With the big two supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths controlling 67% of food sales in Australia, and given their track record of proven price manipulation, and excessive profiteering ($2.86 billion 2025/26) is it not time their strangle hold on the essential food market was broken.

The Greens have proposed that the government become involved in the supermarket business, through the public acquisition of 200 C & W stores (re-badged Fair Go Grocers) and 3 distribution centres, with a plan to build 400 plus new stores. The Green Institute’s proposal aims to cut household food bills by 22%, or about A$60 a week for an average four-person household. The institute claims Fair Go Grocers could become self-funding within six years. Like the essentials of health and education, food supply is too important to be left in the hands of a couple of unscrupulous private players.

Let's do that - just like the old Soviet Union, where their government owned shops specialised in empty shelves because governments are no good at business. What a bloody stupid idea!

Hi ttbn,

Other than your negativity, do you have anything positive to say, or are YOU willing to accept the status quo. We could cut the aged welfare payment by $60 week, and pay a food bonus to 2.7 million struggling Australian families.

AND, that old chestnut; "look at the Soviet Union" it has been done to death, a totally different set of circumstance existed there, which has no relevance to Australia.