Stanhope to go it Alone on Supermarket Competition Policy.

imhotep said :

dvaey said :

While you do need some intellect to join government, I actually prefer to see the ordinary people getting elected, rather than ex-lawyers and those from the top end of town.

You have your wish then dvaey. There are very few people in the Assembly who would make it in the ‘Top end of Town’. Observe the result.

Well, Jon Stanhope studied (and graduated from) Law at ANU, Katy Gallagher studied political science at ANU, Shane Rattenbury studied law and economics at ANU, etc.

If studying law, politics, and economics at ANU dont qualify you to make it at the top end of town, then what does? Its no wonder some of these people cant comprehend how to run public housing, buses and public schools.

dvaey said :

While you do need some intellect to join government, I actually prefer to see the ordinary people getting elected, rather than ex-lawyers and those from the top end of town.

You have your wish then dvaey. There are very few people in the Assembly who would make it in the ‘Top end of Town’. Observe the result.

But if Stanhope will back up this press release with some action then I’m all for it. There isn’t a ‘free market’ in full-line supermarkets, it’s basically a duopoly. Make no mistake, this duopoly’s aim is to screw the suppliers at one end and the consumers at the other, and they’re pretty ruthless about it.

I-filed said :

dvaey said :

If woolies/coles can come in and undercut the price of goods at the local grocery store, isnt that exactly what competition is meant to achieve?

dvaey, that’s unlikely, because Woollies will do what they did in Dickson: they were cheaper than their rival, independent supermarket (to the point of sacrificing profit) and as soon as that supermarket went under, Woollies put up their prices largely to parity with IGA Ainslie.

So, if woolies puts their price up, go elsewhere, wheres the problem? If you dont like the prices available at Dickson, then go to Civic or Belconnen, or any of the other stores nearby. Its not like we live in a 2-horse town with one grocery store, we live in a city with dozens of options. I just really dislike how some of the smaller shops such as IGA or Supabarn, at times can almost be as expensive buying household goods at the 24hr petrol station. I remember in summer last year, when IGA Isabella almost doubled the cost of a bottle of coke, to the point it was cheaper to buy at Calwell Caltex than the supermarket.

dvaey said :

If woolies/coles can come in and undercut the price of goods at the local grocery store, isnt that exactly what competition is meant to achieve?

dvaey, that’s unlikely, because Woollies will do what they did in Dickson: they were cheaper than their rival, independent supermarket (to the point of sacrificing profit) and as soon as that supermarket went under, Woollies put up their prices largely to parity with IGA Ainslie. In fact, for a while – while Woollies were calibrating and finetuning their prices to gouge according to local demographics – several branded lines were actually cheaper at IGA.

imhotep said :

Nah, couldn’t happen. Not in this town. You don’t get to be a minister in the ACT Government unless you have the relevant skills and ability.

I thought government was meant to be representative of all the people, not just those with law degrees who have tired of ripping off clients. While you do need some intellect to join government, I actually prefer to see the ordinary people getting elected, rather than ex-lawyers and those from the top end of town.

I also fail to see the issue with a woolworths/coles replacing a smaller and more expensive grocery store, from a consumer cost perspective anyway. Sure some stock like fruit/veg might be a little iffy, but caveat emptor, that situation can exist at any shop. If woolies/coles can come in and undercut the price of goods at the local grocery store, isnt that exactly what competition is meant to achieve?

I-filed said :

….What better way to kill off their [Woolworths and Coles] only viable competition than by either hoodwinking a government that is so incompetent it has no-one on board with the relevant knowledge and skills….a bit of flattery and a couple of sherberts with a giggling minister or two.

Nah, couldn’t happen. Not in this town. You don’t get to be a minister in the ACT Government unless you have the relevant skills and ability.

All sarcasm aside, if they do actually implement all the recommendations in the report I’ll be impressed (and surprised).

In fact, if they include IGA that would reek of Woolworths’ and Coles’ influence over the ACT Government. What better way to kill off their only viable competition than by either hoodwinking a government that is so incompetent it has no-one on board with the relevant knowledge and skills, or, carrying out some actually corrupt plan with the government following a bit of flattery and a couple of sherberts with a giggling minister or two. Making a smalltown-mentality minister feel influential and important can be very easy for reps from the top end of town.

I’m not convinced IGA should be blacklisted either.

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I was overseas a few years back and London was full of ‘High-Streets’ with heaps of indie supermarkets… why can’t we have more of those?

Although i rarely shop at coles and woolworths, i understand that they do serve some sort of purpose in that they do employ local people(generally not enough)and can make shopping for grocery items convenient. IGA’s are the way to go however, as they are generally owned by locals who spend their money locally, leaving more of the money in the area.
There was a call last year for the IGA’s of Canberra to ‘pool’ together on fresh produce to try and bring the prices down. I believe Seechange was involved but am not sure how far the plans got.