Greens senator claims supermarket duopoly allows ‘what is effectively collusion’
Greens senator Nick McKim spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning about the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets, which says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world.
He noted the ACCC had chosen not to recommend divestiture powers, which the Greens had been calling for, and said:
The fact that the ACCC was just investigating the supermarket sector may be one reason why they didn’t recommend divestiture powers. I do know that the ACCC, quite rightly, were strong proponents of stronger anti-merger laws in Australia which would prevent the further concentration of market power …
What we really need – the final tool in the toolkit for regulators – is now divestiture powers, so that when markets are too concentrated and they are leading to poor outcomes for consumers … that they can be broken up when necessary.
McKim said it wasn’t just consumers being impacted, with “primary producers … being done over by the duopoly simply because they can, because of the concentration of market power”.
I have no doubt that the market dominance of Coles and Woolworths allows them to get away with behaviour that, effectively, is collusion. They unfortunately care about their profits far more than they do about the welfare of their shoppers.
The host noted the ACCC report found no straight evidence of collusion, but did find evidence of strange pricing behaviour. You can read more details of the report below:
Key events
Molly Ticehurst’s alleged killer mentally assessed
The man accused of the domestic violence murder of Molly Ticehurst has been mentally assessed and will face court again later in the year, AAP reports.
Daniel Billings is charged with the murder of Ticehurst, whose body was found in her home at Forbes, in central-western NSW, in the early hours of 22 April.
The 30-year-old was freed on bail a fortnight before the alleged murder on charges related to Ticehurst, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking and intimidating her.
He was also charged with destroying property at her house and aggravated animal cruelty against her 12-week-old dachshund puppy in 2023. Four more serious charges, including one count of aggravated sexual assault, were laid in December 2024.
Legal documents before the court accused Billings of threatening to cause Ticehurst further physical harm during the alleged assault. Billings is facing a total of 17 charges.
Legal Aid solicitor Diane Elston today told Parkes local court that Billings had undergone a mental assessment and the case could progress. Magistrate Michael Maher adjourned the case to the same court on 16 May.
He also removed Ticehurst’s name from an interim domestic violence order, which was put in place with the initial charges.
Wilkie calls for independent inquiry into salmon industry after deadly outbreak
Adam Morton
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie has called for an independent inquiry into whether the state’s aquaculture companies are selling diseased salmon to the public after a bacterium outbreak caused a mass mortality event at fish farms south of Hobart.
Wilkie, the MP for Clark, and Peter George, an independent candidate in the neighbouring seat of Franklin and anti-salmon farm campaigner, held a press conference outside the Tasmanian parliament.
They said that while politicians and the industry had claimed that diseased fish were not sold for human consumption, a 2014 policy document from the salmon company Huon showed that staff were advised that “in any large mortality event, as many fish as possible should be recovered for harvest and processing”. It said “any fish in which the gills still bleed is potentially recoverable”.
Wilkie and George said this was at odds with claims by the salmon industry and the Tasmanian Liberal industry minister Eric Abetz that dying and dead fish were not harvested and sold to the public.
Wilkie accused the state government of “running a protection racket for the salmon industry and in the process risking destroying the industry”. He said there would be “increasing pushback from consumers” if the government did not act.
A lot of consumers want to eat salmon, they like salmon, but they want to know it’s healthy. At the moment, they have no confidence it’s healthy. I certainly won’t be buying any more salmon until I can have some confidence it’s healthy and sustainably produced.
Huon and Abetz have been asked for their response.
International students have little impact on rental crisis, research finds
Caitlin Cassidy
International students have little to no impact on the Australian rental crisis and are being “politicised” by Labor and the Coalition, new research suggests.
The study, published by Associate Prof Guanglun Michael Mu and Dr Hannah Soong from the University of South Australia, analysed 76 data points from 2017 to 2023 at the national and capital city level.
It found in most major cities, structural issues in the housing market were the primary cause of lower supply, adding some politicians had “blatantly attributed the national housing crisis to the rapid growth of international student numbers”.
In this context, the presence and impact of international student mobility are leveraged for political debates and agendas, rather than being addressed through evidence-based measures.
Prof Mu said the political discourses came on top of a “raft of other policy initiatives, including doubling student visa fees, tightening migration schemes, and proposing legislation to cap international student admissions for higher education providers”.
Australia’s economic security system needs ‘redesign’ amid threats – report
AAP has more details on the unclassified 2024 independent intelligence review, which was released today (as we flagged earlier).
Among the 67 recommendations was an economic security function be set up in Treasury to protect against financial threats. The review said economic decisions within the government was an area where national security risks were “becoming more challenging to manage”.
In our judgment, a system redesign is needed.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, told reporters today that national security and economic security were becoming more connected:
So much of the uncertainty and risk that we see in the world, the geopolitical uncertainty, has an element of economic consequences attached to it as well.
