Page 3462 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013
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Let me turn back to the real issues at play here, the impact that the current practices are having not only on fuel retailers but also on small grocery outlets. Coles and Woolworths are doing everything they can to dominate the grocery market and reduce competition, keeping the small local players out. Fuel discounts not only restrict competition by service stations; the scheme has also proved very effective in reducing competition in the grocery markets.
The Australian Retailers Association, the council of small business organisations of Australia, the Australian Newsagents Federation and the Master Grocers of Australia, which together represent two million businesses and five million employees, have strongly supported measures to mitigate the promotion and prevalence of the discount schemes. This bill is one such measure that will help promote competition. In addition to these small business groups, the initiative is strongly supported by the NRMA, and Alan Evans, the local representative, has been in the media expressing those opinions.
What those in the community who are frustrated by the anti-competitive practices of the large supermarket chains have to ask both the Labor and Liberal parties is why they think these activities are okay. Today we have not heard a single argument that the practice is okay or that it does not need a regulatory response. All we have heard is that they would rather wait for someone else to deal with the issue, even though we are perfectly capable of dealing with it ourselves right now—just as New South Wales, which completely surrounds the ACT, has done, with legislation of which this legislation is a duplicate.
I had suspected, and it has been affirmed by Mr Hanson’s bizarre remarks this morning, that the reality is that it is more a case of simply not wanting to support a Greens initiative, rather than a policy disagreement. I have no doubt that if either of the other parties had had the idea first or thought to do this, they would be the ones championing what really is a very straightforward and sensible reform.
Whilst it seems that this will be a 16-1 event, I am sure that this will not be the last of this issue. I encourage all the small retailers of both fuel and groceries, and frustrated consumers, to contact other members of the Assembly and ask them why they think it is okay that Coles and Woolies should be able to manipulate the market and engage in the deceptive conduct that ultimately restricts competition to the detriment of small business and consumers.
This is a piece of legislation that was brought forward in absolutely good faith. It is something that constituents have approached me about, expressing their frustration. It is fair to say that since I started talking about it publicly I have received much contact from constituents saying, “Yes, that is a good idea; that is a really practical thing to do.” They were a bit surprised that the Greens were doing it; they did not see it as our usual bailiwick. I do not think it is really a pitch to our base. Nonetheless, it is a good idea, and good ideas should get through this place no matter who brings them to the floor. It is a shame that that will not be the case today.
Having made my comments on the legislation, I must turn to the extraordinary set of remarks made by Mr Hanson. Mr Hanson has sought to come in here today and define
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