Supermarket price gouging or cynical political deflection?

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have announced separate initiatives to address concerns of "price gouging" and alleged market abuse by Australia’s two major supermarket chains, Woolworths and Coles.

This is despite the ACCC, after an exhaustive inquiry in 2008 and more recently with a price inquiry launched in 2024, stating it had found no clear evidence of widespread price gouging in past reviews.

Topher Field exposes the deception that is being played out.

It is increasingly clear that both political leaders are deflecting public frustraton over the rising cost of living toward the supermarkets, as a distraction from deeper structural issues, including a growing national debt which will soon exceed $1 trillion, record high immigration and a weakening currency that increases the price of imports.

Have your say. The actions proposed by the two leaders:

Option 1: Will reduce the cost-of-living, or 

Option 2: Will do little because deeper structural issues will remain unaddressed.

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