Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Holiday Pain As Almost 60 Goods And Services Record Double Digit Price Growth Over Two Years

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 27 December 2024 HOLIDAY PAIN AS ALMOST 60 GOODS AND SERVICES RECORD DOUBLE DIGIT PRICE GROWTH OVER TWO YEARS A comprehensive new analysis lays bare the cost-of-living increases since the Albanese Government has been in power – and their devastating impact on household budgets as Christmas approaches. It reveals for the first time that, over the past two years, 57 goods and services recorded double digit price growth. 23 goods and services increased by 15 percent or more. The analysis of CPI data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) was undertaken by the Federal Parliamentary Library at the request of WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith. It provides a confronting insight into the impact of inflation on everyday prices in Australia between the March 2022 and September 2024 financial quarters. The data confirms that basic foodstuffs, including bread, breakfast cereals, fruit, eggs, cheese and cooking oils have jumped in price by more 20 percent. Energy costs have also surged, with the cost of gas and household fuels rising 30.1 percent since March 2022. Further evidence of the scale of the financial pressure Australian families are experiencing is the rising cost of key services like insurance, which skyrocketed by 34.1 percent. The data shows that the combined cost-of-living of the eight capital cities in Australia rose 12.3 percent. Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne were the worst affected – with Adelaide up 14.6 percent, Sydney up 13.0 percent and Melbourne up 12.2 percent. It also reveals that Perth has been one of the cities hit hardest by the Albanese Government’s housing crisis. The cost of rents in the WA capital increased by 24.9 percent, compared to a national increase of 17.2 percent, while new dwelling prices jumped 34 percent, compared to 20.8 percent in the rest of Australia. As a result, national household saving ratios have collapsed to from 11.9 to 3.2 percent over the same 2022-2024 period, with Australians forced to access these funds just to afford housing, food and other essentials. This data makes it official: Anthony Albanese and Labor have failed the Australians they promised to make life easier for at the last election. Their economic mismanagement has fuelled homegrown inflation, massively driving up the cost-of-living – and leaving many Australians unable to make ends meet this Festive Season. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “This new ABS data is conclusive evidence that the Prime Minister has broken his promise that Australians would be better off under his leadership.” “It is the cumulative effect of these goods and services price increases over two years that has been so crippling to household finances.” “Labor has overseen a rise in the cost of goods and services so dramatic that record numbers of Australians cannot house or feed themselves and are facing one of the toughest Christmas periods we’ve seen in recent years.” “With an election in the next few months, Australians will have their chance to voice their frustration at the Albanese Government’s mishandling of the cost-of-living crisis and restore strong fiscal leadership under a Coalition Government” ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Australian Household Savings Collapse Under Labor

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 20 December 2024 AUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLD SAVINGS COLLAPSE UNDER LABOR Reserve Bank of Australia data reveals the rapid decline in household savings under the Albanese Labor Government. A comparison of RBA Key Economic Indicators Snapshots from the beginning of Labor’s term and now confirms the household saving ratio has plummeted from 11.9 percent to 3.5 percent. A household earning $75,000 was saving $8,925 annually at the beginning of Labor’s term – this has now fallen $6,300 to just $2,625. It exposes the toll of Labor’s mismanagement of the Australian economy and the increasing vulnerability of households struggling with a 0.8% GDP growth rate, as well as the cumulative impact of persistent homegrown inflation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers owe the Australian people an explanation for their failure not only to improve living standards and household wealth, but also for reducing them instead. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The Albanese Government has made it harder and harder for Australians to keep what they earn – leaving households struggling to pay for necessities, let alone save for the future.” “It bear’s full responsibility for an economy at close-to-zero GDP growth, high interest rates and sticky inflation.” “It has broken its promise to Australians of an easier life and only a Coalition Government will put our economy back on track and deliver Australians the prosperity they deserve.” ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Transcript – Interview with Oliver Peterson, 6PR Perth Live with Oliver Peterson

