Senate debates
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Committees
Economics References Committee; Reference
3:45 pm
Sean Bell (NSW, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Hansard source
At the request of Senator Hanson, I move:
That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 23 November 2026:
The issue of skyrocketing grocery prices, with particular reference to:
(a) the overall increase in grocery prices over the last 25 years, with and without substitution;
(b) fuel vulnerability and price impacts on inputs and transport from the shutdown of domestic refineries;
(c) international fertiliser price spikes and domestic fertiliser production capacity;
(d) increased regulatory burden and costs to farmers from red, green and blue tape;
(e) the long-term increase of power prices under the last 25 years of net-zero policies;
(f) the proportion of Australian agricultural farmland controlled by foreign corporations, family-owned ventures and cooperatives;
(g) the amount of money extracted overseas by farmland owning foreign corporations;
(h) the challenges faced by farming cooperatives in the modern market;
(i) market abuse by supermarkets;
(j) the increased cost that climate reporting and general regulatory compliance is placing on farmers;
(k) the amount of agricultural land required to be given up for carbon sequestration and the impact on national food and fibre production; and
(l) any other related matters.
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