principle that well-functioning markets require strong competition and strong consumer protection. All in all, this is a government that backs everyday consumers, with a track record to prove it. I commend the motion to the House.

See this speech in context