Transcripts

Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER PETERSON, 6PR PERTH LIVE WITH OLIVER PETERSON TOPICS: Cost of living; Labor’s economic mismanagement; WA inflation E&OE OLIVER PETERSON: Tell me, what is the Perth premium price that you believe you are charged more for? Because the cost of living in Perth, it has surged far more than the national average. WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith can tell you more. He joins me now. Good afternoon. DEAN SMITH: Good afternoon to you, Ollie. OLIVER PETERSON: The statistics that you have managed to get your hands on from the ABS paint a pretty bleak picture over here in WA. DEAN SMITH: They do paint a very bleak picture. And what we now have is the data, which proves what many West Australian families have known for a long time, and that is that the cost-of-living crisis in Western Australia is real. What I did is I went and analysed the ABS data over the last few years, got the Parliamentary Library to independently research and verify that. And the results are alarming. We know that in Western Australia the CPI increase has been 19.5% in Perth, whereas the national average has only been at 18%. We noted that at the same time Perth has been experiencing record levels of inflation, the average weekly earnings have only increased by 13.9%. We know that when people are talking about the cost-of-living crisis across the country, this data demonstrates that it’s worse for people in Perth. OLIVER PETERSON: We’re copping it on all fronts. What did your analysis show when it comes to housing, Senator? DEAN SMITH: Well, quite scary results. So the ABS data analysis that we looked at in regards to housing and other goods that families are, that are part of their basket of goods that they would purchase every, week or every fortnight. We saw that 35%, 35% increase in housing costs for Western Australians compared to housing costs, increasing by just 24.2% for the rest of the country. We saw that insurance costs for West Australian families were 49.4% in WA when the national increase was just 38.9% and then talking about families, we saw that footwear for infants increased by 5.1%, clothing services increased by 11%, education expenses, so primary and secondary school expenses, increased by 11.9%. OLIVER PETERSON: This data demonstrates that Western Australia is carrying more than its fair share of the CPI and inflationary pain, aren’t we? DEAN SMITH: Indeed. OLIVER PETERSON: The insurance one really gets me. It is a bugbear of mine, and I know our listeners this afternoon, Senator, because we always receive that correspondence, particularly with motor vehicle insurance has been going up. You know, for some people between 20 and as you say, they’re up to 50%. Yet when you talk to the insurers, they say, well, there’s been lots of natural disasters in Australia, the floods and the fires and the cyclones, but majority of them are East Coast issues. Yet West Australians are having to pay for it. DEAN SMITH: I think that’s exactly the point. As I travel around regional Western Australia, particularly across the Kimberley and the Pilbara, insurance costs hits families because they’re having to insure their homes and their precious goods like a caravan or a motor vehicle. And it hits businesses as well because these are worker’s compensation costs or other insurance costs for business. So, no one is saved from the rising insurance problems. And the insurers, when they come to Parliament to speak to me about insurance issues, they say there’s a variety of factors at play. What I’m interested in understanding is how much of the profiteering is happening around insurance, and what we can do to make sure that insurance premiums properly reflect the cost of that insurance, to make sure that people do actually stay with an insurer, take out insurance policies, because if people can’t afford insurance, that will lead to underinsurance in the economy. And that’s a very bad outcome for everybody. OLIVER PETERSON: My guest is Senator Dean Smith. Senator, it has been revealed only a couple of hours ago now at The Australian newspaper that the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, while he was in Perth over the weekend, was actually down at the Cottesloe Tennis Club on Saturday afternoon, with plenty of people asking why was he playing tennis when he should have been visiting that Melbourne synagogue following the firebomb attack on Friday? DEAN SMITH: This is quite a shocking and disappointing revelation. My first hope would be that West Australians stand in solidarity with members of the West Australian Jewish community at this time, because of the very real sense of anxiety that the livelihoods of many Jewish people in our state are at risk, and the national leader should be where the national issues are. And if he had to leave Western Australia at a moment’s notice because of the situation that had happened in Melbourne, I think that West Australians would have absolutely understood that. This is a very ill-conceived priority. If he was playing tennis, then that was absolutely the wrong thing to be doing on that particular day in that particular place. The nation needs our national leaders to be paying attention to national issues and to be showing real, credible leadership. At times like this, no one would have thought that the events of the 7th of October would lead to the sort of dismantling, the lack of social cohesion that we’re all seeing, and experiencing across our country. The country is ready for a real national leader that understands that the leader has to be where the national issues are. This is a significant misstep on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s part. OLIVER PETERSON: Well, Senator, I said a little earlier this afternoon on the program and posed the question, is this Albo’s Scomo Hawaii moment?…

