1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Cost of living as we know, it is absolutely front 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: and center for so many Australians at the moment, particularly 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: for us in the Northern Territory and the other regional areas, 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: when it comes to the cost of groceries now. Earlier 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: this week, the National's leader David little Proud called for 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: divestager powers to help increase competition in the sector as 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: household struggle to balance strained budgets with high food prices. 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 2: You might have also seen a couple of polleys I 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 2: think they were. 10 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: Dressed as like inflatable pigs yesterday outside Parliament in Canberra. 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: But the Nationals leader David little Proud joins me on 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: the line right now. Good morning to you, David. 13 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 3: Oh, good morning. Thanks for having me. 14 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you so much for your time. Now, this issue, 15 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to groceries, it's something that so many 16 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: of us, it's top of mind for a lot of us. 17 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you go into woolies or coals at the 18 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: moment you think you're buying five things. One hundred bucks 19 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: later it is definitely hitting us at the hip pocket. 20 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 2: What do you reckon needs to happen? 21 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 3: Well, look at this, your evidence that we're paying more 22 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 3: than we should. When you saw in June last year 23 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 3: cattle and sheep prices dropped by sixty to seventy percent, 24 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 3: but only an eight percent reduction of the checkout. Something's 25 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 3: not right. And if you talk to the horticultural sector, 26 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 3: the fresh produce its rife with the behavior of these supermarkets. 27 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 3: So we're paying more than what farmers are getting at 28 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 3: the farm gate, which I understand, but that we add 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 3: on and the gouging is significant. So what we need, 30 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 3: particularly in this country, when the big three supermarkets have 31 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 3: seventy four percent of the grocery market, they are the market. 32 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 3: In the United States and the UK, the big three 33 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 3: supermarkets in those countries have around thirty four to forty 34 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 3: four percent of the market, So we have a real 35 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 3: concentrated market here. And what we need is protection, protection 36 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: for fairness and transparial prices from the farm gate to 37 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 3: your plate. And so what we're saying is at the moment, 38 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 3: the penalties aren't significant enough if they're founder of price 39 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 3: gout or they've been used unconsortable conduct in how they 40 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 3: dealt with supplies ye farmers. So I think at the 41 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 3: moment we need to lift those penalties. Scaling up to 42 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 3: what we call the vestage of powers. What the vestage 43 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 3: powers mean is that you could get a court order 44 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 3: that would force these big supermarkets to sell some of 45 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 3: their stores in a geographical area to new competitors, smaller competitors, 46 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 3: or you could actually also force them to sell one 47 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 3: of their other chains, like a big w Dan Murphy's 48 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,839 Speaker 3: or a seller at Masters. That would be a big 49 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 3: deterrent for them to make sure that there is transparency 50 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 3: in fens. And we just think that we need that 51 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 3: protection when you see the evidence that's been clear as 52 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 3: with meat and fresh produce, that we need to do 53 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 3: something now. The nationals are growing up and we believe 54 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 3: we can get legislation. Probably Minister Unfortunate has already ruled 55 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 3: it out, even though he called for a review of 56 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 3: the A Triple C and their powers and said he'd 57 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 3: give them more the powers he want, but didn't even 58 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: wait for the report to come back. But has already 59 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 3: ruled out the vestage of powers. He said that we 60 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: were going to become a stale un state. Well, let 61 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 3: me just say we've already got the vestage of powers 62 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 3: in this country. It was called the Big Stick legislation 63 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 3: that was put in for power companies on the East coast. 64 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: So we put them in twenty nineteen. So this isn't 65 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 3: anything new. And in fact, the United States, the UK, 66 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 3: Germany all have divesture powers as part of competition policy. 67 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: So when the Nationals are trying to find those that 68 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: are willing to come with us, we think this has 69 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 3: taken too long and it should have been in place 70 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 3: twelve months ago. I gave the government an opportunity when 71 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 3: I wrote to them and said, let's actually fix this now. 72 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 3: Bring forward all your reviews and the Nationals will not 73 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 3: only support you in those reviews, but we're supporting giving 74 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 3: them a triple seed more powers that's been rejected. And 75 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: I just think families. Families are making real decisions. Every 76 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 3: time they go into that supermark. They're putting fresh product 77 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 3: back on the shelf because they can't afford it. Now, 78 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: why wouldn't you if you've got something available to you 79 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 3: as a government and as us as legislators, not just 80 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 3: come together and fix it and give us the protections 81 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 3: we need. And you know, we did some work when 82 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 3: we're in government. I had an a triple C inquiry. 83 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 3: They didn't want the best of powers and the atriple 84 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: C set. But I think that now when you at 85 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 3: Allen Fells, who's the former a triple ce chest only 86 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: need them, I think it's beholding on all of us 87 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 3: to go and get it done. 88 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, it is something that it is just 89 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: impacting us every single day for every family. 90 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: It's having such a massive impact. 91 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: But David, when you look at the impact that it's 92 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: having on our farmers as well, I mean, is that 93 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: profit flowing back to our farmers or are they sort 94 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: of copping the raw end as well? 95 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 3: Well, they're copying a real raw end of it. And 96 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: this is the thing is that when and farmers aren't 97 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 3: asking for fixed pricing, they're asking just for fair, transparent pricing. 