Food security report calls for reforms but supermarket accountability intentionally blocked by Labor & Liberals.
The report from the inquiry into food security in Victoria has been tabled today but the Greens say there is a duopoly sized hole in the report’s recommendations.
Labor and the Liberals have teamed up to omit recommendations to address supermarket price gouging in the report, deflecting any accountability despite the inquiry hearing resounding evidence that governments should be doing more to intervene.
At the back of the report, Victorians can look at the recorded votes on suggested recommendations and can see for themselves Labor and Liberal members teaming up to block proposals that would make food affordable by holding the supermarkets accountable.
The inquiry heard from people in the community experiencing poverty and hardship, food relief organisations, government departments, experts, key bodies, and even Coles and Woolworths themselves.
The inquiry has recommended the adoption of the VACCHO FoodPATH Report, which includes recommendations such as removing GST off fresh food, banning junk food advertising, and on the federal government to increase JobSeeker – however, despite the intention of the inquiry being to look at options to lower the cost of food, there are no recommendations to address supermarket price gouging.
Greens MP Aiv Puglielli sat on the inquiry committee and says that it is incredibly disappointing that despite the inquiry hearing resounding evidence to back in governments intervening on supermarket price gouging, Labor and the Liberals chose to block this in the final report.
Quotes attributable to Greens MP, Aiv Puglielli:
“While this report makes some important recommendations, it cannot be ignored that there’s a duopoly-sized hole in the recommendations.”
“Over the course of this inquiry we heard time and time again that people are really struggling and that governments should be doing more to intervene on price gouging supermarkets, but there’s no recommendations to hold Coles and Woolworths to account because Labor and the Liberals teamed up to block that from happening.”
“I think that Victorians will be pretty disappointed, that despite all the evidence, their Labor and Liberal representatives have teamed up and thrown away this opportunity to finally do something about supermarkets price gouging.”
“Why would Coles and Woolworths ever lower their prices when Labor and the Liberals are giving them a free pass?”
