Senate debates

Monday, 17 September 2018

Questions without Notice

Dairy Industry

2:38 pm

Photo of Pauline HansonPauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Canavan. Fodder shortages caused by drought will lead to an increase in food prices, but the price of home-brand supermarket milk will not rise because Coles and Woolworths control 80 per cent of the domestic dairy market. It's not a monopoly but a duopoly. These two companies buy fresh milk below the cost of its production by threatening milk processors with the removal of their other products from supermarket shelves—products like cheese and yoghurt. In a cynical move, Coles has pledged interest-free loans to farmers and Woolworths is spending $1.5 million supporting the Buy a Bale initiative. But, at the same time, these two giant companies undermine dairy farmers by not paying a fair price for fresh milk. Will the government refer the conduct of Coles and Woolworths to the ACCC on the basis of their anticompetitive conduct in the dairy industry?

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