2026-01-20

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for enhanced powers for the Agri-food Regulator to access data from businesses within the agricultural and food supply chain, including prices, margins, and related financial information, in order to promote transparency and protect consumer interests; and to provide for related matters. I welcome the opportunity to introduce this Bill. It will provide for enhanced powers for the Agri-Food Regulator to access data from businesses within the agricultural and food supply chain, including prices, margins and related financial information, in order to promote transparency and protect consumer interests. The reason the Bill is necessary is twofold. The first reason it is necessary is it is so difficult at the moment for families to keep food on their tables. It is so expensive. Month after month, we have seen grocery prices going up and families struggling to feed their children. Barnardos cost-of-living report last year found some stark stats when it did its analysis. A total of 19% of families cut back or went without food in a six-month period; 40% of parents skipped meals or reduced portion size so that their children had enough to eat; 28% of parents reported sometimes not having enough food to feed their children; and 12% of families rely on food banks. We are very wealthy country but that wealth is not being seen in so many households and families. Those people are finding it very difficult just to keep their head above water. The establishment of the Agri-Food Regulator was a very welcome initiative by the Government. Unfortunately, when it was established, the Agri-Food Regulator was not given sufficient powers to do its job properly. Essentially, it was to look at every point along the food chain, identify what the costs and margins were and bring some transparency as to who was making money along the food chain. One issue we are all aware of is that farmers at the farm gate are not making the money but someone is making a lot of money when it comes to food prices at the moment. Unfortunately, when the Government brought the powers to the regulator, it did not give it sufficient teeth. In September 2024, the regulator wrote to the Minister asking for additional powers. It wants to be able to compel businesses to provide this information. Currently, it can only ask for or request that information, which has stymied some of its analysis to date. It was to do an analysis on the production and cost of eggs but was unable to do that because businesses were not giving them enough information. The regulator sought to fix that problem and asked the Government to provide those powers to it. Nothing came forward from the Government and in March 2025, the regulator repeated the call that it be given the power of compellability. I was pleased to hear from the Minister, Deputy Heydon, late last year that those powers were to be given, but I was surprised and shocked when I realised the statutory regulation he signed would only bring those powers in at the end of 2026. Families are going to have to wait another year before there is sufficient transparency in the pricing of our food, and before the Government has sufficient information to do something about these high grocery prices. That delay is unacceptable. We have been waiting. It is nearly a year and a half since the food regulator first asked for that, so it will be two and a half years before it is actually given those powers. Considering the day-to-day lives, the impact and the pressures on families, that delay is not acceptable. I want the Government to speed this up. My Bill will do that. It is a very simple Bill. It essentially changes the premise that the regulator can ask for this information to ensuring it can compel this information from the big retailers. It is very simple. It is something that has been on the agenda of the regulator for over a year and a half. This should be easy to do. I ask that the Government supports this Bill and moves forward quickly with this because families around the country need the price of their food to come down. We need transparency across that food supply chain.

Is the Bill being opposed?

No.

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."