98 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 3: And I think concemers want to know what it costs 99 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 3: to produce au punt of the strawberries or a kilo 100 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 3: of meat. And when you see big reductions in prices, 101 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 3: that should actually fly through at the checkout, and when 102 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,559 Speaker 3: they go up, then that should translate at the farm 103 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 3: gate as well as at the checkout. But this is 104 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 3: where they've been taking the opportunity of fluctuating commodity markets 105 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 3: because you've got what we call perishable commodity, it perishes, 106 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 3: and so farmers are left over a barrel. The supermarkets, 107 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 3: because they control so much of the marketplace, they know 108 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: when to negotiate because they know the product will spoil 109 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 3: unless the farmer actually gets rid of it now and 110 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 3: they need the money. And so there's a whole range 111 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 3: of unconstable conduct that they've undertaken over a decade and 112 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 3: plus with farmers. And this is where we need these 113 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 3: farmers to come for But there's always fear and intimidation 114 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 3: and retribution, and the supermarkets have really just destroyed much 115 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 3: of agriculture. I was an orange in New South Wales 116 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 3: last week where a cherry farmer has just plowed out 117 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 3: all his cherry chrees. He sent in a truckload of cherries. 118 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 3: It got rejected at the point after he delivered them, 119 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 3: and he went from getting ninety five thousand dollars for 120 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 3: the semi trailer loaded cherries to get him five thousand. 121 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 3: He just couldn't do it, and they turn it back 122 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 3: because there was a couple of damages on four or 123 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: five pieces of fruit with over ten thousand pieces of 124 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: fruit there. Who does that to a fellow Australian. That's 125 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: what the behavior of these supermarks have been and this 126 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 3: guy's just play out in his trees and we're going 127 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 3: to have less Australian fresh produce as a result. 128 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 2: It is a worry. 129 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: Hey, yesterday we saw some pretty unbelievable scenes. I think 130 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: you'd have to say Independent MPs Bob Katter and Andrew 131 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Wilkie they dressed up as pigs in Parliament House to 132 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: draw attention to supermarket profits. 133 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: What did you think of that? 134 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 3: Well, I'm not going to get dressed up. I probably 135 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 3: the way that Bob and Andrew do. I had a 136 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 3: bit of a laugh at them, but I mean it 137 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 3: is I mean, despite them, you know, trying to bring 138 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 3: attention to it in a novel way, it is serious. 139 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 3: People are hurting and you know that's what we're saying 140 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 3: to Anthony Albernezi. Please just understand the hurt that people 141 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 3: are feeling out there and give us some protection. And 142 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 3: if we're wrong and the supermarkets have acted in a 143 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 3: comfortable way, then that's okay. No one will get hurt. 144 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 3: But if they haven't, you've got a big penalty there 145 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 3: to make sure there's a deterrent. And that's what you do, 146 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 3: is legislators you put de terrence, whether it be criminal 147 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 3: or it be civil actions like this, but make sure 148 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 3: that people know they do the wrong thing there are 149 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 3: real consequences. At the moment, there's no real consequences for them. 150 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: Well, and look, you know, for places like Darwin, I 151 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: know other parts of regional Australia as well, there sort 152 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: of aren't many other options. I mean, you can of 153 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: course shop at your independence supermarkets and your independent fruit 154 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: and veg growers and that kind of thing, which I 155 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: would encourage people to do, but in some other locations 156 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: you've at least got the likes of Aldi. For us 157 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: and for other regional parts of Australia, it's it's a 158 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: huge it's a huge impult. 159 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 3: It is and this is why the Nationals have been 160 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 3: on this for a long time and there was frustrating 161 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 3: to us when we're in government. We wanted to bring 162 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 3: in more policy on this and more penalties and and 163 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 3: you know it's just when the crisis comes that everyone realizes. 164 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 3: But for reagional Australians, the people that the Nationals represent, 165 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 3: we're the ones that are bearing the brunt on this 166 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 3: because we don't have the petition. So it gets even worse, 167 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 3: so our prices go up even more than what you 168 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 3: would in some of the suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 169 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 3: And you know this is where we can do something 170 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 3: about making sure that every Australians protected, but particularly regional Australians. 171 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 3: And we're also the ones that produce the food that 172 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 3: everyone enjoys. So you know, I'm pretty passionate about this, 173 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 3: and I've wanted this since I've got in department, and 174 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 3: I hope to be here long enough to see it 175 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 3: come to fuition. But the Nationals are going to say 176 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 3: you're either with us or against us, and we're just 177 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 3: saying everyone here in Camber this week, please understand the 178 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 3: pain out there. We've got an opportunity of privilege to 179 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 3: come to this place and change people's lives that are better. 180 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 3: Why wouldn't we do it? So we're going hard and 181 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 3: we hope, we hope we'll get We know we've got 182 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 3: the Independence now and I suspect we even we'll even 183 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 3: get the Greens. So if we can get the Prime 184 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 3: Minister to rethink his statement, I think we can make 185 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 3: a change quickly. 186 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: Well, National's leader David little Proud, appreciate your time this morning. 187 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 2: Thanks very much for having a chat with us, Thanks 188 00:08:58,520 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: for having me. Thank you