National security and economic policy have become more and more intertwined. They’ve always been intertwined to some extent, but they’re now almost inseparable from each other.
The report said economic security threats had increased since the last time a review was carried out in 2017, due to shifting global tensions.
Queensland man accused of smuggling fugitive out of country
A man will face court today for allegedly smuggling a fugitive out of Australia.
In a statement, the Australian federal police said a Bagara man, 57, was charged yesterday under Operation Harrakis, which is investigating an alleged criminal syndicate suspected of helping serious organised crime figures flee Australia.
It will be alleged the man and another man crewed a vessel that collected an alleged fugitive during an at-sea transfer, before the three men sailed from Thursday Island in September 2023 and arrived in Phuket, Thailand, in early November.
The fugitive had been charged under Operation Ironside with dealing with the proceeds of a crime over $100,000, and conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
A search warrant was executed yesterday at a house near Bundaberg in Queensland, where police allegedly seized devices with correspondence between the man and offshore criminal syndicate facilitators, discussing arrangements for a fugitive to flee.
The AFP charged the man with one count of providing support resources to a member of a criminal organisation and one count of people smuggling. He is the fifth person charged as part of Operation Harrakis, which remains ongoing.
Australia joins London defence talks on Ukraine support
Senior military officers from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond – including Europe – met in England yesterday to flesh out plans for an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine as details of a partial ceasefire are worked out.
A defence spokesperson confirmed an Australian delegation, led by air vice-marshal Di Turton, participated in planning talks in London yesterday, and said:
Australia remains steadfast in its support, and supports all meaningful progress towards a just and enduring peace for Ukraine. Australia will continue to participate in collaborative military planning at a range of levels.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he didn’t know whether there would be a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war but that “we are making steps in the right direction” as a “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France moves into an “operational phase”.
We hope there will be a deal but what I do know is if there is a deal, the time for planning is now. It’s not after a deal is reached.
It is vitally important we do that work, because we know one thing for certain, which is a deal without anything behind it is something that [Russian president Vladimir] Putin will breach.
– with AP
Mass death of leatherjacket fish on NSW south coast investigated
The mysterious death of thousands of juvenile leatherjackets are being investigated, after they washed ashore on beaches across NSW’s south coast.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said there had been reports of dead fish from Lake Conjola to Narooma and that it was investigating:
Current reports are estimating numbers in the thousands of fish, mostly juvenile leatherjacket washed up on several south coast beaches, with the cause currently unknown. Samples have been taken to determine the cause of the mortalities and fisheries officers are continuing to monitor the areas for any further events.
Adeshola Ore
First person in Australia found guilty of arranging forced marriage loses bid to challenge jail term
A Victorian mother who forced her 20-year daughter to marry her eventual murderer has lost a bid to challenge her three-year prison sentence.
Last year, Sakina Muhammad Jan, 48, became the first person in Australia to be found guilty of arranging a forced marriage since the practice was criminalised more than 10 years ago.
In a 2-1 ruling handed down this morning, the Victorian court of appeal upheld the sentence handed down by the county court. A jury found that Jan had forced her daughter, Ruqia Haidari, to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi in August 2019.
Halimi killed Haidari five months after their wedding and is serving a life sentence for her murder.
US tech giants urge Trump to hit Australia on social media laws
Tech giants are reportedly pressuring US president Donald Trump to punish Australia over its social media laws, AAP reports.
The move is in response to the federal government putting in place laws to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, as well as measures to force tech companies to pay media organisations in Australia for content on their platform.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said the reaction from the US companies were predictable, and told Sky News earlier:
It’s not surprising that the tech giants would have that view. Our job is to make decisions in Australia’s national interest, to protect kids online, for example, or to make sure that there’s a level playing field in our media with our media organisations.
It’s self-evident that [tech billionaires] are very close with the US administration. Our focus and our job is to make our case in the US, as we have been doing.
A lot of people around the country, not just parents, but including parents, they want to make sure that there are appropriate protections for people online. The tech giants won’t always like that.
Greens senator claims supermarket duopoly allows ‘what is effectively collusion’
Greens senator Nick McKim spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning about the long-awaited competition watchdog’s report into the big supermarkets, which says the retailers raised prices in the cost-of-living crisis to help them become among the most profitable in the world.
He noted the ACCC had chosen not to recommend divestiture powers, which the Greens had been calling for, and said:
The fact that the ACCC was just investigating the supermarket sector may be one reason why they didn’t recommend divestiture powers. I do know that the ACCC, quite rightly, were strong proponents of stronger anti-merger laws in Australia which would prevent the further concentration of market power …
What we really need – the final tool in the toolkit for regulators – is now divestiture powers, so that when markets are too concentrated and they are leading to poor outcomes for consumers … that they can be broken up when necessary.