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Transcript – Interview with Monika Kos, Nine News Perth

Transcripts

Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW WITH MONIKA KOS, NINE NEWS PERTH 9 December 2024 TOPICS: Cost of living; Perth inflation, Labor’s economic mismanagement E&OE MONIKA KOS: Western Australian household costs are surging, with Perth residents paying more for 40 everyday goods and services than any other state. WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith has been comparing the numbers that includes housing, rent, childcare, insurance and food. He joins us this afternoon. Thanks for your time, Senator. DEAN SMITH: It’s good to be with you. MONIKA KOS: Talk us through some of the biggest differences. What have you found? DEAN SMITH: The first part of the exercise that I did is that, you know, we often hear across the Western Australian community, people talking about the cost of living issues that are affecting them and their families. I thought it was important to go and have a look at what the data was telling us. And, of course, the data reveals that the cost of living pressures for West Australian families are very real, and they are greater than many of the pressures being felt by families in other Australian capital cities. So, for example, we know that insurance costs are 49.9% higher in Western Australia. We also know that something as simple as bread and milk costs have increased by 25%. So, as you said, across those 40 goods and services, West Australians are having to pay more for those products than other families in other Australian capital cities. MONIKA KOS: Are we paying more? DEAN SMITH: This is a very good question. I believe that the inflation challenge in our country is a direct result of the poor economic management of the Albanese and Chalmers Labor Government. We know that the Reserve Bank of Australia has had to increase interest rates 12 times in an effort to keep inflation under control. The Government often says that inflation is its highest economic priority, but this data produced by the ABS, independently verified by the Parliamentary Library, demonstrates that the inflation challenge is not under control. And it’s particularly not under control in Western Australia, where families are having to pay the consequences of higher prices. Cost of living pressures will be a hot election topic. MONIKA KOS: What is the Liberal Government promising voters? DEAN SMITH: Well, we believe that it’s time to get back to basics. So, what’s very important for us is that we believe that budget discipline is very important. There must be a restraint on government spending if we are going to reduce the inflationary pressures in the economy. But more than that, we also have to have a conversation about improving productivity so that the GDP declines that we’ve seen in our economy are turned into improvements. MONIKA KOS: Dean Smith, thanks for being with us. DEAN SMITH: It’s good to be with you. Thank you. ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Opinion Piece – The West Australian – PM out of touch and time

