Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Uniform cigarette prices came too late for me! I do note that up until that date, Aldi was the only supermarket chain applying the policy. In response, on 28 January Woolworths announced that it would reduce the shelf prices of thousands of supermarket products. Obviously, there are some positive national competition impacts here with Aldi adopting a national pricing policy. Coles decided for competitive reasons that it would need to do the same and then Woolworths—one day later, I noticed; I am sure it was not coincidental—responded with a reduction in prices. Senator, you referred to what is known as the Blacktown amendment, which was cosponsored by you and Senator Joyce, I noticed. On reading the brief that I have in front of me and from my recollection of the Blacktown amendment, it was not going to apply to national pricing. It was to apply to a particular product at any two retail locations that fall within 35 kilometres of each other. I point out that there is a significant difference between your amendment, known commonly as the Blacktown amendment, which sought to apply the same pricing for products within 35 kilometres, and the announcement by Coles to have uniform national pricing. I think they are similar but certainly not the same. Therefore, I think Mr Emerson’s— (Time expired)