McKim said it wasn’t just consumers being impacted, with “primary producers … being done over by the duopoly simply because they can, because of the concentration of market power”.
I have no doubt that the market dominance of Coles and Woolworths allows them to get away with behaviour that, effectively, is collusion. They unfortunately care about their profits far more than they do about the welfare of their shoppers.
The host noted the ACCC report found no straight evidence of collusion, but did find evidence of strange pricing behaviour. You can read more details of the report below:
NSW childcare inquiry confirmed after shocking allegations
Allegations of children being sexually abused, left restrained in high chairs for hours and receiving substandard meals have prompted a parliamentary inquiry into the childcare sector, AAP reports.
NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd said a parliamentary committee into alleged “failures” of the early childhood education and care sector in the state had been established and she would be chairing.
Dropping your child off at an early learning centre in the morning is an enormous act of trust, but it doesn’t need to be a blind leap of faith. Families deserve transparency and accountability, and that’s what a parliamentary investigation can help to deliver.
The inquiry comes on the back of an ABC Four Corners investigation that reported allegations that child sexual abuse was being ignored by regulators and service providers prioritising profit over children’s care, with regulatory enforcement lacking.
Boyd said securing unanimous support from all sides of politics showed the allegations had touched a nerve, and that the “safety and wellbeing of the children of this state is an issue that transcends political persuasions”.
Anthony Albanese on Tuesday ruled out calls to establish a royal commission, while alleging the evidence presented on the program exposed clear breaches.
Human rights groups urge political leaders to avoid ‘divisive dog whistling’ about refugees
Sarah Basford Canales
More than 30 human rights advocacy groups have written to political leaders urging them to avoid “divisive dog whistling” about refugees and people seeking asylum in the upcoming federal election.
The open letter to leaders of Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens, sent today, calls on politicians to “approach issues around people who have fled conflict and persecution with dignity and respect”, noting the “immense power and influence in setting the political agenda and the topics and tone of the national conversation”.
Both major parties have taken a tough stance on asylum seekers and refugees coming into Australia by boat. Both parties support sending anyone arriving in Australia by boat and seeking asylum to offshore processing facilities, like Nauru, without the chance of ever being resettled in Australia – even if they’re found to be refugees.
Political language and media reporting can often conflate issues of immigration with people seeking asylum.
The letter, signed by groups including the Refugee Council, Amnesty International, St Vincent de Paul and the Asylum Seekers Centre, acknowledged immigration would be “an important and high profile subject” during the election but implored leaders to “maintain high standards and correct the record when they have shared incorrect information, whether intentionally or by mistake”.
Frances Rush, the chief executive of the Asylum Seekers Centre, said:
We’re already seeing examples of divisive dog whistling this week and the federal election campaign hasn’t even officially commenced. If this is the starting mark, we have serious concerns over where the campaign will finish. These choices have real consequences, real impacts and real danger for people seeking asylum and refugees.
Intelligence review released
The unclassified 2024 independent intelligence review was released today, according to a statement from the prime minister.
Announced in September 2023 to look at Australia’s intelligence agencies, and led by Dr Heather Smith and Richard Maude, the review found agencies have been successful in protecting Australia’s national interest, Anthony Albanese said.
He announced the government would invest $44.6m over four years in the Office of National Intelligence to “support initial implementation of key priorities identified in the response to the review”.
The statement said “details about the proposed approach to specific recommendations will remain classified”. Albanese said:
Our hard-working intelligence agencies are crucial in safeguarding Australia’s national security and we have full confidence in their capacity. We will continue to invest in capability to ensure Australia’s intelligence community can deal with emerging threats and challenges.
I would like to thank Dr Smith and Mr Maude for their work on this review, which will ensure our intelligence community continues to protect our national interest.
Liberal group urges party to drop ‘losing’ nuclear policy
The Liberals Against Nuclear group – established by Liberal supporters who are against the party’s nuclear energy plan – are continuing to call on the party to abandon the “unpopular” policy.
In a statement today, the group said the party’s “conspicuous silence on nuclear energy in its advertising confirms the policy does not have internal party support” and must be dumped.
Analysis of Meta’s advertising library, published today in the Nine newspapers, shows the Liberal party has not used the word “nuclear” in any of its 24 paid social media advertisements currently running.
Andrew Gregson, spokesperson for Liberals Against Nuclear, said the party’s “actions speak louder than words” and that it was avoiding mentioning nuclear because “they know voters don’t want it”.
The party’s silence on nuclear in its advertising suggests internal polling matches what we’re seeing publicly – nuclear is a losing proposition. People just don’t want to be lumbered with public debt and massive government intrusion …
Voters are desperate for immediate relief on power bills, not a $600bn nuclear scheme that delivers nothing for decades. The Liberal party should focus on immediate tax relief for struggling families and businesses while developing practical energy solutions that align with liberal values of smaller government and free markets.
