Competition Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

6 March , 2024

Memorandum of Understanding Between Philippines and Australian Competition Watch-Dogs

Original media release by and from the ACCC (29/02/2024). A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by the ACCC and its Filipino counterpart, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), will continue to strengthen cooperation between the two competition regulators. Interagency collaboration fostered by the MOU, will enhance the effective administration of competition law and policy in…

27 February , 2024

ACCC Review Shows Mixed Merger Outcomes

“As with our previous ex post reviews, we found that some of the predictions and assumptions made by the ACCC in the original review did not unfold as anticipated,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“In particular, this report re-enforced the risks raised when clearance decisions rely on new entry and expansion, and also the inherent complexities associated with negotiating and implementing some undertakings.”

15 February , 2024

Designated Complaints Legislation Announced to Improve Competition

As part of its Better Competition election commitment, the Albanese Government is introducing legislation to establish a new designated complaints function within the ACCC.

14 February , 2024

Airfares Cheaper But Cancellations and Delays Increased in 2023

Domestic airfares generally fell last year after reaching record highs in late-2022, but cancellations and delays remain higher than long-term industry averages, the ACCC’s latest Domestic Airline Competition in Australia report reveals.

The report shows that average revenue per passenger, which represents average prices across all fare types, was 13.4 per cent lower in December 2023 than in December 2022, in real (inflation-adjusted) terms.

5 February , 2024

ACCC: Urgent Need for Merger Law Reform

[T]he research commissioned by the Competition Review Taskforce now provides clear evidence in support of merger reform, strengthening the ACCC’s confidence in its recommendations.

The research demonstrates that an estimated 1000-1500 mergers occur in Australia each year. Only about 330 are notified to the ACCC under the existing voluntary merger regime.

About half of the 1000-1500 mergers are made by the largest one per cent of businesses.

25 January , 2024

CFA Supports Reforms to Merger Approvals

The Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) and CHOICE have provided a submission to the newly newly established Competition Taskforce on merger approvals. Australia has many markets that are highly concentrated; supermarkets, airlines, banking, telecommunications, energy and insurance are all markets where a few dominant companies provide most Australians with essential products and services. Increasingly, we…

25 January , 2024

Government Announces ACCC Inquiry into Supermarket Prices

The Albanese Government has announced its intent to have the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) conduct a year-long inquiry into supermarket prices as allegations of price gouging, a lack of competition in the sector and the cost of living crisis continue. According to a joint press release by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese MP,…

20 December , 2023

Merger Reform Key to Competition and Quality

“We shouldn’t have a process that is prey to legal brinkmanship, with all the uncertainty and expense that entails,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Consumers, small businesses and farmers will benefit from the ACCC reforms, which will include high levels of transparency and provide certainty. But we also believe that companies and other businesses concerned about their suppliers, customers or rivals merging will also benefit.”

19 December , 2023

Submissions Open for Senate Inquiry into Supermarket Prices

The Senate has established a Select Committee on Supermarket Prices, to inquire into and report on the price setting practices and market power of major supermarkets.

The committee is seeking submissions that address the terms of reference by Friday, 2 February 2024 and the committee’s final report is due by 7 May 2024.

11 December , 2023

Government Responds to ACCC’s Digital Platform Recommendations

Following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) September 2022 Digital Platform Services Inquiry report, and the Albanese Government’s commitment in November to mandatory industry codes regarding scams (consultation closes 29/01/2024) has now announced an in-principle agreement to desperately needed new consumer and competition laws regarding digital platforms. Currently, the government is requesting that industry…

5 December , 2023

“[U]nlikely to result in a substantial lessening of competition”, ACCC Okays Coles Milk Plant Acquisitions

“While we found that Coles may have an incentive to consolidate some of its milk volumes in the eastern states, this was unlikely to lead to a substantial lessening of competition,” Mr Keogh said.

“Coles will likely continue to face financial incentives to stock and support branded milk from other processors, due to the higher retail margins it earns on these products.”

In addition, the ACCC found that Coles’ commercial incentives to consolidate its milk supply would exist with or without the transaction due to the significant excess capacity at the Laverton and Erskine Park facilities.

4 December , 2023

ACCC Applies Record Penalty for “seriousness, duration and extent” of Techtronic’s Retail Price Maintenance

The total penalties, ordered by the Federal Court, are the highest imposed for resale price maintenance in Australia. Resale price maintenance (also known as RPM) occurs when a supplier of goods specifies a minimum price below which a reseller must not supply, offer to supply, advertise, or display those goods for sale.

“The ACCC submitted to the Court that this level of penalty was appropriate given the seriousness, duration and extent of Techtronic’s conduct. It sends a strong signal to deter others from engaging in RPM, and should serve as a warning for all other businesses,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.