Rudd pledge

By Sarah Schwager
FEDERAL Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd was out in Cranbourne yesterday to announce his party’s plan to manage the cost of living for working families, starting at the supermarket.
Mr Rudd met Holt MP Anthony Byrne to deliver a speech at the Cranbourne Community Theatre on how Australian families had been falling behind when it came to the increasing costs of grocery bills, childcare, petrol prices and housing.
Addressing a theatre filleed with hundreds of local families, Mr Rudd announced a new role for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to protect consumers in the supermarket.
“First, if Labor forms the next government of Australia, the ACCC will be directed to publish a periodic survey of grocery prices at supermarkets for a typical shopping basket, including family staples like biscuits, bread and baked beans,” he said.
“When families fill up their baskets and trolleys at the local supermarket, they should not have to worry if they are getting a raw deal through inflated grocery prices.
“That is why today I announce that if Labor forms the next government, I will instigate a public inquiry by the ACCC into these matters to report to the Government within six months.”
Mr Rudd said the initiative had already started locally with Labor members in some electorates conducting their own price watch by engaging volunteers to survey local supermarket prices.
“The scheme promotes competition and consumers are the beneficiaries,” he said.
“I intend to ensure this kind of activity occurs across each of the states and territories and the results published on the national ALP website.
“This is a small immediate step to demonstrate our intent to empower Australian families at the supermarket.”