Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I condemn some blatantly unscrupulous and anti-competitive behaviour confirmed over the weekend. Midland Brick, a subsidiary of Boral, has been forced to make a public apology to BGC for its prolonged and sustained attack against BGC which was designed to stop the construction of BGC’s brickworks on Perth airport land. With the conclusion of a three-year court battle, a public apology for defamation and substantial investment in malicious attacks against BGC, tonight I am calling on the ACCC to investigate what is openly anti-competitive and unconscionable behaviour. I expect the ACCC to take a look at Midland Brick’s carefully masterminded subterfuge as it was designed to keep bricks at an artificially high price, lining Midland’s own pockets by stopping major competition from BGC. It clearly was not in the interests of WA consumers. What is worse is the well-funded and targeted misinformation campaign it has conducted under the guise of a community association concerned about the environment and fronted by a Mr Greenwood. Ironically, BGC’s brickworks have far superior environmental performance to those of their competitors. Midland Brick has now earned the title of a serial offender, pushing the bounds of trade practices law to its edge. The ACCC will be familiar with the company following investigating them for colluding with Metro Brick during 2001 for price-fixing on bricks to be supplied to Western Australian markets. Midland Brick has form on this. The ACCC has the power and the resources to take on the corporate crooks. The ACCC must use its legislative muscle, expertise and financial resources to pursue this serious—(Time expired)