After a decade of Coalition inaction, grocery prices soared while competition was left in the bargain bin. The Albanese government has been working hard to fix a system that left shoppers, farmers and suppliers short‑changed.
Let's put the claims on the conveyor belt and scan the facts.
During the Coalition's term in government, Australia became a more concentrated economy. Big companies got bigger, and consumers paid the price.
That era is over.
The ACCC's recent supermarket inquiry confirmed what shoppers long suspected - concentrated market power has weakened competition.
The Albanese government agreed in principle to all recommendations, and we're getting on with fixing the problem.
Let's take shrinkflation. Same box, less inside, higher price. That's why we're strengthening the Unit Pricing Code and adding penalties, so prices are clearer and easier to compare. If the product gets smaller, Australians deserve to know.
Transparency doesn't stop there. With government funding, CHOICE is publishing quarterly supermarket price comparisons, giving families a straightforward guide to where value can be found across a representative basket of goods.
But stronger rules work only when properly enforced, so we've given $30m in additional ACCC funding to investigate misleading pricing and dodgy conduct.
On April 1, 2025, Labor's new mandatory Food and Grocery Code replaced the old toothless model. For the first time, supermarkets face multimillion dollar penalties for serious breaches. This reform was opposed in parliament by the Coalition, including David Littleproud.
And there's more to come in 2026, new regulations will prohibit excessive pricing, adding further protection for consumers.
Nationals leader David Littleproud's call to break up the major supermarkets might sound bold, but falls apart under scrutiny. The real fixes are practical ones - stronger competition, clearer information and more enforcement.
Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition.