Opinion

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA OPINION PIECE – THE WEST AUSTRALIAN 9 December 2024 PM OUT OF TOUCH AND TIME When Anthony Albanese launched his 2022 election campaign here in Perth, he asked Australians to “vote for hope” and trust that his government would deliver us a brighter future. 30 months later, he returned amid a cost-of-living crisis of Labor’s own making that has hit WA harder than anywhere in the nation. The Parliamentary Library recently completed an analysis of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for my office. It paints the starkest picture yet of the rising cost of living in Western Australia, revealing the extent to which households and businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water. Over the past two years, Perth has experienced price increases on more than 40 everyday goods and services—many of them essential—and at rates exceeding those seen across the rest of the country. Housing costs have surged by 35.1 percent, compared to 24.2 percent nationally, while rents have climbed an alarming 36.9 percent. With construction costs soaring by nearly 60 percent since 2022, home ownership has become little more than a dream for many. And it’s not just the financial toll. The psychological strain of navigating such volatile conditions can be overwhelming, with people trapped by the relentless cycle of rising costs. There have been steep hikes in insurance premiums, for example, now up by almost 50 percent compared to 38.9 percent nationally. The impact on young families is particularly acute. Childcare costs have risen nearly 10 percent—more than three times the national average—leaving some with no choice but to cut back or pull their children out of daycare entirely to make ends meet. It doesn’t end there. Preschool and primary school fees in Perth have jumped by 11.9 percent, compared to 7.6 percent across the country. Health costs are climbing too. Since Labor took power, medical products have risen by 3.9 percent, while pharmaceutical products have increased by 4.2 percent. The reality is undeniable: Australians are doing it tough, but Western Australians are doing it even tougher. With Anthony Albanese back here in an attempt to champion his government’s record, locals should be demanding to know why his promises of economic security have failed to materialise. After all, the Prime Minister’s 2022 campaign was built on bold commitments. He promised an economy where people could comfortably meet their needs, where housing would be within reach, and where no Australian would be left behind. Instead, households have seen their budgets decimated by relentless price hikes and stagnating wages. That ABS data I referred to earlier reveals that Perth’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen by 19.5 percent over the last two years, far outpacing WA’s modest full-time wage growth. Basic staples like bread and milk—whose prices have jumped more than 25 percent—are emblematic of the crisis. These increases outstrip wage growth by nearly double, leaving residents with a grim realisation of how disconnected Labor’s rhetoric is from reality. It’s no surprise people have cut back on non-essentials. Subscription services are canceled, celebrations scaled back, and holidays are postponed. But, for others, the sacrifices are far more significant. These Western Australians are skipping meals, delaying vital medical treatments and not paying their rent and other major bills with significant implications for their futures. While some of these challenges can be attributed to global factors—and this was the case for a period of time—the real blame now lies with Canberra. Labor’s unchecked spending has fueled domestic inflation, forcing the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates high because of the Albanese Government’s mismanagement. Core inflation now sits at 3.5 percent, higher than in most advanced economies. Services inflation, a key concern for the Reserve Bank, is running at 4.8 percent, more than five times the rate of imported inflation. These are not just economic metrics—they’re playing out in the daily struggles of people and businesses across WA. They expose a government that is failing to respond to its citizens’ most pressing needs. Small businesses in Western Australia face their own battles, because, as well as wrapping them in red and green tape, Labor has also created a cost of doing business crisis. Fuel costs, essential for transportation and logistics, have climbed 37.8 percent, eating into already slim profit margins. Farmers have seen fertiliser and feed prices rise significantly, pushing some to scale back operations. As WA contributes significantly to the nation’s agricultural output, the long-term implications of this must not be understated. For farmers, for small businesses, these increases are not just a matter of tightening budgets—record insolvency figures confirm many cannot survive under these conditions. The Prime Minister should be asking himself if he has delivered the “better future” he promised. Looking at the data, looking at the experiences of households and businesses, the answer is clearly no. The photo opportunities and spin of Anthony Albanese’s visit will have demonstrated for many in WA how out of touch he and his government have become. They are also out of time. The next election is fast approaching and, even if it wanted to, it is doubtful Labor could now make a meaningful change to the mess it has created. Western Australians deserve a government that follows through on its commitments, that really does improve lives and futures. And only the Coalition can deliver that.

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Perth tops price increases on more than 40 goods and services

