Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Cost of living

Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:25): (586) My adjournment matter is to the Treasurer, and the action that I seek is that he steps in and regulates prices of everyday groceries at the supermarket. Recently I rallied with workers, with unions and with other community members outside the Coles annual general meeting. We wanted shareholders to hear our calls for Coles to stop price gouging and profiting off worker exploitation. While so many are struggling to keep up with the cost of groceries, Coles has raked in $1.1 billion in profits in the past year – gouged, gouged, prices are gouged. It is obscene. It is obscene that they can make such mega profits while people are accessing food relief in record numbers and so many are having to choose between putting food on the table or paying for other essentials like rent or their medication, and this includes their workers. Their workers, people who work for the supermarket chains, should receive decent pay and decent conditions. They should be able to afford the groceries that they are selling.

It is time to hold these big supermarkets to account and make it loud and clear that we will not back down until people are prioritised over profit. The Labor government has the power to act. It is time to stop supermarket greed. It is time to make sure that supermarket workers can afford the food on their shelves and that everyone in our community can access everyday groceries. Treasurer, where does your government stand in this battle royal – on the side of everyday people who just cannot keep up with rising costs or on the side of the bloated, greedy supermarkets who continue to make megabucks off the backs of their workers and our community?