Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I must have missed that. This probably could have done with a bit more than a couple of hours. I think it is quite important, given some of the potential complications and the concerns that have been raised by, for example, the franchise holders in this country. It would have been good to get a bit more information around that. Nevertheless, I have read all of the information that we have been given. As I mentioned earlier, the Greens have had a longstanding position to extend these unfair contract terms and to legislate to give small business a much stronger, much more level playing field in terms of negotiating these contracts, especially when we are dealing with the situation where a lot of them are, 'take it or leave it'. But we will be proposing a number of amendments in committee and we are glad that the government is standing up for small business.

While this Senate is in place, I would still urge them to bring an effects test before this parliament so we can do something more for farmers in this country who have long suffered under the power of the supermarket duopoly with their market concentration. Of course that is what COSBOA and other small business groups have been advocating for.