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 9 December 2024 PERTH TOPS PRICE INCREASES ON MORE THAN 40 GOODS AND SERVICES A comprehensive analysis of ABS data has highlighted the record impact Labor’s rising cost-of-living is having on Western Australians. It reveals for the first time that the cost of more than 40 everyday goods and services increased at a faster rate in Perth than in the rest of Australia. This analysis of CPI figures from the ABS was undertaken by the Federal Parliamentary Library for Senator Dean Smith. It provides a unique insight into price increases in Perth between the March 2021 and September 2024 financial quarters—the majority of this time period, and higher average inflation, occurring under Labor. In the period covering the March 2021 quarter until the election of the Albanese Government in May 2022, the average national CPI increase was 3 percent. By contrast, in the period from Labor’s election to the September 2024 quarter, the average national CPI increase was 5.3 percent, peaking at 7.8 percent. Anthony Albanese promised in Perth before the 2022 election that life would be cheaper under Labor—instead, the average quarterly increase in inflation has been almost double that during the last year of the Coalition Government. The CPI “All groups measured” figure during this time increased by 19.5 percent in Perth, compared to 18 percent nationally. To put the impact of the 19.5 percent Perth CPI increase into context, it outpaced a 13.9 percent increase in average weekly full-time earnings. Everyone is now aware of the huge increases in housing costs in Perth—35.1 percent compared to 24.2 percent nationally—this new analysis from the Parliamentary Library confirms rises in the cost of many goods and services since March 2021 were even greater. Insurance costs, for example, increased by a massive 49.4 percent over the same period. The national increase was far lower at 38.9 percent. Basic foodstuffs have risen significantly—a clear indication of the toll the cost-of-living crisis is taking at the most basic level. Both a loaf of bread and bottle of milk in Perth jumped in price by more than 25 percent. Bread increased by 26.1 percent and milk by 25.7 percent, which was again the highest price growth rate in Australia. Families have faced a jump in key items, with footwear for infants and children up 5.1 percent, clothing services up 11.3 percent, and preschool and primary education, up 11.9 percent. That comes on top of everyday household expenses, including furniture and small electric household appliances, which have risen 19 percent and 10.3 percent respectively. It highlights in the simplest terms how inflationary pressures under the Albanese Government have impacted prices—and, once again that Western Australians are uniquely affected. At the supermarket checkout, providing medical care their family, or when they try to insure their property, this is the collective price being paid for Labor and its economic mismanagement. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The majority of this damage has been done by Labor and Western Australians should demand Anthony Albanese explain why he has broken his promise that we’d be better off under his government and left us in such a dire situation.” “This new data analysis leaves no doubt—if any still remains—that everyday costs have skyrocketed under Anthony Albanese and Labor.” “It is no wonder that many in Perth are struggling to make ends meet when the costs of staple items like bread and milk are outpacing not only the national average, but the average growth in full time ordinary earnings.” ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Labor Trashes Senate Scrutiny

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE   3 December 2024   LABOR TRASHES SENATE SCRUTINY   The Albanese Labor Government continues to make a mockery of its election vow to be responsive and transparent – failing to comply with Senate orders to provide information until months after the due date, or not at all. Over the last year, the Senate has agreed to more than 30 Orders for the Production of Documents moved by Senator Dean Smith. Three remain outstanding, 11 have been only partially complied with and 20 were submitted late. A request for documents on national competition was returned after 130 days. These OPD’s have requested information from the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, and other Ministers on WA’s share of the GST, productivity and competition reform, Federal-State financial relations, the Not-For-Profit Sector Development Blueprint and the 2026 Census, among other issues. In one case, the Assistant Charity Minister’s office delayed the return on documents on the rollout of tax reporting requirements for not-for-profit organisations so that it could not be used by a Senate Economics Committee inquiry. It was in the same spirit that Labor rammed bill after bill through Parliament on the final sitting day of 2024, denying Senators the chance to scrutinise them. This repeated, often deliberate, behaviour by the Albanese Government confirms that, beneath its moral grandstanding, it has no respect for the authority of the Senate or improved accountability in government. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “These OPDs are a standard practice of Opposition scrutiny of Government and, because they’re agreed to and ordered by the Senate, they must be respected.” “Labor’s delays and avoidance tactics highlight its contempt not only for the Senate, but for the accountability and transparency it made so much of at the last election.” “This remains on the Notice Paper, a record of Labor’s underperformance and broken promises.” ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Opinion Piece – The West Australian – Easy Solution to Food Crisis

