Melbourne electorate
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:50): (526) My question is to the Premier. Recent figures show that Coles and Woolworths are ripping people off. Last year Woolworths made a profit of 6 per cent on food, more than double that of major supermarkets in the US and the UK. It is outrageous. They are making billions while everyday people are struggling to even put food on the table. More and more of my constituents are contacting me worried about making ends meet, like Jo from West Melbourne, a retired teacher. She saved her whole life, but now in her retirement she is making more and more sacrifices, avoiding going out for meals or coffee with friends and she still worries how long her super will last. The thing is the Labor state government actually has the power to regulate supermarkets. They are just choosing not to. My question is: will Labor do anything to stop supermarket price gouging, or will they just leave my constituents, like Jo, to keep fending for themselves?