Australia: Scott Driscoll, National President of a peak industry body, the United Retail Federation, has backed the calls by federal independent MP Bob Katter for the Coles-Woolworths duopoly to have it’s dominance reigned in for the sake of Australian consumers, farmers and producers.

“Australia has some of the highest rates of food inflation in the entire OECD and we have Coles and Woolworths controlling 80% of the Australian grocery market with a death grip around the throat on our nation. It’s unacceptable for this to be allowed to be ignored by government any longer”, said Mr Driscoll.
“As most Australians now finally realise, the Coles-Woolworths juggernaut is no longer just about food either. Under their many guises and linked corporate entities they are peddling and controlling the petrol bowsers, pubs and bottle shops, department stores, pokie machines, hardware shops and the list marches on, ever centralising power and revenue.

“In my dealings and lobbying of the Rudd-Gillard federal government on behalf of our sector over the recent term of the federal Labor government, we have seen plenty of smoke screens, but precious little that would ever do any real good to increase competition, back local famliy owned businesses and also drive down prices for consumers. Glib slogans, “watch” websites and associated bells and whistles have taken the place of any genuine policy direction.

“On the other hand I’ve had a number of conversations with Tony Abbott and also his senior Shadow Ministers over the last 12 months and I believe we have people there who are genuinely concerned about this issue and are actually prepared to work towards a practical and pragmatic solution in the national interest. The time for talk alone must now stop.

“I obviously implore the three regional and rural independent MP’s in Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor to support those who our sector believe will most aggressively support real action on creating real downward pressure on retail prices for consumers, support Australian family owned small businesses, including farmers and producers and help break down the overwhelming control of the Australian retail sector that is currently in the hands of Coles and Woolworths and their associated corporate powerbrokers,” said Mr Driscoll.

Source: http://www.unitedretailfederation.com.au/media_releases/2010

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