Opinion

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA OPINION PIECE – THE WEST AUSTRALIAN 2 December 2024 EASY SOLUTION TO FOOD CRISIS Across the country, household budgets are at breaking point. Persistent inflation and stagnant wages have plagued the Australian economy for two years under Labor. The effects of this cost-of-living crisis are being felt far and wide. For many, it has meant cancelling a gym membership or skipping a haircut to help keep up with rent or mortgage repayments. But for thousands of Australians, no number of sacrifices — big or small — is putting food on the table. If you’re in any doubt about the magnitude of food insecurity in our community, call into your local food relief charity. When I last visited Foodbank at Perth Airport, I saw a line of people waiting to access support that stretched out the door. The demographics of those seeking this assistance might surprise you. Foodbank’s 2024 Hunger Report found that 32 per cent of Australian households — or 3.4 million — experienced food insecurity in the year to October. Thirty per cent of them own their own home with a mortgage. Many also have two incomes. They are also going to confronting lengths to manage this growing hunger. Sixty-three per cent of respondents to a survey linked to the Salvation Army Australia’s Red Shield Report had skipped meals. Twenty-seven per cent had consumed expired or spoiled food. These figures are not just statistics, they are a stark reminder of the human cost of this crisis. The recently released final report of the Senate Cost of Living Committee, leaves the reader — and the Federal Parliament — in no doubt about the urgency of the situation. It reveals that not only is Australia in a per capita recession for the sixth consecutive quarter, but also that Australian households have experienced the largest fall in disposable incomes across OECD nations over the past two years. The committee, of which I was a member, found that the temporary economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have largely subsided. It is now the Albanese Government’s fiscal choices that are driving inflation. These homegrown inflationary pressures have forced the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates higher for longer, compounding financial pain for households. Yet, despite the evidence and repeated warnings from experts, Labor has turned its back on struggling Australians. It is also overlooking our hardworking charities sector, which is literally keeping people alive. These charities and not for profits are experiencing unprecedented demand in an environment of rapidly rising overheads and falling donations — fighting, in many cases, for their own survival. That brings me to the Tax Laws Amendment (Incentivising Food Donations to Charitable Organisations) Bill 2024, which I introduced as a Private Senator’s Bill earlier this year. It provides a tax offset to companies donating surplus food and associated activities, including transport, to charities. This is a common sense, targeted and time limited policy designed to tackle two issues: food insecurity and food wastage. Sadly, while so many Australians are going hungry, the nation is dumping more than 7.6 million tonnes of food annually — most of it edible. This is because it is often cheaper for food to be ploughed back into the ground or thrown into landfill than to be donated. We recently held a Senate inquiry into my Bill, including a public hearing held in Canberra. Witnesses described the tax incentive’s potential as “game-changing” and recommended Parliament “have a good, hard look at itself” for failing to adopt this tax incentive sooner. Representatives of food relief charities and primary producers noted that the Bill would ease pressure on households and support overstretched charities. It would also reduce costs for farmers facing another Labor-created problem — the cost of doing business crisis. The Bill builds on a concept originally developed by Foodbank Australia and its partners, and economically modelled for them by KPMG. The tax incentive itself is supported by more than 60 food industry organisations and other businesses, who wrote to the Treasurer more than a year ago asking him to support it. He still has not answered. That is not all Labor has ignored — the House Standing Committee on Agriculture, which is dominated by Albanese Government MPs, backed the tax incentive in a report in November 2023. A year on, despite overwhelming support that includes its own members, Labor has once again dismissed this important initiative and signalled that it will not support my Bill. It claimed there were several risks, including the possibility the tax incentive might be taken up by major supermarkets. For the record, both Coles and Woolworths have confirmed in writing they would not utilise it, but I will also make amendments to the Bill specifically blocking them. The real reason is politics. What makes this particularly unacceptable is that it is politics at the expense of people in desperate need. It is also a refusal by the Albanese Government to acknowledge the dire situation it has put so many Australians and the charities supporting them in. As we approach another Christmas, both deserve better. They deserve a government that listens to experts, prioritises practical solutions, and takes proactive steps to ease the burden. That is why Labor must either reconsider its position on my Bill or finally introduce its own policy to incentivise food donations and reduce waste. In the meantime, I encourage Federal Labor parliamentarians — including those from WA — to visit a food relief charity. They should witness what is happening there for themselves and start acting in the best interests of those they were elected to serve.

