Katter Takes Farmers' Fight To The Supermarket Frontlines

North Queensland MP Bob Katter has taken his fight for fairer farm returns to the heart of supermarket power—this time outside a Woolworths in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Backed by farmers and joined by Calare MP Andrew Gee, Katter continued his push to expose what he called “monstrous, unjustified markups” on everyday groceries, urging support for his Reducing Supermarket Dominance Bill.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re on the Tablelands, in the Burdekin or in Bathurst—farmers are getting smashed,” Mr Katter said.

“They're working for peanuts while Coles and Woolies rake in world-leading profits.”

Katter said the rage he felt after reading the ACCC’s February report, which found no evidence of price gouging, left him no choice but to take a stand.

“If you believe there’s no price gouging, you believe in the tooth fairy,” he said.

“I’ll be moving for the head of the ACCC to be sacked when Parliament resumes.”

Hon Andrew Gee said, "We need to get the snouts of the supermarket giants out of the money trough.

"They are wallowing in world-leading profits while paying our farmers a pittance and price gouging consumers on the way through."

While the latest protest was staged in NSW, Katter said the issue cuts deepest in rural and regional areas like Kennedy, where farmers are being forced off the land.

The Bill, introduced in March 2024, would limit any one supermarket’s market share to 20 per cent within five years, cap retail markups to double the farmgate price, and scrap the current food and grocery code of conduct.

“North Queensland farmers are done being squeezed by the duopoly,” Katter said.

"I mean, are we just going to let them continue screwing the farmers down through the floor and charging the consumers a 'squillion' dollars?

"No bloody way."

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