Call to scrap $3 wages for people with Down syndrome
Down Syndrome Australia says the nation needs to phase out $3-an-hour wages for people with disability and break down the barriers preventing people from working in open employment.
Today marks World Down Syndrome Day, and a new poll finds most people – 82% – agree that it’s unacceptable for people with the condition to be paid below the minimum wage.
The same poll showed 79% agreed that creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with Down syndrome is the responsibility of governments and employers.
CEO Darryl Steff said in a statement that the federal government and opposition should commit to phasing out pay below the minimum wage by 2034, in line with the recommendation from the disability royal commission.
Allowing workers to be paid as little as $3 an hour, even if they also receive the disability support pension, means we’ve got people with disability living in poverty their whole lives. It also puts strain on family members who often then have to support them financially. You can’t even buy a cup of coffee for $3 these days.
Early whale sightings could reflect stress from climate change
Communities in the NSW south coast have been excited to see the first whales of the season but scientists are warning the increasingly early start of the annual whale migration might be a sign of stress due to climate change.
Dr Olaf Meynecke, research fellow at Griffith University and manager of the international whales and climate program, said the faster sea ice melts in Antarctica – where the feeding grounds for humpback whales are – had a direct impact on the species migration timing.
Climatic changes in the Antarctic make food supplies less predictable, he said, meaning some mother whales deserted their calves before travelling back to Antarctica. Some juveniles migrating early and alone might have been abandoned last year, he said.
During the early northern migration, when humpback whales return from their Antarctic feeding grounds, we can often see juveniles or even yearlings moving up the coast. These whales may not all come from Antarctica but have spent their feeding summer closer to Australia. Some of the yearlings, whales born last year, may simply not have been strong enough to make the full migration …
There are a number of adaptation strategies that humpback whales have developed to cope with higher climate and ocean variability. This includes the access of supplementary food sources, development of new feeding strategies, shifting migration timing and sharing information about abundant food sources. However, the stress for whales increases.
McKenzie pushes for divestiture powers and supermarket fines amid ACCC report
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie was up on Sky News earlier and said the government was doing enough to tackle the duopoly of the big supermarkets.
She pointed to comments made by Jim Chalmers earlier on the program, and said:
I didn’t hear the word penalties. I didn’t hear any tough measures that are actually going to put a very strong incentive for our supermarkets to behave better.
The host asked that if the ACCC “hasn’t found a smoking gun” and they basically aren’t doing anything wrong, what can the government do?
McKenzie said the “reality is the lived experience of customers, where we’ve seen prices go through the roof over the last three years”.
And we’ve also seen unfair contractual arrangements with our primary producers, [which] means that the supermarkets are working in concert together …
We have the means available to us to do something serious. The proposal from the Coalition was for up to $2m in fines to be imposed … or again, our divestiture proposal – a serious disincentive to the supermarkets to treat customers and suppliers poorly.
As we reported earlier, Chalmers has argued the “risks outweigh the benefits” when it comes to divestiture powers.
WA Liberal leader seeks demotion amid ‘support for Basil’
Libby Mettam says she will not continue as Western Australian Liberal party leader but will seek to stay on as deputy, after it became clear she lacked the support of party colleagues after another significant election defeat.
As AAP reports, the move opens the door for high-profile Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas, who narrowly secured the seat of Churchlands at the recent election, to assume the leadership now he has been elected to parliament and a change is no longer hypothetical.
Mettam said she would step forward as a candidate for the role of deputy.
While I would have liked and hoped to continue as leader, it has become clear I do not have that support of my colleagues to continue as leader through to the election in 2029.
I will be the only experienced Liberal in the legislative assembly and as a result many colleagues have encouraged me to support our new members and our new leader in the most effective way I can.
The WA Liberals party room will meet on Tuesday but Mettam said it was appropriate to announce her intentions ahead of time. She took responsibility for the party’s defeat at the state election earlier this month but said leadership speculation was a significant contributor to the outcome.
Major parties neck and neck as election draws closer
Labor and the Coalition have drawn level with voters, AAP reports, as the prime minister prepares to call the federal election.
The latest YouGov poll shows the opposition clawing back ground on the government, with the major parties tied 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis.
The result comes after two weeks of Labor holding a narrow 51% to 49% lead in the polls, off the back of the response to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and public reaction to the government’s backing of Ukraine.
While the Coalition gained ground in the lead-up to the election, Anthony Albanese is still ahead of Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister. The poll showed 45% of those surveyed backed Albanese as preferred leader compared with 40% for Dutton.
Labor’s primary vote remains unchanged since the last poll at 31%. However, the Coalition has increased its voter share, gaining one point to 37%.
The YouGov poll surveyed 1,500 people between 14 March and Wednesday, with a margin of error of 3.4%.
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