Coalition Supports Mandatory Code of Conduct for Supermarkets

The Coalition has expressed support for the Labor government’s proposed mandatory code of conduct for supermarkets. This comes after Labor released an interim report of its review into the existing Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, which suggested imposing a mandatory code on large supermarkets to protect the interest of consumers and farmers. While the current code has provisions that govern the relationship between supermarkets and suppliers, it exists on a voluntary basis and contains no penalties for misconduct. However, things would be different under the proposed mandatory code, as it would grant the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) the power to impose fines on violators....