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Labor leaves supermarket shoppers exposed this Christmas

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 27 November 2024 LABOR LEAVES SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS EXPOSED THIS CHRISTMAS After dragging its feet for months, Labor has finally introduced legislation aimed at tackling poor behaviour and boosting competition in the supermarket sector – but has again confirmed it won’t have anything in place until April 2025. The bill, introduced today, actions some recommendations of the June 2024 Emerson Report. In the five wasted months since, the Albanese Government has denied Australian shoppers the improved choice, cheaper prices and consumer protections they desperately need. Now, with Labor’s cost of living crisis raging and Christmas only weeks away, those seeking relief at the checkout will have to wait another six months. Finance Minister Senator Katy Gallagher confirmed in yesterday’s Question Time that “the regulations to make the new mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct will be made this year, with the code coming into force from 1 April 2025.” Under the bill, supermarkets will be penalised for breaching the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct and the ACCC will be given additional powers including the ability to issue infringement notices. It also aims to crack down on shrinkflation by strengthening the Unit Pricing Code. Labor’s delays come as no surprise given its slow progress on all competition matters – including other recommendations of the Emerson Review, the ACCC Supermarkets Inquiry, and Merger Reforms. None are slated to be finalised or implemented until mid-2025. It ignores the fact that the timeline for these reforms is as important as their substance, because Australians need cheaper prices now. That is why the Coalition has a decisive and targeted plan to deliver the more competitive supermarket sector consumers deserve, and all the benefits that come with that. This includes tougher civil penalties for supermarkets engaging in anti-competitive activities, a Supermarket Commissioner to act as an impartial confidential avenue for farmers and suppliers and divestiture powers with appropriate safeguards to be used as a last resort. Australians deserve a government that treats this with the seriousness, and urgency, it deserves – and that will only happen under Peter Dutton and the Coalition. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “Whilst supermarket sector reforms are welcome, Labor’s go slow approach means they have not been place to assist Australian shoppers when they needed them most.” “This is a common thread with the Albanese Government on competition policy – too little, too late.” “The delays are proof of Labor’s wrong priorities and failure to progress policies that will ease cost of living pressures, and consumers paying higher prices at the till this Christmas have every right to be angry about it. ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Fighting for improved competition where Labor won’t

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 22 November 2024 FIGHTING FOR IMPROVED COMPETITION WHERE LABOR WON’T The Coalition is putting pressure on a key competition issue in the e-conveyancing market that – like so much else impacting Australian consumers – the Albanese Government continues to ignore. Coalition competition spokesman Senator Dean Smith last night questioned ACCC officials on what action was being taken to test allegations of anticompetitive behaviour by e-conveyancer PEXA. The officials, including Chair Ms Gina Cass-Gottlieb, were witnesses at a Senate Estimates spillover hearing in Canberra. It was revealed that there is an active assessment underway by the competition watchdog, something that will be of considerable interest to stakeholders in the $800 billion property e-conveyancing market – even if it obviously isn’t to Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh. Ms Melinda McDonald, Competition Division Executive General Manager, noted that while she “wouldn’t characterise it as an in-depth investigation at this stage … naturally the concerns warrant further investigation”. Pressed by Senator Smith, Ms McDonald confirmed the ACCC is still “in the process of gathering relevant information in order to complete the assessment”. It follows months of stakeholder lobbying of both the Albanese and State Governments to explore the issue, as well as to co-operate on initiatives and reforms to improve competition in the sector – all of which has fallen on deaf ears with Federal Labor. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The Coalition asks the questions that the Albanese Government won’t, because only we are committed to enhanced competition in the Australian economy and the choice, lower prices and better service that delivers.” “We will continue to shine a light on sectors where competition can be improved and await the outcome of the ACCC’s assessment with great interest.” “In the meantime, Assistant Minister Leigh – who continues to ignore or drag his heels on desperately needed competition reforms – must finally step up and start working in the best interests of Australian consumers and businesses.” ENDS