COMPETITION – LAW AND LEGISLATION – AUSTRALIA

Billson slams BCA ‘utter nonsense’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Aug-15

The Australian Government’s cabinet ministers have endorsed a proposal to add a so-called "effects test" to the Competition and Consumer Act. The reform was one of 56 recommendations made by the Harper review of competition laws, and is supported by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. However, the Business Council of Australia maintains that an effects test would adversely affect competition and make companies more vulnerable to litigation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AVALON, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Wesfarmers criticises ‘effects test’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 2-Apr-15

The final report of the Harper review of competition law has recommended strengthening existing laws on the misuse of market power. However, retail giants Woolworths and Wesfarmers do not support the introduction of a so-called "effects test", and Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder believes that it may in fact adversely affect consumers. An effects test has the support of National Farmers’ Federation CEO Simon Talbot

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COLES GROUP LIMITED

Business pans power abuse test

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 9-Dec-14

A submission to the Harper competition review panel by the Business Council of Australia has criticised proposed changes to regulations governing abuse of market power. The employer’s group argues that the reforms would create uncertainty, result in significant cost to the economy and could potentially lead to lengthy litigation. The Australian Industry Group and large corporations such as Telstra and Coles have also expressed concern about the proposed reforms

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. COMPETITION TRIBUNAL, MASTER GROCERS’ AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GLENCORE COAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITY OF MELBOURNE

Big retailers warn of chill to competition

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 19-Nov-14

An Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) submission to the Harper review of competition law has expressed concern about the proposed "effects test". It warns that this would adversely affect competition and would have no long-term benefit for consumers. The ANRA has supported some of the other recommendations of the review, while small retailers say the proposal to deregulate trading hours will ultimately increase the dominance of retail giants Coles and Woolworths

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Big win for competition

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Fleur Anderson, Joanna Heath, Katie Walsh, Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 &6 : 23-Sep-14

The draft report of the Australian Government’s competition policy review was delivered on 22 September 2014. Professor Ian Harper made 52 recommendations for reform of competition law. They include changes to regulations on trading hours, pharmacies, town planning, taxi licences and cheap imported goods. Harper said that the changes to competition could expand the economy by 2.5 per cent a year in the long-term

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Market power laws ‘ludicrous’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Nassim Khadem
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Aug-14

The National Press Club has heard from Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder, also chair of the Business 20 forum advising the Australian Government. His company owns major retailers Coles and Bunnings, and he rejected plans to extend section 46 of the Australian Consumer Law to small business operators in order to protect them against market dominance by large corporations. Goyder threatened that his group’s tax payments of $A1.5bn per annum and employment of 200,000 local jobs could be reduced, if it adopted the profit shifting strategies of overseas-based rivals such as Aldi or CostCo

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, BUSINESS 20 (B20), GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS. BASEL COMMITTEE ON BANKING SUPERVISION

Retailers ‘will lose out to Chinese’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Blair Speedy
The Australian – Page: 18 : 29-Jul-14

Dominant supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths have been urged to raise their farmgate prices, or risk losing supply as primary producers instead export to the lucrative market in China. The warning has come from Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, who noted that the companies are selling white label milk for just $A1 a litre when consumers in China are prepared to pay $A7 or more. Joyce also said he fully backed a Federal Court case by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission against Coles, over alleged unconscionable conduct in its relations with food sector suppliers

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, NORCO CO-OPERATIVE LIMITED, MURRAY GOULBURN CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY LIMITED