Competition

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The Albanese Government has released draft legislation to reform Australia’s merger rules and boost competition and productivity in our economy. The reforms will make merger approval system faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and more transparent. Following extensive consultation, the draft legislation released today sets out the legal framework for the new system which will commence…

Read More Next step towards merger reform for a more competitive economy

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The ACCC has accepted undertakings from Telstra and Optus as part of the ACCC’s ongoing competition investigation into Google’s search services in Australia. During the investigation into Google’s conduct, the ACCC became aware of agreements that Google had initiated and entered into with Telstra and Optus, which meant Google’s search services were pre-installed as the…

Read More Telstra and Optus Cooperate with ACCC Google Search Services Investigation

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The Albanese Government will strengthen the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, accepting all recommendations of a recent independent review into the Code as part of a wide?ranging cost?of?living crackdown on anti?competitive behaviour in the food and grocery sector. This is about getting a fair go for families and a fair go for farmers. Our…

Read More Government Accepts All Recommendations to Strengthen Food and Grocery Code

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The ACCC has released its final report outlining the findings of its inquiry into whether the domestic mobile terminating access service should continue to be regulated. Access to telecommunications services in Australia is usually unregulated unless the services are declared. In deciding whether to declare a service, the ACCC must be satisfied that declaration will…

Read More ACCC Releases Final Report on Regulation of Mobile Terminating Access Service

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The ACCC has outlined preliminary competition concerns with Sigma Healthcare Limited’s (ASX: SIG) proposed acquisition of Chemist Warehouse Group Holdings in a Statement of Issues published today. “This is a major structural change for the pharmacy sector, involving the largest pharmacy chain by revenue merging with a key wholesaler to thousands of independent pharmacies that…

Read More Proposed Merger Raises Concerns Over Pharmacy Sector Competition

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Consumers generate data in almost all aspects of their lives as many activities that were once anonymous are now subject to detailed data collection, such as restaurants that require customers to order via a QR code and input personal details. The latest Digital Platform Services Inquiry report published today, highlights that consumers are generally unaware how much…

Read More Latest ACCC report finds consumers lack visibility and choice over data collection practices

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Australia’s aviation sector appears to have recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic as passenger levels and capacity returned to pre-pandemic levels, the ACCC’s latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report reveals.  Australia’s major airlines—Bonza, Jetstar, Qantas, Rex and Virgin Australia —carried 4.9 million domestic passengers in March 2024, which represented 98.8 per cent of passenger figures in March…

Read More Airline Travel and Capacity Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

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The 14 recommendations of a Senate Select Committee inquiry into supermarket prices included several aimed at increasing the transparency of retail grocery prices for consumers. These recommendations included (in Recommendation 9 ) that: The Australian Government amend the Unit Pricing Code made under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, so that supermarkets are required to:…

Read More Senate Supermarket Inquiry Recommends Grocery Price Transparency

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New research from CHOICE has revealed 4 in 5 CHOICE supporters think it’s unfair for supermarkets to charge higher prices for customers who don’t sign up for loyalty programs.  The survey of over 8,000 CHOICE supporters also found nearly half of respondents were worried about the data being collected about them through loyalty programs. The…

Read More Supermarket Loyalty Programs: The Price Isn’t Right

Ian Jarratt of the Queensland Consumers Association in a supermarket with unit price labels in the background

The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) is calling for the inquiries into supermarkets now being undertaken by a Senate Select Committee, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and a Queensland Parliament Select Committee to recommend improvements to the clarity of supermarket pricing. In submissions to each inquiry, the QCA says improvements are essential in order…

Read More Advocates Call For Supermarket Inquiries to Recommend Clearer Pricing

Logos for Consumers' Federation of Australia, Queensland Consumers Association, Consumers SA, Financial Counselling Australia, Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network, CHOICE, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association

Last week the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) along with member organisations CHOICE, Queensland Consumers Association (QCA), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Consumers SA (South Australia), the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) and the Indigenous Consumers Assistance Network submitted our joint group submission to the 2024-25 ACCC Supermarket Inquiry. Generally, the submission calls for the…

Read More Joint Submission to the ACCC Supermarket Inquiry